Says it all in the title really, but what one animal do you think would enhance a collection? They'd have to fit in with what is already there. Here's a few from me. New Forest Wildlife Park - European Brown Bear. Monkey World - Gorilla. Paignton - Wombat
Let's see...... Paignton: Wombat Newquay: Pacarana Exmoor: Malayan Civet Living Coasts: Sea Otter Whipsnade: Sichuan Takin London: Tarsier Dudley Zoo: Rusty Spotted Cat BNC: Copperhead Howletts: Purple-faced Langur Port Lympne: Marbled Cat YWP: Angolan Colobus Chester: Chacoan Mara Edinburgh: Tayra HWP: Andean Mountain Cat (I can dream )
Playing him at his own game Paignton: Goodfellow's tree kangaroo Newquay: Aardvark (but yes i would have gone fro pacarana too) Exmoor: Wolverine Living Coasts: Steller's sea eagle Whipsnade: as said polar bear London: Sumatran orang utan Dudley Zoo: Mishmi takin BNC: Lesser Malay chevrotain Howletts: douc langur Port Lympne: Indian rhino YWP: Black rhino Chester: Turkmenian markhor Edinburgh: King cobra HWP: Kea
Hmm . . . do you think one animal of any of these species would improve these collections significantly? I suggest that the best reason for adding one animal to a collection is to improve the breeding results and the quality of the breeding stock at the collection. My nominations are:- Chester - male giant otter, ideally wild-caught Port Lymne - male drill, ideally wild-caught Edinburgh - another male panda D) Bristol - another female gorilla Any collection with babirusa - a wild-caught animal of either sex Alan
I did think of Wolverine for Exmoor, but thinking of space,(I know they are getting Hyenas.) i decided against. Honey Badger though on the other hand would be a nice addition.
Isn't there a collection in the planning close by planning on bringing in wolverine? I'm sure it had something to do with Dartmoor?
I think everyone took the 'animal' as one new species. But working out individual animals is equally interesting. I like your list. Port Lympne have got a new younger male drill not that long ago to replace Gorbi- I think he was from Barcelona, and he has fathered (two?) young- but a wild caught one(or from an African project) would help widen the limited gene pool for this species. I would add another golden-bellied Mangabey....oh yes, and a male Swamp Monkey for Paignton. I hope too that maybe Bristol will in time receive another female Gorilla to replace 'Namoki'.
It was a new collection that was going to be built near Bodmin,but everything seems to have gone very quiet about the place!
I've always thought this was one of the most curious ommisions for a UK Zoo of Chester's calibre. Of course they used to have them and outside of London have been the only other Zoo in the UK to exhibit more than one species- and simultaneously too.Then they all went, mainly due to the death of Eastern Lowland female 'Noelle' and the subsequent non-breeding performance of the others. I have mentioned on here before that in the early 90's there was a chance they would reappear- Chessington- in one of its many direction/management changes-were going to disband animal keeping and Chester were after getting hold of their successful Gorilla group. They would have built new housing for them too. But Chessington animals all stayed put and it never happened. I think it may still happen sometime...are they still planned if HOA ever happens?
I'd prefer to see bonobos at Chester for two reasons I'm depressed about the plight of gorillas in captivity, the doubtful future for all the excess males I'd love to see bonobos exhibited in a great enclosure which I'm sure Chester would provide for such a new acquisition.
Chester could do worse than display a male group themselves, to help out the situation. I'm not a great fan of male groupings, but accept that they do(mainly) work and are possibly the best way, discovered so far anyway, of keeping these males and displaying Gorillas at the same time. Of course the 'better' primate zoos do prefer to keep breeding groups, as they are generally a better display and also there is more professional kudos associated with that. Bonobos are great, but I think they lack the draw of Gorillas, particularly for somewhere like Chester with their existing and large common Chimpanzee group.
