Colchester Zoo Magazine Autumn 2016

Colchester Zoo ISSUE 8

ACTION FOR THE WILD Registered Charity No. 1105621

AUTUMN 2016

Meet the new arrivals!

Unique gifts and experiences!

© Wendy Salisbury

A day in the life of a keeper!

FREE

Join our family on social media!

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@ColchesterZoo

www.colchesterzoo.org

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Why not share your experience!

Share a review of your trip to Colchester Zoo on Trip Advisor or on social media!

voted 2nd best zoo in the UK, 6th in europe

and 11th best zoo IN THE WORLD!

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

© David Marsay © Tom Smith © Scott Davey © Dana Black © Sam Ridley © NWY Photography

BONJOUR

GUTEN TAG

HOLA

HELLO!

don’t miss...

22nd to 31st October

Latest News 8-9, 16, 22, 28, 30 Top Trunks

rd

hair-raising athrk for

rills!

26th & 27th November, 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th and 17th to 24th December

21

Birthday Parties

25

26-27

Shopping at the Zoo

14

31

Conservation at Home

17-20

Day in the Life - Keepers

With pull out map!

Winter is Coming

Shopping at the Zoo

DESIGN • MARKETING • PUBLISHING

fun this halloween!

Festive Experiences

10, 24

Animal Experiences

Free entry to our shops with great gift ideas!

ON SELECTED NIGHTS ONLY

Stay afte

Colle 10 Top Trunks cards throughout the magazine & play!

The Team at Colchester Zoo 12-13

Visiting Colchester Zoo

Join us for

spook-tacular

TRUctNthKe neSxt

Zoo Events 6-7

HALLO

Zoo Events

T NEWS LATEST NEWS • LATES Meet our baby capuchin monkey, penguins, crowned cranes and Victoria crowned pigeon chicks!

CIAO

32

34

Top tips to help wildlife this winter!

Catch up on the latest news from our new Chimpanzee enclosure!

To advertise in the next edition of the Colchester Zoo magazine, contact: David White, david@chalkandcheese.com, Telephone: 01473 221000

or contact: marketing@colchesterzoo.org

www.colchesterzoo.org Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

3

Sainsbury’s online delivery Sainsbury’s Stanway has recently expanded its online operation, with their team of shoppers and drivers now delivering to up to 3,000 customers per week. The store will meet growing demand for home shopping, covering homes in the areas of Ipswich,

Frinton, Marks Tey, Coggeshall and Colchester.

No-bake chocolate tart This dense, rich, truffle-like tart will satisfy any sweet tooth, and it couldn’t be easier to make!

Serves: 6-8 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooling time: 2 hours

Ingredients

Sourcing with integrity

Consumers care about where the products they buy come from and put their trust in Sainsbury’s to do the right thing on their behalf. The FSC logo is a guarantee that the wood or paper a product contains is not the result of illegal logging or damaging forestry practices.

As well as greetings cards, the logo can be seen on forest-friendly wrapping paper, tissues, books, furniture, kitchen utensils, wooden gifts and a whole variety of FSC forest manufactured products sold in store.

Nutritional Details Nutritional Details

(% of the reference intakes) Each serving provides:

Each serving provides:

Energy2554kj 1930kj610kcal 461kcal Energy 31% 36.4g FatFat 43.5g 62% Saturates 21g14% Saturates 28.8g Sugars33g 19.1g Sugars 37% Salt0.3g 0.4g Salt 5% crushed

• 175g digestive biscuits, finely • 150g unsalted butter, melted • 100ml double cream • 200g bar dark chocolate, finely chopped • 40g shelled pistachio nuts, chopped

1 In a large bowl, mix the crushed biscuits with

100g of the melted butter. Press into the base and up the sides of a 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin.

2 In a pan over a low heat, gently warm the cream

with the remaining butter until just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted.

ycling This year Sainsbury’s will again be rec the Forest Christmas cards, with a donation to on the ed bas ) Stewardship Council UK (FSC es. stor volume of cards collected in Last year Sainsbury’s donated almost £9,000 to help the FSC with its work to promote responsible management of the world’s forests.

3 Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes,

then pour into the base. Sprinkle over the pistachios and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours until set.

COOK’S TIP

Christmas is coming!

Look out for those special Christmas gifts this year in Sainsbury’s...

...from entertainment gifts through to perfumes, toiletries and home accessories!

: To make this ta rt even more indulgent, try serving with a fresh mint cream. To make, stir a ha ndful of chopped fres h mint into so me crème fraîche. The ta rt can be deco rated to suit any specia l occasion, for ex ample, at Easter top w ith mini Easter eggs or for Chr istmas try crystallised ginger or holly leaves .

Colchester Zoo is supported by Sainsbury's stores including Bury St. Edmunds, Chelmsford and Stanway.

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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More Zoo Events 22 - 31 st October nd

Join us for plenty of spook-tacular fun during October half term with themed displays and activities! *Tesco vouchers are not accepted on Shriek Week or Fright Night event days.

SELECTED NIGHTS ONLY

22 , 25 , 27th, 29th st & 31 October nd

th

Dare to stay after dark for hair-raising screams and fits of laughter!

