How good is the tropical realm? I was talking to a keeper on the members day and she said it is hard to keep the humidity up for the reptiles. Other than that it is very good for the birds, successful breeding with most of the horn bill species and the one problem with it the birds they have too many hiding spots, great for the animals, bad for photographers and keepers to catch them. If you have any suggestions to changes to it I'd love to see them, I'm making a plan for it.
They have had a problem with heating the reptile part of the tropical realm for years thats why they shut the back walk way as it was becoming a major problem to heat the exhibits it wouldn`t surprise me if they started to have problems with the rest of the reptile section as they have had a problem keeping the crocs at the right temperature,as for the bird area thats pretty much okay the roof should be good for at least another 10 to 15 years,but the walkway up to the upper level is starting to look as if it requires some serious maintenance on the metal railings.
I didn't know there was a raised walkway :-s I think it makes a great exhibit though, I really liked it.
I wonder what the long term plans are for the tropical realm, what with the new rainforest building being planned?
Been busy doing the planning but here it is, not very detailed because I use Paint on my laptop. It is two floored.
I don't quite understand these plans - but I think your 'north' side of the ground floor is for the two types of tuataras. While I would love Chester to display Sphenodon guntheri - I think it's very unlikely to happen. If it ever did happen, they would have to arrange separate, cooler accomodation for them, like the S. punctatus have now. They are not tropical animals and need very different conditions from the other reptiles in the Tropical Realm. Alan
sorry about the confusion, the tuataras are going to be in a new zealand type enviroment so its like a mini building within a building if you know what i mean, and the reptile on the west are most of the ones they have now and a few more. Anything else just ask
Not sure but it seems to have become one if it wasn`t,they are becoming far to common for my liking!!!!
sorry, for the confusion it was meant to be a question, but i also wanted to see what other people wanted to turn it into so to speak.
I don`t want it to change it`s ok as it is it just needs a bit of a major re-furb to bring it up to date,as for keeping Salt Water Crocs in the house but sorry for me there`s not enough room to do it properly.
Probally, but if the moved the hornbills, and made it into one enlcosure, maybe ( not the two larger one nearer to the entrance)
Well Chester Zoo is not going to chuck out the hornbills just to satisfy your pre-occupation with crocs (LOL)! The hornbills have been at Chester for a reason, captive-breeding of rare and endangered species. And they are very successful at that with both Philippine species - for which they even operate several in situ conservation projects. On the other hand your salties are some of the most common crocs worldwide and to my personal dismay sometimes keep cropping up in mainstream zoos for they are large, large ... and plain large. Now the rationale for that when quite a few croc species are critically endangered and rarely kept in zoos ... hence escapes me. Great that Chester has the gutso to go into Mindanao Philippine crocs (the Luzon Philippine crocs are even less numerous at probably less than 100) with a world population of less than 3,500 individuals (including quite a few captives on Palawan et al). I rest my case, K.B.
Que tu hablas? Keep it cool ... do not overheat (no need). I wrote and inferred no removal from the Tropical Realm, seeing that Chester has made a policy of keeping and breeding the hornbills and finally has some great enclosures for them. Besides, on the day I was there the keepers were busying with mulch and stuff to make the rhino hornbill exhibit even better. Now what is so difficult to understand in that logic? Alas reading is an art, not a given thing (and let us keep it at that please). K.B.
The Tropical House has been in decline for many years. Chester has steadily lost (or moved off display) a huge collection of snakes. First they closed off the walk way which had a huge number of rattlesnakes (1980's) and now the other half has been closed closing the Cobra, Anaconda, Mambas and many pit vipers. They have never successfully used the Crocodile pool since the mid 80's and have regularly changed the Croc species or left it empty. I remember they used to house Gorillas in the house which was a disgrace. The last time I visited in March 2012 it looked like a construction site and has far fewer free flying birds. They really should make improvements here first before any other developments in the zoo or level it completely. Leeds Tropical World puts it to shame.
I have to agree with you re the condition of the Tropical realm building for me it's starting to look it's age structurally and when using it as a place of shelter in the event of some of the recent torrential downpours we've had whilst I've been at the zoo, I'll be honest and say that the roof leaks like an old sieve providing a myriad of impromptu waterfalls on the inside. I can't compare it to Leeds as I havn't been but I must say that there always seem to be a lot of free flying birds in the house when I visit (a small miracle considering the roof panels have been known to lift off in high winds). I wouldn't say it was 'a disgrace' but as a long term supporter/visitor/member of the zoo I'd love to see it upgraded or refurbished or rebuilt - anything really that would bring it up to the standard of the rest of the zoos buildings. Now - if many of the species in the house are to be housed in a free flying aviary area as part of the islands development then I can understand the zoos reluctance to spend a decent amount of cash on the building when it may in the short term become obsolete? As an aside I'd LOVE to see the hornbills free flying - yes I can imagine all of the inherent issues surrounding a large bird with an impressive bill having unrestricted access to the public (and vice versa) but bloody hell that'd be spectacular
