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News Archive
Below are the news reports for Colchester Zoo, covering significant events concerning the animal collection, such as births, arrivals, departures, and deaths.
Arrival: 9 June 2008
A two-year-old male Rothschild Giraffe called Century has arrived from Longleat Safari Park. It is hoped that he will be joined by a female to form a new breeding pair for the European Breeding Programme for this, the second most endangered of Giraffe sub-species.
Birth: 24 May 2008
A baby Rocky Mountain Goat has been born to experienced mum Polar and dad Merlin.
Arrival: 22 May 2008
A pair of Philippine Spotted Deer have arrived. The male, two years old, came from Mulhouse Zoo in France, and is now also named Mulhouse since he arrived without a name. The female, also two years old, came from Chester Zoo and is called Pandan. This is one of the most endangered of deer species, with only about 200 left in the wild, and are already extinct on three of their five native islands. Habitat loss is the main threat.
Birth: 19 May 2008
A litter of 6 Canadian Timber Wolf cubs have been born to mum Tallulah and dad Wilfy.
Birth: 12 May 2008
Red River Hog triplets have been born, to experienced parents Ans-Marcus and David.
Arrival: 1 May 2008
A three-year-old male Ostrich called Kruger has arrived, to join the existing females Kosi and Pongola.
Birth: 23 April 2008
A baby Red-ruffed Lemur has been born, the first for mum Ruby and dad Jess Jr. Good news for European Breeding Programme for this critically endangered species.
Birth: 10 April 2008
Triplet baby Warthogs have been born, to parents Tunip and Marli.
Birth: 7 April 2008
A baby Ring-tailed Lemur has been born, to parents Madison (her third) and Rio.
Birth: 30 March 2008
Twin baby Meerkats have been born, to mother Tabbi, who was herself born at the zoo two years ago. The precise date of their birth is not known, since they were born underground. They were first seen above ground on 10 April, but their keepers believe they were born in the last few days of March. Meerkats are not yet classified as endangered, but increasing habitat loss and expansion of the Kalahari Desert could change this in the near future.
Birth: 24 March 2008
Eleven Essex piglets have been born.
Depart: 4 March 2008
Jambo the Elephant has moved to the Bioparc Valencia, Spain, a brand-new state-of-the-art zoo He will be followed by Kito, another young bull. It is hoped that the two of them will become active members of the European breeding programme.
Birth: 26 February 2008
Twin Southdown lambs have been born to mum Mathilde, one male and one female.
Birth: 10 February 2008
A baby Chevrotain has been born, a rare and important birth for this endangered species.
Arrival: 24 January 2008
A male Von der Decken's Hornbill has arrived from Edinburgh Zoo, to join the female that arrived in November and form a breeding pair.
Birth: 28 December 2007
A baby Aardvark has been born, to mother Oq, great news for the European breeding programme for this species, which is becoming increasingly threatened in the wild from habitat destruction. Colchester has successfully raised two previous babies, the only UK zoo (and one of only two in Europe) to have bred this notoriously difficult species.
Update: The baby is now known to be a boy, and has been named Kiyo.
Birth: 16 December 2007
A baby Spider Monkey has been born, to experienced parents Cheekaboo and Heineken.
Birth: 2 December 2007
A baby Giant Anteater has been born, the first for mother Furai who arrived at Colchester earlier this year. Good news for the EEP breeding programme.
Birth: 26 November 2007
Two further Squirrel Monkeys have been born, making a total of 5 this season. Good news for this endangered species, which has recently been placed under a European Breeding Programme.
Birth: 23 November 2007
Two more Squirrel Monkeys have been born, to different parents.
Death: 6 November 2007
Rosa the Elephant has sadly been put to sleep as a result of rapid worsening of her condition; she has been suffering serious health problems since the birth of her son Jambo in 2004.
Arrival: 6 November 2007
A female Von der Decken's Hornbill has arrived from Germany. She should be joined in a few weeks by a male from Edinburgh Zoo to form a new breeding pair.
Arrival: November 2007
Seven female Humboldt Penguins have arrived from Halle in Germany, as part of the EEP European Breeding Programme. Two are to join existing unattached males while the other five are to be joined by new males from Sweden that should arrive in a couple of months.
Birth: 18 October 2007
Twin baby Golden Headed Lion Tamarins have been born to experienced parents Nala and Samuel, just 130 days after Nala gave birth to her previous baby - the gestation period for this highly endangered species is 125-128 days!
Birth: 7 October 2007
A baby Mandrill has been born to parents Celine and Dume. Good news for the EEP breeding programme for this endangered species, which is under threat from habitat loss and hunting for the bushmeat trade.
Birth: 24 September 2007
A baby Squirrel Monkey has been born to parents Macey and Peter.