Rise and Dine Character Breakfast 13th November From 9:30am - 11:00am

Meet’n’Greet over a delicious breakfast with all your favourite Colchester Zoo characters!

1 child eats *with every adult purchasing a Full English breakfast at £6.99!

FREE

Valentine’s Day 14th February

Share the love around Valentine’s weekend!

Looking for something to do that’s a bit different for Valentine’s Day? Why not enjoy a unique date at Colchester Zoo! Stop by some of our daily encounters as our keepers will tell you all about the quirkier side of animals in love!

*Terms and conditions apply

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

© NWY Photography © Robert Palmer © Scott Davey

More Zoo Events 26th & 27th November 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 17th - 24th December

IONS!

Christmas Starlight Nights

MAGIC AL I

Stick around and enjoy the Christmas magic at the zoo as the festivities continue into the evening beneath the beautiful Christmas lights.

Christmas shows Tasty festive treats

S HO PP I N G

26 th November and 17 th December

*Tesco vouchers are not accepted on Magic of Christmas event days.

Mothers’ Day

Visit Colchester Zoo during February half term!

Treat mum to a special day out this Mothers’ Day!

With our daily encounters, animal feeds and fantastic indoor and outdoor play areas, Colchester Zoo is a great day out for all the family during February half term!

AS

EVE NT S

Give your Christmas gifts a zoo-themed twist whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere at our late night openings!

Half term

11th - 19th February

...and lots more!

C H R I ST M

26 November 17th & 23rd December th

Meet Santa in his grotto

Christmas crafts

L

M LU

T I NA

See Santa’s reindeer

26th March

SAVE ££!

by buying e-tickets in advance online!

Learn all about our amazing zoo mums and the relationships they have with their young during our daily animal encounters!

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

Elephant Orphanage Update After orphaned elephants Zambezi and Musolole were successfully relocated to the Kafue Release Facility earlier this year, Nkala and Muchi, the remaining younger elephants at Lilayi Elephant Nursery are adjusting well to life without them and have recently be joined by a number of other orphans.

The Elephant Orphanage Project received a call on 20th August, which led them to the rescue of Njanji. Since he arrived at the facility, Njanji has started following the other orphans on walks and already has a very positive relationship with the other young elephants!

One month later, the EOP team received another orphan, named Kakaro. Since arriving, Kakaro has undergone surgery, but it is hoped that he will soon improve and be able to join the others.

A third new orphan was rescued on 28th September, this time a female named Kasewe. She has already had her first interaction with her fellow orphans and she appears to be settling in well with a big appetite for milk!

Colchester Zoo’s Action for the Wild charity has been supporting the Elephant Orphanage Project since 2010, with an annual donation of £5,000 towards the costs of veterinary care and food for the elephants.

Penguin chicks have fledged!

Over the last few months, Colchester Zoo’s Humboldt penguin chicks, which hatched out across our two groups of penguins, have been fledging! They continue to grow healthily and despite still having their juvenile feathers, can be seen swimming and eating with our adult penguins.

All of them have now had their feat hers tested to determine whether they are mal e or female and our keepers have begun to nam e them.

So far we have welcomed Luko, Pep per, Sky walker, Sunrise and Pineapple, with the rest of our chicks to be named in the coming weeks!

Keep up-to-date with the latest news on our website and social media!

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8 © Elephant Orphanage Project

LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

New road train in action!

Following a devastating fire last winter at our road train station, we took delivery of a fantastic new train during summer 2016!

Whilst the train was a great attraction during the summer, our maintenance team has been working hard to build a brand new station, which is set to open in Autumn 2016!

ARRIVING SOON! New in 2017!

Look out for the Bush dogs at the new train station!

The train accommodates wheelchair users and has plenty of seating to minimise queues!

Crocodile spotted near UmPhafa Reserve!

For many years there has been talk of crocodiles in the Tugela River, which runs alongside the UmPhafa Reserve in South Africa, but no one has ever seen one.

Then in mid-September, the team received a call from one of their team members who had spotted a crocodile! With great excitement the t team headed down to the river and after a shor e metr half while they spotted it - a two and a Nile crocodile! Why this crocodile has taken up residence so close to the reserve is a mystery, but it is a fantastic addition to the species list!

Colchester Zoo’s first Komodo dragon hatchling, Curu, was born back in 2013 and since then he has grown into a strong and healthy young dragon.

Colchester Zoo’s 6,000 hectare UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa is home to 274 different species. It was established entirely as a site for conservation, education and research!

First Komodo dragon hatchling leaves Colchester Zoo At the age of 3, it is time for Curu to move on and begin his next adventure at Flamingo Land.

Curu will be sorely missed by everyone here, especially his keepers, who have seen him grow into an impressive young dragon who will always be remembered as the first born here at Colchester Zoo!

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

9

There are

TRUNKS

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUNG CHILDREN ARE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES

Cut them out and

PLAY!

TAH CAciHnonEE yx jubatus

DID YOU Pong factor: KNOW? Cheetahs are Speed: the fastest ight: land mammal He d nee y and onl Weight: Kg to drink once every Noise: three to four days!

