Has anyone visited this place yet?: Untitled Document I never heard anything else about it after the planning stages until I stumbled on this site. I suspect the muellers gibbons were not 100% mullers and may have been the ones that disappeared from Banham a few years ago, and the white-fronted capuchins I'm wondering if they were from Chessington..........
I believe these are the ones that used to be at Banham,the people to ask is either Robmv or Designaka as they have both visited the place.
I don't know anything about the animals apart from what's on the websites. I gather one of their main ideas is to be a centre for ex-zoo and/or ex-studbook bachelor groups, to allow them to live together socially. The current website has only been up a few weeks at most. AFAIK it's not open to the public yet; what I read in the local press was that the zoo licensing was being held up because of local objections to noise from the animals - though they seem to have their license now: Not monkeying around Time to be zoo-logical? Of course there are certain people who complain about anything new; I don't think there are any houses within about 500 metres.
I visited on 09/10/2009 and saw the following: 2.0 Siamangs from Howletts 0.2 Muller's Gibbons from Banham 2.0 White-throated Capuchin from Grangewood (originally from Glasgow) 0.2 Lar Gibbon from Flamingoland via Cricket 2.1.1 Rhesus Macaque - 1.0 found in a garden in Dorset, 1.1 acquired from Drayton Manor and the female (unexpectedly) gave birth 1.0 Javan Brown Langur from Howletts 0.1 Mitred Langur (Presbytis melalophos mitrata) from Howletts - the only pure individual in captivity outside Asia 0.3 Banded Langurs (Presbytis melalophos) from Howletts - all are subspecific hybrids NB: the langurs all live together 1.1.4 Common Marmosets from a private keeper There is also a small collections of owls and raptors. There were two further marmoset enclosures to be completed but that will be it for the initial building phase - there is room for further enclosures to be built and the owner has been offered lots of different species. The collection was not open to the public when I visited, but may be by now (they were just waiting for the car park to be surfaced). The owner is a joiner by trade and the build quality of the enclosures is excellent.
I have visited,I would say it has a tywcross feel about the place. The enclosures are very neat, cut grass etc. The smaller primate enclosures (marmosets etc) are very nice, good outside area, with a good tunnel system and good size inside area with lots of grown up vegetation. The place is still expanding. Very easy to find friendly staff, as even though a small collection many staff/keepers about to chat to. Money has been spent on the place, good signage, inside quarter for the animals, play area for children. Wouldn't be able to spend a day there, but with them expanding i think it could be a place to watch and be interesting how they develop!
I went there last week, the animals looked happy & enriched. The Lar Gibbons were calling which was quite an experience!
0.2 black and white ruffed lemurs have arrived from Howletts and 1.0 red-tailed guenon has arrived from Twycross. Owl & Monkey Haven Isle of Wight
Only one White-Throated Capuchin remains now called "Martin" , the owners are searching europe for a female, with the studbook keepers assistance , they believe "Martin" is the ONLY one of his kind left in the UK ?
According to Zootierliste, there are also white-throated capuchins at "Retford - Wetland Wildlife Park". Are there any left there?
I think those at Retford came from Grangewood Zoo when it closed. Grangewood had acquired them from Glasgow when it closed. Is the one on the Isle of Wight from Retford and, as such, the last of the inbred Glasgow line?
What happened to the ones at Chessington? They came from Gatwick zoo when it closed. There was an advert online for young hand-raised white-throated capuchins in the london area as late as last year, I would expect there to be a number of these in private hands.
Good question. Chessington did have a thriving colony, probably one of the most prolific groups in the UK at that time, and were very over-represented genetically, the dominant male of the group, for many years, was called "Squidgley". Gatwick sent their colny of Colombian Black Spider Monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys to Chessington , although I am not certain about the White-Throats , there were not many at Gatwick anyway(?) I don`t think there would be many White-Throats in private hands these days to be honest.
I don`t know the history of this animal, but it seems quite likely, in any case it is probably a relatively old animal if it is(?) It is good to see that they are trying to obtain unrelated stock to pair him with and perhaps include him in the studbook ?
From Owl & Monkey Haven website: 'Martin started off life in Glasgow Zoo. When this Zoo closed he was sent on loan to Grangewood Zoo in Derbyshire. Unfortunately this Zoo also closed so he came to us at the Haven'. He didn't look that old when I saw him, but I guess Capuchins are pretty long-lived anyway.
I can't remember whether Chessington had any white-throated capuchins in the monkey walk before Gatwick zoo closed. When I saw white-throated capuchins at Gatwick zoo, perhaps in 1992, there were 1.1. Either this pair bred well or Chessington already had a breeding group.
When Gatwick closed and sent some primates to Chessington the old Monkey Walk area was in the process of being transformed and I can`t remember if they still had their colony at that time or not to be honest without checking. I would say its more likely that Chessington still had some rather than Gatwick. Gatwick did have good groups of Brown/Tufted Capuchins etc ,but not many White-Throats as far as I can recall, they took in alot of stock from Windsor when it closed.
