Favourite animals at Chester and top 5 you want them to get

The first time I visited Chester Zoo in 1980, it had a good collection of small South American cats, including the jaguarundi and pampas cat.

 

You could say the same, perhaps at a slightly earlier date, about other small carnivores (grison, tayra, fennec, Egyptian mongoose, American badger) and rodents (mountain & plains viscacha, black giant squirrel, red squirrel, not forgetting the prairie dogs and the invisible beaver).

 

I saw the invisible beaver several times.

 

Favorites:
Bornean Orang-utan
Yellow-Faced Mynah
Eastern Black Rhinoceros
Reeves' Pheasant
Aye-Aye
Sumatran Orang-utan

Want:
Obviously, Magpie Geese
Western Lowland Gorilla
Shoebill
James' Flamingo
Venezuelan Red Howler Monkey

 

No chance of magpie goose, Magpie Goose, unless the zoo realises that somewhere in the world is a place called Australia.

 

Curious,what would you guys think of a North American themed exhibit.Animals that would be featured include Bison,Moose,White tailed deer,Bighorn sheep,Grizzly bears,Black bears,Gray wolves,Coyotes,Bobcats,Alligators,Rattlesnakes,Gila Monsters,Bald and Golden eagles and Mountain lions.Thats just what I thought of at this point and I'm interested in opinions related to this.

 

Why would Chester keep these species? The usual justification for importing new species is to breed them for conservation reasons; as zoogiraffe explained earlier in this thread, this is particularly relevant for species for which the zoo supports in situ programmes. I can also understand why the zoo might want to bring in new species to add to exhibits linked to particular geographical areas (which is why I added a species from Sulawesi and two from Madagascar to my suggestions). Other possible reasons might be to use the special skills of the zoo staff or for an educational programme.
I don't think that many of the species you suggest would fit these criteria. It would be possible to build an interesting and attractive exhibit for them, but I don't think they would have a high priority when there are so many other species out there.

 

Pretty much no chance,and particularly no chance of the rattler,and why would they bring back Gila Monster,as they went out of them as they didn't fit the zoo's collection plan!!

 

Oh well,the North America exhibit was just an idea as I am sure everyone on here has interesting exhibit ideas.

 

Favourites include tuatara, aye-aye, both rhino species, cheetah, spotted deer, sun bear, binturong, tiger and the hornbills.

Species I want to see -
Leopard
Dhole
A genet (not fussed about species)
Short-beaked echidna
Bear cuscus

What I would really like is for the narrow-striped mongoose to go on display though...

 

I think it would make for a very engaging exhibit.

 

I second these suggestions

 

Were you visiting the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum?

 

Favourites:

1. Binturong
2. the other Binturong ...
3.

Seriously: Binturong, Aye-Aye, Great Indian Rhino, Red Panda, Okapi.

Five I'd like: Wombat, a Leopard (any Leopard), Fennec Fox, a Seal or Sealion, Przewalski.

 

They said that about dinosaurs but I'm sure Chester had some last year ...

 

It's been a while since this thread was last updated, but I thought I would give my thoughts. I haven't been to Chester in over a decade, so I can't really say what my favourite animals there are but I have included a wishlist of five species I think would be good there. As with gentle lemur's list, I have made sure the five are animals that have not been kept at Chester before.

- Crested genet Genetta cristata
A Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List that lives in the borderlands of Nigeria and Cameroon where Chester has done conservation work recently (for example the camera trapping surveys in Gashaka Gumti National Park). They could potentially be kept mixed with African brush-tailed porcupines (a similar mix between porcupines and another genet species used to be present at Antwerp Zoo).

- Madagascar pond-heron Ardeola idea
An attractive, small and endangered heron that would fit well into the upcoming Madagascar area; this is one of only two species on this list actually represented elsewhere in European zoos (only kept at Walsrode); could potentially be mixed with other Madagascan waterbirds such as Meller's duck and Madagascar crested ibis. There is an in-situ conservation project planned for the species from the IUCN-SSC Heron Specialist Group that could be supported.

- Flying dragon Draco sp.
Depending on space in the Monsoon Forest house, a large terrarium housing a group of flying dragons would be a good way to educate about the prevalence of gliding animals in the forests of Southeast Asia. There are several species that could be suitable - the common flying dragon Draco volans, the Sulawesi lined flying dragon Draco spilonotus or the giant flying dragon Draco maximus. I have heard of captive success with the genus, so could be suitable for Chester.

- Sao Tome giant tree frog Hyperolius thomensis
The only species that does not occur in an area where Chester currently works in situ, this is the largest species of reed frog, is endangered, brightly-coloured and occurs only on Sao Tome, sometimes referred to as 'The Galapagos of Africa'. Although I considered the golden caecilian Schistometopum thomense, I think the frog would make a better display as well as being the more threatened species.

- Emerald dwarf rasbora Danio erythromicron
The other species on this list kept elsewhere in Europe (apparently only kept at Plock Zoo in Poland), this is one of a number of endemic fish from Lake Inle in Myanmar that would make an extremely attractive and conservation-relevant display in the aquarium. At least seven endemic fish from the lake are present in European home aquaria so should not necessarily be hard to source.

 

Favourite animals at Cheater: Elephants Lions Tigers Malayan Tapirs Gaboon Viper Bush Dogs Painted Dogs

Five species I would like to see:

Tapanuli Orangutan- identified last year. Critically endangered and a new sub species for the zoo community. Chester has great facilities to showcase this animal. (I’m aware that they may have issues with having the three sub species together in the one zoo- but the question is what I want).

King Cobra or Black Mamba- I have mentioned many times before on this web site that I think that Chester is lacking in hot herps. Both of these species are really impressive in size but also in my experience these also are particularly active in comprarasion to other snakes.

Sunda Clouded Leopard: for me the most beautiful of the cats. A unique opportunity to perhaps have more vertical housing design. Would be a nod to the 70’s and 80’s when Cheater had a fantastic small cat collection.

Papuan Eagle or another large bird of prey- I really miss the Andean Condors. I think Chester is totally lacking and underrepresented as far as birds of prey go. They have more than enough space to make the best display of such a large bird.

A medium sized (rare) shark species- there are many amazing aquarium displays around the country. I would like Chester to develop on the ones that they currently have with something equally as impressive.


Honourable mentions for: Hippo (either species) Gorilla Bonobo Ostrich Leopard Pinniped


Species I would never like to see at Chester:

Polar Bear: don’t think conditions are right or cost justified to make conditions right

Panda Bear- unjustified cost

Salt or Nile Crocodille- little conservation value and unjustifiable cost when mature

White Tiger- genetic issues with breeding I believe they should be banned

Any species of dolphin/whale- unsuitable from captivity

Javan/\Sumartran Rhino- conservation efforts need to be restricted to nature

 

My fav animal at Chester is easily the Malaysian Tapir, I absolutely adore Tapirs and the white and black ones are just so cute, although way cuter when babies.

My top 5 I would like to see at Chester are;

Koala
Black Bears
Puma/Couger/Mountain Lion/Florida Panther (whatever you want to call them)
Slow Lorris
Hippo (not Pygmy)