10 cards to find throughout this magazine!

How to play:

GIRAFFE

1) Before starting, decide whether low or high will win on any given category. Shuffle the deck and deal face down.

Giraffa camelopardalis

DID YOU KNOW?

2) The first player looks at their top card, decides which category is most likely to win and reads it out. Whoever has the card with the best rating for that category wins all the cards from that round and places them at the bottom of their cards.

Pong factor: Speed: Height:

Kg

Weight:

Kg

Kg

Kg

Kg

Noise:

© David Marsay

© Danny Gentry

TRUNKS

TRUNKS

SPOTCrocu TED HYENA ta crocuta

DID YOU KNOW?

Pong factor:

ERKAT ME Suricata suricata

DID YOU KNOW?

Speed: Weight:

Kg

4) The person with all the cards at the end is the winner!

Add these to the 10 cards from the previous magazine to play with up to 4 people!

Pong factor: Speed:

Height:

Height:

Kg

Weight:

Noise:

Kg

Noise:

.

TRUNKS 10

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

3) If two cards share the top value then both are placed in the middle and the same player chooses again from their next card. The winner of the hand takes the cards in the middle as well!

© David Cundy

TRUNKS

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

11

The team at

We are proud of Colchester Zoo’s award-winning status, which is thanks to its many departments working together as a team.

With over 300 employees in the height of the summer season, the zoo is one of the largest employers in Colchester.

Animal Team

e up one d keepers mak e at ic d e d ur O ging from artments, ran p e d st e rg la epers. of the ur trainee ke o to rs to ra of the our cu e daily needs th f o l al r te ighest They look af ecies to the h sp al im an + 0 26 ntations to provide prese , le ib ss o p s s and standard ning technique ai tr p lo ve e d visitors and r the animals! enrichment fo

Animal Records

Our animal records coordinator collates the day-to-day action for all resident species, which is vital for the health and welfare of the animals and also helps the studbook keeper with breeding programmes.

Animal Kitchen

are The chefs who prep . od all the animals’ fo ding!

The menu is never en

Gardening Team

Maintaining and plan ting not just the visitor areas, but the animal enclo sures too!

Grounds Team

busy team This is an extremely acres of that ensures the 60 pt to the zoo grounds are ke anliness, cle highest standards of ts of course! including all the toile

Conservation and Research Department

Our conservation department heads up our charity, ACTION FOR THE WILD, working to support conservation projects around the world, including Colchester Zoo’s UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in South Africa and organising internships.

Play Area Team

Our main entertainment team that looks after our smaller visitors!

Supervising the soft play area, the Crazy Sand shop and painting hundreds of little faces.

Train Drivers

Responsible for giving our visitors a trip to remember by driving our road trains.

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8 © Stacey England

ation s & Administr rtant e ic rv e S st e u G have the impo departments

These parties, ing birthday job of arrang Gold and gs, selling our group bookin various s and booking se as P um n ti more!

Pla s, plus much ce n e ri e xp e animal

Design & Development Team

This team is responsible for communicating to our visitors and prospective guests.

From designing leaflets and branding to updating social media, arranging filming or publishing the Zoo Magazine, it’s a busy department vital to the zoo’s development.

Retail Team

sitors’ first This is our vi hen entering port of call w retail team the zoo. Our s as well run admission sy gift shops. as the very bu

Education Team

ts and This team runs even e zoo and activities around th ucational delivers our free ed and students, sessions to children degree level. from primary age to

Accounts and Human Resources

Storemen

Making sure the zoo has stock of all it needs to function for visitors, animals and staff!

Construction Team

A vital part of Colchester Zoo, dealing with job applications and ensuring all our staff get paid on time, invoices are sent and suppliers are paid!

This large team is r responsible for all ou ! buildings and repairs

Zoo Management

Colchester Z

oo

The zoo director and managers head up all the departments and oversee the running of the whole park.

Catering Team

Keeping all our visitors fed and happy is a vital part of everyone’s visit!

UmPhafa Pr Nature Reseivate 8500 rve miles

Action for the Wild

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

13

Make memories that will last a lifetime!

Perfect Partners Choose from aardvark, Amur tiger, African elephant*, giant tortoise, giraffe, hawk & owl, hyena, Komodo dragon, sloth, lemur, lion, mandrill monkey, meerkat, rhino, orangutan and penguin. *Extra cost

The Extraordinary Experience

Have you found the Perfect Partner?

A 30 minute close-up experience for two with your chosen species, including a two-course meal at Penguini’s, a bouquet of flowers, and a souvenir pack with photograph!

Wild Encounters for Two

Be VIPs for the day with some of the finest and most intimate close-up animal experiences.

A full day package for up to 5 guests, including exclusive behind-the-scenes access, close-contact sessions with a host of different animals, two-course lunch at Penguini’s, souvenir gift bags, and MORE!

Amazing close-up animal experiences with the chance to adopt your favourite animal at Colchester Zoo! Exclusive access behind-the-scenes for 3½ hours, a 2 year adoption of an animal of your choice, two-course lunch at Penguini’s, a souvenir pack, and MORE!