Birth: 12 September 2007
Two more Red River Hog piglets have been born, the second litter in three weeks and this time to mother Mathilde.
Birth: September 2007
Three African Crowned Crane chicks, born 10 weeks ago, are now being slowly introduced to the Kingdom of the Wild mixed paddock.
Birth: 13 August 2007
Two Red River Hog piglets have been born, to parents Ans-Marcus and David. Although not yet endangered, Red River Hog numbers are in decline due to hunting in their native Africa, so the new piglets are good news for the European Breeding Programme.
Arrival: 2 August 2007
A new Essex Pig sow has arrived, along with her litter of 8 piglets, who were just 1 day old when they arrived. Other new arrivals in the zoo's Family Friends area include 3 Narragansett Turkeys, 3 Transylvanian Naked Necked Chickens, and 2 Light Sussex Chickens. Three new young female Giant Continental Rabbits have also arrived.
Birth: 25 July 2007
A baby Emperor Tamarin has been born to parents Rosie and Alfie. Rosie is an experienced mum, but this the first baby for this pairing. This species, one of the smallest Tamarins, is highly endangered due to habitat loss, so this birth to a new pairing is particularly good news for the breeding programme.
Birth: 21 July 2007
A baby Buffy-Headed Capuchin has been born to experienced parents Wicket and Little Man. Also known as Yellow-Breasted Capuchins, these primates are critically endangered with less than 300 left in the wild, due to habitat destruction and fragmentation of its native Amazon and Atlantic Rainforests of Brazil.
Birth: 16 July 2007
A baby male Cherry-Crowned Mangabey (a type of primate) has been born to experienced parents Michelle and Sputnik. This species is highly endangered due to deforestation and hunting for the bush meat trade in its native Nigeria.
Arrival: 13 June 2007
A pair of Blue-Eyed Black Lemurs has arrived, from Mulhouse Zoo, France. It is hoped that Gila and Attila will settle into their new home quickly, and then breed. This is very important for this critically endangered species, with only around 100 left in the wild, and very few in captivity - too few, in fact, for a proper breeding programme to be set up.
Birth: 10 June 2007
A baby Golden Headed Lion Tamarin has been born to experienced parents Nala and Samuel - they had 3 babies only last year. Great news for the breeding programme for this highly endangered species.
Depart: June 2007
Jasmine the Colombian Black Spider Monkey is about to leave Colchester for Szeged Zoo in Hungary, where she will join the European Breeding Programme. Jasmine was born at Colchester on 17 December 2002, and had been fitted with a contraceptive implant when she reached sexual maturity in October 2006, to prevent her breeding with her relatives. The implant has now been removed in preparation for her move.
Birth: June 2007
Three Barn Owl chicks have hatched. They are being partly hand reared to get them used to people, and they well eventually trained to join the Birds of Prey flying display.
Birth: 17 May 2007
Twin Rocky Mountain Goat kids born, one male and one female, to mother Polar and father Merlin. The twins appeared to be healthy at birth, but the male did not grow as strongly or quickly as his sister, and unfortunately died on 24 May. It is believed that he died of Pneumonia, but post mortem results are not yet available. The keepers are now keeping a very close eye on the surviving female twin.
Arrival: 11 May 2007
A young (1 year old) female Sloth called Galina has arrived from Zurich Zoo in Switzerland, where she was born as part of a European Breeding Programme. Although Sloths are not yet classified as Endangered, they are threatened by loss of habitat due to deforestation of their native rainforests.
Birth: 15 April 2007
Five Pallas Cat kittens have been born, to parents Rhiannan and Rasputin. This is Rhiannan's first litter, but she is proving to be a very good mother. The kittens are particularly good news because their parents are part of a European Breeding Programme, due to Pallas Cats being threatened in the wild as a result of shortage of prey caused by spreading human populations.
Birth: 13 April 2007
Baby Ring-Tailed Lemur born, to mother Madison. Good news for the European breeding programme for this highly endangered species.
Birth: 12 April 2007
Chevrotain fawn born, the second at the zoo for the mother, who is part of the European breeding programme for this endangered species.
Birth: 12 April 2007
Two Warthog piglets born, to parents Tunip and Marli.
Birth: 13 March 2007
A female baby Pygmy Goat has been born, to mother `Tilly'.
Birth: 2 March 2007
The first of the season's lambs has been born; a female Southdown Sheep. More are expected.
Birth: March 2007
A litter of Essex pigs has been born.
Arrival: 23 February 2007
A female Giant Anteater called Furai has joined the existing male, Gilberto, from Zurich Zoo as part of a recommended breeding programme.
June 2007 update: Furai has settled in well and is now being gradually introduced to Gilberto, having been kept separate until now. It is hoped that they will soon be together permanently, and then breed.
