Colchester Zoo
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| Colchester Zoo | |
 Colchester Zoo logo
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| Date opened | 1963 |
| Location | Colchester, Essex, England |
| Land area | 60 acres (0.243 km²) |
| Coordinates | |
| Number of Animals | 5666 (2007) |
| Number of Species | 345 (2007) |
| Major exhibits | Spirit of Africa, White Tiger Valley, Wilds of Asia |
| Website | |
Colchester Zoo in Essex, England has some of the best big cat and primate collections in Europe. The zoo had 547,495 visitors in 2003 (boosted by the birth of its first baby elephant) and 464,684 in 2004.
Colchester Zoo is supported by a charitable organisation called Action For The Wild. The charity is dedicated to assisting conservation projects worldwide through the provision of both financial and technical assistance.
"To provide a first class experience for all its visitors and at the same time further understanding and respect for animals. Colchester Zoo undertakes breeding programmes for endangered species and funds in situ projects in the wild."
—Colchester Zoo's mission statement
Contents |
[edit] Animal exhibits
The animals habitats at Colchester Zoo are presented in a number of different themed zones.
[edit] Kingdom of the Wild and Edge of Africa
Kingdom of the Wild is perhaps the best-loved of all the zones of Colchester Zoo. In Kingdom of the Wild the animals feature African elephants, 3 giraffes. Koife, Edmund and their newest edition Century who has recently arrived from Longleat Safari Park., kudu, white rhinoceros, zebra and aardvarks. The elephants here have had two calves Kito and Jambo. Jambo has now left Colchester zoo for Biopark Valencia. There is also a vulture aviary, Pygmy Hippopotamus, Meerkats, Tortoises, two monitor lizard species, leaf-cutting ants and a walk-through ibis aviary . Edge of Africa is home to warthogs, Mandrill, Red River Hogs, Black Colobus, Cheetahs and a pair of Striped hyena and one Spotted hyena. The 'Tanganika' road train also takes you past black-backed Jackals.
[edit] Lakelands Zone
The Lakelands Zone is home to numerous different birds on the lakes, including Pelicans, Flamingos and numerous ducks and geese. There is an arena for a falconry display, a Harbour seal pool and numerous Red-eared terrapins as well.
[edit] Kidz Zone
The Kidz Zone is home to the smaller animals for children to pet, such as Goats, Sheep, Essex Pig from Jimmy's Farm, some Cattle, Llamas, Mara, Banded Mongoose, Rocky mountain goat and Doves. Inside the Familiar Friends building, there are Ponies, Chinchillas, Nile Rats, Turkish Spiny Mouse and a small nocturnal area for Pygmy Gliders. There are also Chickens, Rabbits and Guinea pigs.
[edit] Valley Zone
The Valley Zone is home to many animals such as Colombian Spider Monkey, a White Tiger, Giant Anteater, Gelada, Subu and Leoni the Lions, a pair of critically endangered Amur Leopards, four species of Lemur, including the rare Blue-eyed Black Lemur, Margay, and Out of Africa, home not only to the blue-eyed lemurs, but also a pair of Black and white colobus monkeys.
[edit] Beginning Zone
The Beginning Zone is home to the smaller animals of the zoo, and some of the most loved creatures here include the Macaws, Orangutans, and a walk-through Iguana exhibit, which is also home to yellow-footed tortoises. South American world is home to Linnes two toed sloth and various marmosets.
[edit] Heights Zone
At the beginning of the Heights Zone, you will meet two Amur Tigers, and then grey wolves in Call of the Wild and a variety of birds of prey in the World of Wings, including Andean Condor, Great Grey Owl and Vultures. Then, you enter Dragons of Komodo, home to a pair of Komodo Dragon, and in an opposite enclosure is a pack of African Wild Dogs. In the Wilds of Asia, you can see Lion-tailed Macaque, Red Panda, Greater Malayan Chevrotain, Pallas Cat Asian fish, reptiles and also a Southern Tamandua. In Chimp World is a troop of Chimpanzees and L'Hoest's Monkeys. You then see the Fossa in Foret de Madagascar and the Geoffroy's Cat.
[edit] Aquatic Zone
In this zone, you may see some of the best loved animals of the zoo, including two goups of Humboldt Penguins, and five South American Sea Lions that live in the new state of the art Playa Patagonia enclosure that includes a 24 metre, underwater tunnel that you can walk through whilst you watch them swim over head. There are also many different species of fish, reptiles and frogs and also a critically endangered pair of Montserrat Oriole, which now live in the old keel-billed Toucan enclosure. The Small Mammal house is also situated in the Aquatic Zone and is home to a mob of Meerkat, Rock Hyrax, Porcupine and the Dwarf Mongoose. There is also two enclosures for Squirrel Monkeys and Agouti, a complex for a second group of Humboldt's penguins and Columbian spider monkeys, and the new enclosure 'Worlds Apart', featuring a Water monitor, a pair of Rhinoceros iguana, a walk-through tamarin enclosure and is currently awaiting the arrival of some Yellow anaconda and a pair of Cuban crocodile. At the end of the squirrel monkeys exhibit is a tempory enclosure for two juvenile male Gelada Baboons waiting two be transferred out of the collection.
[edit] New Projects
In the Beginning Zone, a new enclosure is getting ready to be used for a brand new project that will be where the orang-utans and gibbons are currently living. This enclosure will feature snakes and other reptiles, free-flying birds, marmosets, the zoo's troop of buffy-headed capuchins and a pair of Cuban crocodiles.
A new Orang-utan enclosure is being planned so that the zoo's two existing orang-utans, Rajang and Djambe will have a superb new home. Also to be included in this new complex are plenty of Asian fish that will be housed in brand new aquariums alongside the two Orangutans. It is also believed that the enclosure will provide for more Orangutans so that hopefully the zoo can start a breeding programme.
[edit] Television Documentary
The third series of the Channel 5 show Zoo Days will come from Colchester Zoo. This series will be presented by former Blue Peter star Konnie Huq and will begin transmission on 9 June and run for 4 weeks.[1]
[edit] Images from Colchester Zoo
 A wolf at Colchester Zoo. |
 A male gelada baboon at the zoo. |
 The 'zeedonk' is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. |
 A female greater kudu |
 A mother ring-tailed lemur with day-old twins |
 Lanner falcon |
 Sleepy duck |
 An adult lion |
[edit] External links
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