Team Building Be it a work team or a group of friends or family, this experience gets you motivated and strengthens relationships!

4 great group activities to choose from!

*Additional guests can be accommodated at an extra cost.

Maximum group of 10 guests.

Morning and afternoon activities, feeding of elephants, giraffes and penguins, buffet lunch, souvenir bags and team photograph!

Zoo Academy This experience is perfect for any child who dreams of one day working with animals to enjoy a ‘hands-on’ lesson with expert tuition from our keepers!

Includes a 2 hour experience spent with the animals and their keepers, plus a personalised certificate and souvenir bag!

Zoo Cadet

Age 10 - 13yrs Morning experience 10:00 - 12:00

Fledgling Keeper

Age 6 - 9yrs Afternoon experience 13:30 - 15:30

01206 331292 ext. 232 or 237 / www.colchesterzoo.org / enquiries@colchesterzoo.org / visit Experiences Reception

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

Corporate Opportunities Reach new markets by associating your company with Colchester Zoo’s renowned conservation brand!

Colchester Zoo receives no external funding, so corporate support is vital for its further development as well as assisting projects in the wild.

We offer a number of corporate opportunities, including: • Corporate Sponsorship • Company Away Days • Team Building • Corporate Ticket Accounts • Corporate Adoptions • Advertising in this magazine

g n i n r a e l g n i bring

to life!

School trips

FREE Education sessio ns

FREE Online education resources & homework helper!

Maths Science Conservation and MORE! Find out more www.colchesterzoo.org

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

Secretary birds thrive on UmPhafa!

The Secretary bird is a bird of prey endemic to Africa. They are known to nest on acacia trees and we were delighted to recently notice our resident pair doing just that!

Males and females can visit a nest for up to 6 months before they decide to breed, but it is hoped we may see some offspring from our pair in the near future!

Our crowned crane chicks continue to grow!

During August 2016, Colchester Zoo’s crowned cranes welcomed two healthy chicks. They were safely incubated by mum, Camilla, and dad, Charles, for 4 weeks. rrently listed Crowned cranes are cu IUCN red list, as endangered on the are fantastic so these two arrivals . news for their species

The chicks can be seen exploring their new home and continue to look more like mum and dad every day, with their ‘crowns’ already developing!

Victoria crowned pigeons welcome another chick!

Victoria crowned pigeons are the largest pigeons in the world and are known for their spectacular crest of feathers.

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Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

At the end of July, our loved-up tweethearts, Violet and Ozzy, welcomed another chick.

Our Victoria crowned pigeon pair have had a total of 4 chicks and you can see our family in their aviary at Penguin Shores.

Chicks are incubated for around 30 days and quickly fledge at 4 weeks old.

© Tom Smith

Visitin ! o o Z r e t s e h c l o C ACCESS GUIDE We appreciate that Colchester Zoo is hilly and have therefore developed an ‘easier route’, which avoids the steepest hills.

Our Access Guide also includes helpful advice for visiting with a wheelchair.

Pick up an ACCESS GUIDE from Guest Services

NOT TO WORRY!

10:30 Rhino Iguana

H1

11:30 Sealion

F2

11:30 Red panda

H1

12:00 Orangutan

E3

12:00 Komodo dragon

G1

12:00 Penguin (Inca Trail)

F2

12:30 Chimpanzee

E5

13:00 Amur tiger

AS A ZOO PASS H YOU CAN VISOI LDER AS MANY TIME T AS YOU LIKE! S *Except

Christmas

Day

COLD DAY?

your You can still enjoyan visit with our m y

UNDERCOVER VIEWING AREAS!

Just look on the map for the BLUE ANIMAL ICONS

ana Forest, very Centre, Igu Including : Disco ya Patagonia underw ater Pla , Worlds Apart angutan Forest, se alion tunnel, Or n, Be ars of the Rising Sun, azo Am Wild , Tiger Taiga He art of the n, Kingdom of the Sensation Statio of Komodo! and the Dr agons

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS G1

DID YOU KNOW?!

Thank you!

Your visit has helped us take

H1

14:00 Sealion

F2

14:00 Amur leopard

H1

14:15 Orangutan

D3

14:30 Smooth coated otter

B2

14:45 Giant tortoise

E2

14:45 Mangabey monkey

E2

15:00 Meerkat

A3

15:00 Spotted hyena

G1

15:00 Penguin (Inca Trail)

C4

Public giraffe feed - 12:15 and 14:15

A4

15:15 Mandrill monkey

C3

Public elephant feed - 12:30 and 14:30

A4

15:30 Cheetah

H1

15:30 Sealion

D2

15:30 Lion

G2

15:45 Capuchin monkey

F2

16:00 Chimpanzee

We are a privately owned zoo and receive no external funding, so every visit you make helps us develop and care for animals at the zoo and in the wild!

HAND FEED OUR GENTLE GIANTS...

What is an animal encounter?

This could be a feed, a training session, some animal enrichment or simply your chance to meet and quiz the keeper.