Arrival: 7 February 2007
The new male Amur Tiger, Igor, who arrived at the zoo in November, has been introduced to the existing female, Anoushka, and the meeting went very well.
Death: 31 January 2007
Neo the Giraffe has been put down to relieve his suffering resulting from poor leg bone development arising from his rejection by his mother and subsequent hand-rearing. His condition had worsened considerably over the last 2 months as he grew and put on weight, resulting in excessive stress on his joints.
Arrival: 24 January 2007
A male Two-toed Sloth has arrived from the Cotswolds Wildlife Park. A female is expected to join him in a few months from Zurich Zoo, and a new enclosure is being built for them.
Birth: 12 January 2007
Three Red River Hogs born to mother Ans Marcus and father David. One piglet subsequently died, on 18 February, but the other two continue to do well.
Birth: 10 January 2007
A baby Aardvark was born to first time mum Oq.
June 2007 update: Now named Magic, the pup is still doing well, and growing strongly. Good news for the European Breeding Programme for this endangered species, and only the second time an Aardvark pup has been born in the UK and survived - the first was also born at Colchester.
Open: 18 December 2006
The new penguin pool is now open in the Aquatic Zone, and is home to 11 of the zoo's 19 penguins. The other 8 will remain in the existing enclosure, Penguin Shores, and it is hoped that further Humboldt Penguins will join the zoo in the future.
Arrival: 25 November 2006
Male Amur Tiger, Igor, has arrived from Vienna Zoo, to join Anoushka, the existing female, as part of the European Breeding Programme for this highly endangered species..
Birth: 19 October 2006
Three Cheetah cubs born to parents Uria and Bruno, the first to be born at the zoo. The cubs have since been diagnosed with the genetic condition, Carpal Vulgaris, which results in inward or outward deviation of the forelimbs. This can be mild, but can cause problems with walking or seriously affect the mobility of the animal.
Arrival: 19 October 2006
Female Amur Leopard, Milena, has arrived from Marwell Zoo, to join existing male Dende, as part of the European Breeding Programme for this critically endangered species.
Birth: 15 August 2006
Golden-headed Lion Tamarin twins born.
Death: 8 August 2006
Henrietta, an elderly Ostrich, was put down following a fracture to one of her legs that resulted from an accidental collision with another Ostrich.
Open: 26 July 2006
New Dragons of Komodo exhibit open. The Komodo Dragons were moved into their new state of the art enclosure on 15 July.
Open: 24 July 2006
A second Spider Monkey enclosure has been opened, with extra height and indoor and outdoor areas.
Birth: 14 July 2006
Male baby Gelada Baboon born. Colchester Zoo is the only zoo in England to have this endangered species of baboon, and they are part of a European Breeding Programme.
Arrival: 10 July 2006
Male Cheetah, Bruno, has arrived from Hamerton Wildlife Park, to join the zoo's existing female, Uria, as part of a European Breeding Programme.
Arrival: 23 June 2006
Three Red-bellied Tamarins, one male and two females, have arrived from Belfast Zoo. The tamarins are part of a European Breeding Programme, and will join two Pygmy Marmosets and a Geoffroy's Marmoset in a newly refurbished enclosure.
Birth: 8 June 2006
Waldrapp Ibis chick hatched. This species is one of the rarest birds in the world, being listed as critically endangered, and is part of a European Breeding Programme.
Birth: 17 May 2006
Baby Rocky Mountain Goat born, the zoo's first.
Birth: 14 May 2006
Five Timber Wolf cubs born.
Open: 26 April 2006
The existing group of 5 Silvered Leaf Langurs have moved into their new enclosure, whih they will be sharing with 2 Asian Short Clawed Otters.
Birth: 7 April 2006
Essex Pig sow gives birth to 12 piglets.
Arrival: 21 March 2006
A female Timber Wolf has recently arrived from Howletts Zoo, to join the existing males, Nelson and Wilfy.
Arrival: 8 March 2006
A pair of rare Tamanduas (a nocturnal arboreal species of anteater) have arrived from the Anteater Conservation Trust, and are part of a European Breeding Programme.
Arrival: 25 January 2006
102 Dwarf Seahorses arrived, in a poor state of health, following seizure by HM Customs & Excise at Stanstead Airport. 10 of them have not survived, but the remainder are now doing well. They are currently housed in an off-show aquarium, and will remain at the zoo permanently.
Arrival: 21 December 2005
Six rare African Hunting Dogs have arrived, to form part of a recommended breeding programme. The 4 males came from Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, and the 2 females came from Port Lympne Zoo.
Notes:
Where possible, the dates given are for the event itself, but some zoos do not make this information available, when the date of announcement is used instead.
Seasons: Winter = Jan - Mar, Spring = Apr - Jun, Summer = Jul - Sept, Autumn = Oct - Dec.
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