Large fire at Chester Zoo!

[Roses]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46579083

A large fire has broken out at Chester Zoo in the Monsoon Habitat area. The zoo is not that far from our part of North East Wales.

[Robbie]

Coincidentally, I was watching an episode of 'Secrets of the Zoo' on my laptop, lying on the sofa. I find it a very relaxing series & can concentrate with no trouble. It's beautiful. Chester Zoo seems like a marvellous place with their breeding and conservation programmes &, very important, the animals have plenty of room. The Zoo has an interesting history too, there was a drama series about it; a young chap started it off with a camel in the ginnel!

I feel terribly sad about the fire but the latest news is that it is being kept under control and everyone working hard to save the animals.

I've quite fallen in love with the place (haven't been but would like to go), never knew I could become so attached to giant ant eaters & red panda from seeing them on telly.

[Roses]

Coincidentally, I was watching an episode of 'Secrets of the Zoo' on my laptop, lying on the sofa. I find it a very relaxing series & can concentrate with no trouble. It's beautiful. Chester Zoo seems like a marvellous place with their breeding and conservation programmes &, very important, the animals have plenty of room. The Zoo has an interesting history too, there was a drama series about it; a young chap started it off with a camel in the ginnel!

I feel terribly sad about the fire but the latest news is that it is being kept under control and everyone working hard to save the animals.

I've quite fallen in love with the place (haven't been but would like to go), never knew I could become so attached to giant ant eaters & red panda from seeing them on telly.

I have been there several times, but zoos don't interest me that much. However, I hope they bring the fire under control and manage to preserve the animals therein.

[Robbie]

Apparently all animals are safe and there have been no human casualties. Phew!

I don't like the old style zoos, animals in small cages. I remember even being upset when I went to London zoo as a youngster, I don't know what it's like now. Wildlife and safari parks are different, I visited one in - Warminster I think - years ago and loved it. Windsor was good too but that's been closed for a long time.

Pretty sure I'd love Chester, their ethos is so good and always has been. It's all about the animals.

Want to visit next year.

[Roses]

Apparently all animals are safe and there have been no human casualties. Phew!

I don't like the old style zoos, animals in small cages. I remember even being upset when I went to London zoo as a youngster, I don't know what it's like now. Wildlife and safari parks are different, I visited one in - Warminster I think - years ago and loved it. Windsor was good too but that's been closed for a long time.

Pretty sure I'd love Chester, their ethos is so good and always has been. It's all about the animals.

Want to visit next year.
[/quote

When I was two my Mother took me to Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester, we were standing near a pond, a hippo popped its head out of the water and scared the life out of me. It put me off zoos for life. However, I had to bite the bullet and take our kids to them, when they were young, as they enjoyed the experience. 

[Robbie]

Hippos are friendly animals. I remember going somewhere with the kids, a wildlife park but it didn't have many big animals and no enclosures - not sure where it was but it was a lovely day and a very natural sort of place. There was a big meadow or field with a large pond in the middle and a fence round it. I could see a lot of children at the fence putting their hands through so we all went up to see what it was about - it was a hippo lying down by the fence and everyone was stroking it! Which I then did too. I can understand you being startled by one suddenly rising (like the 'beast from the sea' in Rev) and splashing you.

[Roses]

Hippos are friendly animals. I remember going somewhere with the kids, a wildlife park but it didn't have many big animals and no enclosures - not sure where it was but it was a lovely day and a very natural sort of place. There was a big meadow or field with a large pond in the middle and a fence round it. I could see a lot of children at the fence putting their hands through so we all went up to see what it was about - it was a hippo lying down by the fence and everyone was stroking it! Which I then did too. I can understand you being startled by one suddenly rising (like the 'beast from the sea' in Rev) and splashing you.
[/quote


Hippos have a reputation for being very aggressive like lions, and should never be stroked by children. I doubt that would be permitted today.

[Robbie]

You're probably right about that, it was twenty years or so ago.I assure you the particular hippo I'm talking about was very person friendly but wild (all) animals are unpredictable & any would attack in some circumstances.

Not likely to see a hippo on Bromley Common or in Welsh Wales.

[Walter]

Coincidentally, I was watching an episode of 'Secrets of the Zoo' on my laptop, lying on the sofa. I find it a very relaxing series & can concentrate with no trouble. It's beautiful. Chester Zoo seems like a marvellous place with their breeding and conservation programmes &, very important, the animals have plenty of room. The Zoo has an interesting history too, there was a drama series about it; a young chap started it off with a camel in the ginnel!

I feel terribly sad about the fire but the latest news is that it is being kept under control and everyone working hard to save the animals.

I've quite fallen in love with the place (haven't been but would like to go), never knew I could become so attached to giant ant eaters & red panda from seeing them on telly.

I heard on the news the fire service were rushing to the scene with a bottle of tomato sauce and knives and forks !

[Harrowby Hall]

Hippos are friendly animals.

I don't know where you got this from. As Littleroses points out, hippos are very dangerous. It has been suggested that more people die from hippopotamus encounters that from any other animal.

Perhaps you are confusing hippos with rhinos?

[Robbie]

No, rhinos have the horn    I was merely thinking of that one hippo I saw in the wildlife park years ago. After that conversation I googled and read about boats being attacked by hippos and, contrastingly, of hippos eating out of the hands of people, with youtube video, so my conclusion is, some are friendly and some are not. It depends on the environment too, if they used to people they'll be quite different to animals defending their territory and their young. It doesn't matter that much because we don't have them running around loose here.

Walter, free barbecue aye? Crocodile tails and the like with rice and beans. Where you been?

[Aruntraveller]

I note that a fundraising effort has now been undertaken with according to reports £11,000 raised already. This speaks volumes for the generosity of the public.

Just one question. Insurance?

[Roses]

They are still checking to see if any reptiles and birds are missing.

[Robbie]

The latest news is that Chester has lost rare birds, frogs, fish and insects in the fire. It's a sad business especially for those keepers who looked after and knew those creatures - though good that so many others were rescued so efficiently. The 'little ones' were difficult to catch.

The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.

[Roses]

The latest news is that Chester has lost rare birds, frogs, fish and insects in the fire. It's a sad business especially for those keepers who looked after and knew those creatures - though good that so many others were rescued so efficiently. The 'little ones' were difficult to catch.

The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.

Hopefully it was an electrical fault, as at first suspected, not arson.