WILD DISPLAYS D2

12:00 Animal Display

D2

14:00 Animal Display

Encounter times valid until 26th March 2017

© Scott Davey

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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C

B

A

D

1

Open daily fr

2

Hand feedle our gent ! giants

om 10 :30 *

r shor t, private * M ay close fo ring this time. encounters du

AUSTRALIAN RAINBOWS LORIKEET AFRICAN LION

SENSATION STATION

KOI

WILD DISPLAYS

KUNE KUNE PIG GOAT

SHEEP

GIANT TORTOISE HORSE

SMOOTH COAT OTTER

ELEPHANT KINGDOM

LLAMA AFRICAN ELEPHANT

Interactive Experience

WALLABY

3

Seasonal activity

AFRICAN ELEPHANT

(opening times vary)

SPOTTED HYENA

CRANE MANDRILL

AARDVARK

KINGDOM OF THE WILD

4

ZEBRA

OSTRICH WARTHOG

ANT WHITE RHINO AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON

GIRAFFE

DIK DIK

VULTURE PYGMY HIPPO CHEETAH

L’HOEST MONKEY RED RIVER HOG

FACE PAINTING

5

* Seasonal

y Centre Visit the Discover ed here os cl is g if face paintin

A 18

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

LOST MADAGASCAR EXPRESS TRAIN

B

Free Train

AMUR TIG

Take the Lost Madagascar Express train to see the Lemur walkthrough.

Located next to Tiger Taiga.

Open from 10:30am.

Check station for closing time.

C

NATUR AREA

D

F

E

H

G

FEED THE LORIKEETS A NECTAR TREAT! PENGUIN (INCA TRAIL)

PENGUIN (SHORES)

SUN BEAR

BUTTERFLY GLADE

SQUIRREL MONKEY

IGUANA

ANACONDA SPIDER MONKEY

MANGABEY MONKEY

LOST MADAGASCAR LEMUR WALKTHROUGH

LEMUR

AMUR LEOPARD

DISCOVERY CENTRE GUEST SERVICES

GIANT ANTEATER

(VIA LOST MADAGASCAR EXPRESS)

RED PANDA

ASIAN SHORT CLAWED OTTER

HORNBILL

KIDS’ SAFARI

CHIMPANZEE

JUNGLE TUMBLE

ZOO EXIT CAPUCHIN

GIBBON

BURMESE PYTHON

KALAHARI THEATRE

CASH POINT

HUNTING DOG

ENTRANCE TO ZOO & EXIT TO CAR PARKS

KOMODO DRAGON

Meeting point

DISCOVERY CENTRE

3

Jungle Tumble

BIRDS

GER

2

FLAMINGO

£

WOLF

Open daily from 9:30am Enjoy learning activities, crafts, friendly bugs and FACE PAINTING!

IGUANA

GEOFFROY’S MARMOSET

BINTURONG

TED

ALL SAINTS CHURCH

PLAY AREA ENTRANCE

CROCODILE

GELADA BABOON

ORANGUTAN

SLOTH

WORLDS APART

SUN BEAR

LEMUR

MEERKAT

1

SEALION

OUTDOOR ENCLOSUR E OPENING EARLY 20 17!

Open daily from 10 :30. e No admit tanc re fo be ur 1 ho zoo closing.

See the chimpanzees undercover in their new indoor environment TODAY!

4

MAP KEY AMUR TIGER PHILIPPINE SPOTTED DEER

RE A

WARTY PIGS

Nature Area

Access via Tiger Taiga.

Open daily from 09:30 and closes an hour before the zoo grounds. May be closed during adverse weather conditions.

Smoking Zone

Catering outlet

First Aid

Catering outlet

Information

Range of drinks and snacks

Gift shop

Sweet Shop

Play area

Ice Cream

Fire assembly point

Baby feeding (male/female)

Undercover enclosures

Bottle warming

Open daily

Seasonal - may be closed on quieter days

(Blue animal icons)

Picnic area

Toilets - all accessible

G

F

Baby changing (male/female)

© Scott Davey

© Tom Smith

© Christian Volke

© Stacey England

H

Please do not picnic in other areas

Adult changing (accessible via RADAR key)

E

5

Some outlets may be closed on quieter days

One-way walkthrough

Arrow shows direction

Sloped areas

Arrows point downhill

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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! d o o f r e t n i W

OF

STS! A F K A B RE

Enjoy tasty, seasonal food from breakfasts, snacks and festive treats to lunches and warming meals... there’s something for everyone!

delicious ja

cke t

christmas treats

WARM UP WITH A TOASTIE OR SOUP * Some catering outlets are seasonal and will be closed on quieter days. Please check online for details on the day of your visit.

We cater for all tastes and dietary requirements, including gluten free, dairy free & vegetarian options.

Hydrate and donate!

Coca Cola is helping to support Colchester Zoo’s charity, by donating 1p for every drink purchased at the zoo.

20

fu l l b e lux an co ur y

e & colate ffe t cho ho

Range of meal

de

SELECTI

s a toe

ON

po t

s al

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

HELP WILDLIFE!

Look out for the labelled drinks included.

festive experiences!

