Red-Backed Bearded Saki Monkeys join the collection!
Red-Backed Bearded Saki monkeys arrived from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent on 9th August 2010. The monkeys were born in May 2008, and can be seen housed at Heart of the Amazon opposite the large squirrel monkey group. The saki monkeys have settled in well and can already be seen... Read more »

Two Rufous hornbill join the collection!
Two Rufous Hornbills arrived at Colchester Zoo from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent on the 9th August 2010. One is a female and one a male both born in May 2009. The pair can be seen on show in their enclosure within the Worlds Apart exhibit, opposite Penguin Shores. The Rufous... Read more »

Colchester Zoo teams up with TV channel Eden!
To celebrate Eden’s Great British Wildlife Season, the channel will be crowning one wildlife attraction, “Eden’s Wildlife Attraction of the Year”. The campaign is running this summer and includes a selection of the UK’s leading wildlife attractions competing for the title and Colchester Zoo... Read more »

Two Rhinoceros hornbill join the collection!
Two Rhinoceros hornbills have joined the collection from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent on the 9th August 2010. The birds are one female, born in December 1999, and one male, born in April 1999. The pair can be seen housed in their enclosure at the Wilds of Asia exhibit. The... Read more »

Two Victoria Crowned Pigeons join the collection
Two Victoria Crowned pigeons joined the collection from the Rare Species Conservation Centre in Kent on the 9th August 2010 and are now housed at South American World. One is a male, born in March 2005 and one is a female born in March 2010. The Victoria Crowned pigeon can be found in... Read more »

Babyface the Seal to join two females at National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall
Babyface, Colchester Zoo's Harbour Seal will sadly be leaving Colchester Zoo within the next few weeks to go to The National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall. After sadly losing his female companion, Jasmine, in July; Babyface has been on his own, which is not ideal for him. We would also like to be... Read more »

Keepers and Sealions take to the water!
Colchester Zoo’s keepers have taken to the water of the Playa Patagonia enclosure in order to clean the 24 metre long acrylic tunnel which takes visitors under the water to view the Patagonian sealions. The tunnel needs cleaning every day to keep the tunnel free from algae which builds up quickly... Read more »

Flamingos at Colchester Zoo given mirrors to multiply numbers!
The group of flamingos at Colchester Zoo have been given several full length mirrors at the lakeside where they congregate, not to admire their reflections but instead to multiply their numbers!... Read more »

Crowned Crane chicks born!
The Crowned cranes housed in their enclosure opposite the Mandrills have successfully hatched 3 chicks! The three chicks were born to dad, Wonky and mum, Willow at the end of July 2010. The three chicks are all continuing to do well, and can be seen following mum and dad whilst they forage... Read more »

Penguin Chick Update!
So far this year there have been some successful hatching of Penguin chicks, at Penguin Shores there have been 5 chicks successfully hatched within the group. These chicks have grown well, and have now also been named by the Keepers! George and Tuxedo were born to Nautilus and Ebby on the 23rd... Read more »

Critically Endangered Waldrapp Ibis chicks born at Colchester Zoo
Two critically endangered Waldrapp Ibis chicks successfully hatched on the 12th June 2010! The parents of the two chicks both came to Colchester Zoo from Twycross Zoo in 2001, the male is aged 11 and the female aged 10. The Waldrapp Ibis has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN... Read more »

Animals ‘chill out’ with tasty ice treats in the hot weather!
With the temperatures soaring to around 30°C the keepers have been treating the animals with some cooling down treats to chill out in the summer heat! The mob of meerkats at Suricata Sands were treated to blood ice blocks by the participants of the Keeper for a Day scheme, who were able to hold... Read more »

Wolf Cubs tuck into feed at Call of the Wild!
The young wolf cubs born at the end of May 2010 to mum, Akila have been growing bigger and bigger every day, and can now be seen regularly out with the adults at their enclosure at the Call of the Wild exhibit. The young cubs are now becoming much braver, watch the footage below to see the cubs... Read more »

Jambo update from Bio Parc Valencia
Colchester Zoo's african elephant Jambo moved to Bio Parc Valencia in Spain in 2008, and has been doing very well in his new home. Bio Parc Valencia currently houses 10 elephants, with Jambo housed alongside 3 other females. These females still continue to treat Jambo as a youngster and they... Read more »

Ring Tailed Lemur twins named!
The ring tailed lemur twins born on the 23rd March have grown well, and can now be seen playing together in the Lemur Islands enclosure, running and jumping amongst the other adults! The twins have now been discovered to be a boy and a girl, and Keepers have named the two youngsters Oscar and... Read more »