CHRISTMAS PERFECT PARTNER S Enjoy a 30 minute close-up experience with your chosen animal, plus: • Festive meal for two • Free glass of Prosecco • Full day complimentary entry • Wrapped gift

christmas cracker team party ••

d for groups Our Christmas Cracker Party is designe enjoy: l of party animals from 10 up to 50! You’l • Full day entry guins • Feeding our elephants, giraffes & pen • Festive-themed team activity • Premier Christmas buffet • Group photo & wrapped presents

...AND MORE!

Festive Feast & Fun!

Our festive mix-up of animal experiences and a festive feast:

• Full day entry • Close-up animal experiences, including meerkats, lorikeets, giraffes, tigers and more!

• Light breakfast and 3-course Christmas lunch • Group photo & wrapped presents

...AND MORE 01206 331292 ext. 232 or 237 / www.colchesterzoo.org / enquiries@colchesterzoo.org / visit Experience Reception

W! Limited availability! BOOK NO

Colchester Zoo

MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8

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LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

Rajang gets up close to another baby bump...

Unexpected species at UmPhafa Reserve!

Rajang is well known for getting up-close to baby bumps over the years! But there is one bump at Colchester Zoo that Rajang has more recently been getting to know, his keeper Laura’s!

One of our favourite walks on the reserve is through a place we call Leopard Gorge.

One of the highlights of the walk is the mysterious caves.

For many years we have speculated as to what is using the caves. Is it a leopard, which the gorge is named after? Or perhaps a nimble porcupine!

The team decided to set up some trail cameras in the two main caves. After a week, the team collected the cameras and excitedly uploaded the footage.

To their amazement it was neither of the animals they had predicted; it was a honey badger! This was an incredibly exciting find as this species has always been particularly illusive at UmPhafa.

New arrival for our capuchin group!

Laura and her husband Ash, another keeper here at Colchester Zoo, are getting ready to welcome their first child due this Christmas and Rajang has been helping them to predict whether they will be having a boy or girl with the help Rajang is very of some balloons! interactive and loves engaging Rajang has predicted a girl but will he be correct?…we’ll find out in the next few months!

Check out the viral video, which has reached countries such as America and Australia to name a few, on our website and social media pages!

with visitors and keepers.

Therefore, we thought it would be great to show Rajang a magic trick – not something he would have seen before – with award winning mind reader and magician, Matt G. Rajang loves to be involved and imitates keepers, so it was no surprise when he tried to imitate Matt’s magic!

Matt is performing at intervals during our Fright Nights over October half term.

On the 24th August, one of our female buffy-headed capuchin monkeys, Barney, gave birth to a single offspring.

Both mum and baby are doing well and the rest of the group are intrigued by the new arrival that spends most of its time clinging on to mum!

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These monkeys have now been declared as critically endangered.

© David Marsay

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KOMODO DRAGON Varanus komodoensis

TRUNKS

DID YOU KNOW?

Sarcoramphus papa

Pong factor:

DID YOU KNOW?

Speed:

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Cut them out and

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PLAY!

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© Danny Gentry

©Danny Gentry

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WacocAhoRerTusHafriOcaG nus

ensiscus humboldti

DID YOU KNOW?

Pong factor: Speed:

Refer to page 10 for instructions!

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HUMBOLDT PENGUIN Sph

Ph

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KING VULTURE

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You can help!

Community donations to Action for the Wild!

by visiting www.actionforthewild.org or, if you are a local business interested in holding a collection box for us, please get in touch and help us protect species in the wild.

A huge THANK YOU to all those who donated!

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Adoptions!

Corporate Adoption

Adopt almost any animal at Colchester Zoo!

Assist conservation & promote your involvement to stakeholders with a corporate adoption.

For more information: 01206 331292 www.colchesterzoo.org experiences@colchesterzoo.org

We offer a choice of four birthday packages designed to suit a range of ages!

Additional children can be added to parties at an extra cost.

at

Be a PARTY ANIMAL for outstanding value for money!

s ’ Pic nic Tedd y Be a r Nature Detective Squad

Pa rt y with Puddles Jungle Tumble Play Pa rt y Packages include complimentary whole day entry for 10 children, 2 hour hosted party, lunch box and present for each child ... AND MORE!

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shopping at the zoo

This Christmas, spoil someone special with our range of festive gifts for the whole family, including experiences, cosy knits and more!

FREE

parking and entry to shops!

Animal-themed cufflinks Pretty and functional flasks and bags

Keep warm with knitted scarves, hats, mittens an d more!

g and Make your home welcomin les! cosy with Woodwick cand

Snuggle up on cold, winter nights with a microwaveable hottie animal!

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Safari frieze tumbler

We have many Colchester Zoo-themed gif ts for all ages!

r yourself, o , e n o d e v lo a t a e Tr ERIENCE! P X E L A M I N A n a h wit Three amazing hands-on experience days to choose from!

Keeper for the day

Step into the boots of a zoo keeper for an exciting day that takes you closer to the animals than ever before, with time behind-the-scenes, a souvenir pack and more!

Discount for a second person to take part in this experience with you!

We have a variety of gift vouchers for animal experiences and passes!

Keeper Shadowing

This 30 minute package offers the chance to enjoy an amazing, close-up experience with your favourite animal, including entry for the whole day, souvenir pack and more! * Minimum age limits apply, please check website for full details

*Open to guests 14 yrs and over. Anyone under the age of 18 yrs must be accompanied by an adult over 18 yrs who is also fully taking part in the experience.

Adoptions!

ADOPT your favourite animal as an extra special gift this year!

...Or purchase an adoption box!

shop online!

Make it even easier and shop online for all your Christmas gifts!

Just visit the website and click on the ‘shop’ button.

www.colchesterzoo.org to Colchester Zoo’s WIN tickets Magic of Christmas!

Pick up a copy of the Colchester Zoo magazine for offer details.

Simply email the answer to the following question to competitions@colchesterzoo.org Where do Amur tigers and Amur leopards originate?

A) Antarctic & Southern China B) Russian Far East & North Eastern China C) Sahara Desert & Egypt Your email will be added to Colchester Zoo’s mailing list, if you would like to opt out of emails please state this in your entry. We do not pass details to any third parties. Closing date 21.11.16

© David Cundy

© David Marsay

© NWY Photography

The winner will receive 2 adult and 2 child complimentary day tickets for use on one of the Magic of Christmas dates, including 2 presents from Santa for the children!

Spend £25 in Colchester Zoo’s gift shops and get Rudolf reindeer for just £5* Normally £12.99 * Until stocks last. £25 minimum spend must be after any passholder discount and spent in one transaction.

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LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

The life of an intern at UmPhafa ren Owen Intern Lau r diary s he summarise mPhafa! tU of events a

d d

I started my journey from York to Durban, meeting fellow interns along the way .

On arrival at Durban, we then star ted the drive to the farm house where we wou ld be staying for the next month! On our first morning we had an introduction to the tea m and a safety briefing before heading out on our first drive on the back of the crui ser to see some the animals on the reserve, including baby giraf fes!

of game counts, I took part in a number umenting the species looking for animals and doc g the game counts and number we saw. Durin cies including a male we saw a mixture of spe was amazing! adult white rhino, which erve monitoring W e walked across the res veying vegetat ion animals, count ing game, sur ps. T he walks included and setting up camera tra rd Gorge’ where we an area known as ‘Leopa re able to see some had to climb rocks and we ry. dif ferent types of scene

Some evenings we ventured out on night drives, which were amazing! T he view of the stars was out of this world (pardon the pun!). We saw red hartebeest, dif ferent species of birds, a porcupine and, on one evening, a hyena!

As well as spending time on the reserve, we also ventured to some of the neighbouring towns and reserves, including Howick to see their famous waterfall, the Nambit i Privat e Game Reserve to see elephants, buf falos, leopards and lions as well as the fantastic sights of the Drakensberg Mountains and reptile centre!

d d

I also visited the local town of Colenso, went wine tasting and even had a go at some traditional Zulu warrior dancing!

BECOMING AN INTERN

For a full information pack on internships at Colchester Zoo’s UmPhafa Reserve check out the UmPhafa website.

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www.umphafa.org

© Elephant Orphanage Project

© VulPro

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LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS • LATEST NEWS

n u R a l l i r o G

As Colchester Zoo has been 'Going Ape' for Conservation throughout 2016, some of our team took part in ‘The Great Gorilla Run' on 17th September.

The 8km fun run through London helps to raise money and awareness for The Gorilla Organisation, a fantastic charity that aims to help the remaining gorillas left in the wild as their numbers continue to fall.

DID YOU KNOW? ve Gorillas ha ts, se prin unique no an like hum ts! fingerprin

DID YOU KNOW? The word ‘gori comes from a lla’ Gree word meaning k ‘tribe of hair y women’!

7, the redevelopment Due for completion in early 201 e a long way! of Chimpanzee Lookout has com

You can still donate and say well done by visiting Just Giving and searching for Colchester Zoo.

CHIMPANZEE LOOKOUT

Work continues on the final stages of the outdoor area with the installation of the incredible tall towers, completed during summer 2016. Construction of the main outdoor viewing area is also taking shape as glass for the windows is installed and flooring is laid!

SQUIRREL MONKEY Saimiri sciu reus

DID YOU KNOW?

Pong factor: Speed: Height: Weight:

Watch out for more updates over the final months of the project as paint, plants and paths are installed to complete this exciting new area...!

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Kg

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Conservation at home

Help wildlife this winter with some of our top tips and follow our steps to create your own amphibian den for toads, newts and frogs to call home.

You will need: • Spade or trowel • Stones • Rubble • Bricks • Logs • Twigs

1

2

Dig a hole in the ground about 30 cm deep, keeping the soil to one side. If you have a pond it is great to do this within jumping distance of the water!

4

Add some twigs to help create more great hiding places for the new inhabitants.

Top twiilpdlisfe to help r! this winte

PLASTICS Plastics contribute to habitat destruction and endanger thousands of marine animals each year when they end up in the oceans.

HOW TO HELP: Use reusable water bottles, food containers and carrier bags as much as possible.

Once you have dug your hole fill it with assorted rocks, bricks and logs.