AFTW donates £5,000 to Elephant Orphanage Project
Action for the Wild is sponsoring a new project for 2010 that looks after orphaned elephants in Zambia, and has recently donated £5,000 towards the project. There has been lots of news from the orphanage and below is an introduction to the orphans at the project and recent news. During 2009, the... Read more »

AFTW donates £1,000 towards Orangutan Foundation Veterinary Health Care Programme
Action for the Wild is sponsoring the Orangutan Foundation’s Lamandau veterinary health care programme for released orangutans, and has recently donated £1,000 towards the project. The funds will go towards veterinary equipment, which will include an autoclave to sterilise equipment and supplies, an... Read more »

AFTW donates £5,000 to Wildlife Vets International
Action for the Wild is sponsoring Wildlife Vets International (WVI), and has recently donated £5,000 towards the project. WVI provides veterinary support for conservation efforts to save the critically endangered Amur Leopard in the Russian Far East. There is estimated to be as few as 25 individual... Read more »

Birthday Party Competiton Winner Announced!
Colchester Zoo has been running a competition on the website for the month of June in order for one lucky winner to win a complete birthday party package for their child at Colchester Zoo! The lucky winner has now been selected, with congratulations going to Joanne Walker from Braintree who has... Read more »

Eddie the Eagle takes on Leo the Lion in the Father's Day football match
Father's Day at Colchester Zoo saw Colchester United's mascot Eddie the Eagle take on Colchester Zoo's Leo the Lion in a special father's Day football match! Two teams were formed with the Dads and Eddie the Eagle taking on the Kids and Leo the Lion, after a brief battle the match came down to... Read more »

Further zebra released onto the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve
On the 15th June 2010, 21 surplus zebra from local Spioenkop Game Reserve were released onto the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Colchester Zoo’s charity, Action for the Wild is in the process of creating the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve and despite the previous... Read more »

Toddlers take part in Big Toddle event at Colchester Zoo!
Colchester Zoo hosted the Barnardo's Big Toddle on the 18th June for children under 5 accompanied by parents, nurseries, early years group and childminders to take part in a short sponsored walk. This years theme was pirates with many young participants arriving in full costume and Big Todd the... Read more »

New male giraffe, Epesi joins the collection and Koife and Century depart for their new home
On Wednesday 2nd June a new male reticulated giraffe joined the collection at Colchester Zoo. Transferring here from Nurnberg Zoo in Germany, he was born in August 2008 and is called Epesi. Epesi’s arrival will allow Colchester Zoo to form its first ever breeding group of giraffe, as he joins our... Read more »

Rare Tamarin born through a truly international breeding programme
Endangered Twin pied tamarin twins have been born at Colchester Zoo on the 27th May! The Keepers cannot yet tell the sex of the youngsters, but the twins have been born to mum, Grace and Dad, Will. Grace was born in January 2007 and came to Colchester Zoo in November 2009 from Zoo Parc de Beauval... Read more »

Meerkat Mob grows again at Suricata Sands!
Our mob of meerkats has grown again with the birth of another litter of meerkat pups! Pippa our female has given birth to her third litter of pups on the 20th May, with Robbie again the Dad of the latest pups. Whilst very young the pups will remain hidden away with mum inside their den in the... Read more »

Call of the Wild exhibit sees the addition of new wolf cubs!
Call of the Wild has seen the addition of new wolf cubs that are believed to have been born towards the end of May, this year. Having initially remained hidden in their den, Keepers have been able to spot 5 cubs so far as they have started to emerge into the outside of the enclosure. The... Read more »

Ayo the baby Pygmy Hippo Update
Ayo, the baby pygmy hippo born on the 27th November 2009 has continued to grow stronger and stronger every day! Housed along with mum, Venus at the Kingdom of the Wild building, Ayo now spends plenty of time in the outdoor section of the enclosure and is still suckling from Mum, though she is... Read more »

Rhinos enjoy getting muddy!
Zamba the baby White Rhino and mum, Cynthia were treated to a special mud bath provided by the Keepers during the hot weather on Monday 24th May! Keepers applied the mud and water mixture by hand, with both Zamba and Cynthia enjoying all the extra attention! The mud mixture helps the Rhino to... Read more »

Male Komodo Dragon, 'Telu' joins the collection
During the evening of Wednesday 5th May a new male Komodo dragon called 'Telu' joined the collection at Colchester Zoo from Zoo Praha in Prague. Telu is three years old, and was born and bred in Zoo Praha in Prague. He has joined the collection in order to take part in the EEP breeding programme... Read more »

Three New Lions at Lion Rock explore their new home!
Colchester Zoo was extremely sad to announce the loss of our elderly male lion, Subu on the 1st April 2010. He was one of the zoo’s best known animals and a great character who will be greatly missed by staff and visitors alike. He will remain a strong memory in everyone’s minds. Following the... Read more »