3

Helping sealife from home

Once you have created a mound using your twigs and logs, Plant some top some of it with the flower seeds soil you dug up earlier, on top of your new leaving gaps for wildlife amphibian den to to get in and out! make it into a great garden feature!

On frosty mornings, break the ice on ponds and bird baths so wildlife species have plenty to drink.

PETS Cat litter can contain dangerous chemicals, which are harmful to sea creatures if flushed down the loo.

Also, releasing non-native fish into streams and rivers can damage the ecosystem for our native animals.

HOW TO HELP: Use biodegradable cat litter, such as paper and wood pellets, which can be composted at home. Never release pets into the wild or catch animals from the wild as pets.

Sustainable Seafood Fish and sealife populations in our seas and oceans are declining rapidly due to over-fishing, habitat loss and high demand.

As the ground gets harder, many birds may struggle to find food, so hang a bird feeder or make fat balls for them to enjoy.

Cats and other animals are known to shelter under cars and in wheel arches on cold nights, so before starting your engine have a check under your car.

Bonfires are great fun during colder months, but before lighting them remember to check for small mammals that may be hiding.

HOW TO HELP: Look for sustainable fish varieties when shopping and eating out.

Visit www.msc.org for the latest information about sustainable fish.

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Day in the life

Kingdom of the Wild keepers

ester Zoo’s largest mixed exhibits, Kingdom of the Wild is one of Colch As well as s, including white rhino, giraffe, home to a number of African specie these larger African wned cranes. zebra, ostrich, greater kudu and cro species, the keepers

8:20

in this section also care for our aardvarks and red river hogs.

clean Each morning from 8:20am keepers fresh the out side paddock and lay out g the asin rele ore hay and veg etables bef area. door out animals one by one into the

Next, the house and outside areas of the aardvarks and red river hogs are cleaned and the animals fed. They then prepare more food for the public giraffe feeds, in which the keepers take part throughout the day, giving visitors the chance to quiz them about all the species in their care.

4:30

By 4:30pm the animals start coming in from the paddock for their evening food and clean beds, with the ostrich and zebra given access to the paddock for the evening.

Did you know...

When you are inside our Kingdom of the Wild building you are actually standing above a number of large stalls, which our animals sleep in overnight !

The thud of tiny rhino feet are to be heard at Colchester Zoo once again!

WHITE RHINOCEROS Ceratothe rium simum

In summer 2016 we announced that our breeding female white rhino, Emily, was pregnant once again! Now a few months on, she continues to do well and the calf appears to be growing healthy and strong, with Emily looking just a little rounder than usual!

Keepers will continue to monitor her closely as she gets closer to her due date in the New Year.

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See our rhinos inside the Kingdom of the Wild building - great to visit in the cooler weather!

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is coming! r e t n Wi

DID YOU KNOW? The Amur tiger’s coat is long and thick and they have more fur on their paws to protect them against the cold.

All species are adapted to their environments, whether it be the hot Sahara desert or the ice cold Antarctica.

When it comes to winter we know there are a number of animals that love the cold weather, including our Amur leopards and Amur tigers!

Amur tige r

Amur tigers have an extra layer of fat to protect them from the cold environment.

They also have an extra scruff of fur around their necks that acts as a scarf.

Both of these species come from the Russian Far East and north eastern China – 2 of the coldest places in the world, with temperatures dropping to as low as -40 degrees!

DID YOU KNOW? Similar to a human’s unique fingerprints, no two tigers have the same striped fur pattern!

Both the Amur leopard and Amur tiger have been hunted out of much of their former habitat range, mainly for their coats and bones, which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

There are only around 60 Amur leopards left in the wild today, so they are under extreme risk of extinction.

The Amur leopard’s summer fur grows to around 2.5cm, but in winter it is replaced by hairs that can be as long as 7cm, acting like a big thick woolly coat!

The prey that these species hunt has also been depleted.

This leads to them hunting domestic livestock, which causes conflict with local farmers.

We like to eat deer, wild pig, rabbit and hare

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DID YOU KNOW? Amur leopards have the most distinctive markings of any of the leopard sub-species, changing from pale cream in the winter to reddish-brown in the summer.

DID YOU KNOW? Leopards are extremely good climbers and will often retreat up a tree with their prey to keep it safe from other predators.

d r a A m u r leop

© David Marsay

© Ivor Dallinger

©

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Pick up a copy of the Colchester Zoo magazine for offer details.

Pick up a copy of the Colchester Zoo magazine for offer details.

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ZOO PASSES

SAVE! Visit from a s little a

SAVE 15% PASSHOLDERS ENJOY:

s 82p per week!+

Unlimited entry* Exclusive Discounts Special Passholder events Regular e-letter updates

Entrance to selected zoos

Complimentary day tickets** ...and more! * Until your pass expires and except Christmas Day. ** For Platinum Passholders. + Based on the price of an adult Platinum Pass at the time of printing.

Direct Debit not available.

Check colchesterzoo.org for terms and conditions and 15% offer expiry date.

01206 331292 / www.colchesterzoo.org / enquiries@colchesterzoo.org / visit Guest Services © James Dent

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