Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Let the annual count begin!
As 2024 came to end, you may have been enjoying the festivities and getting ready for the New Year with friends and family. The Animal Care Team at Colchester Zoo had a very different type of celebration. They began the huge task of completing the annual animal round up!
Each year, the staff at Colchester Zoo have to count each and every resident, as a requirement for their Zoo Licence. In December, each animal section completes a register for all of the species they care for and then these figures are submitted to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA) and a central database. From mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and even insects – all must be counted!
Counting animals may seem like a simple job however, some of the smaller creatures can make the task a little tricky. Some species are submitted as colonies rather than individual creatures. This ensures that the team do not count the same fish twice in an aquarium or lose track of their tallies within a flock of flying birds.
The numbers are now in for the Zoo’s 2024 count and the total number of species at Colchester Zoo is made up of the following:
Throughout 2024, Colchester Zoo welcomed a number of new species including white-lipped tamarins, red piranha, eastern pygmy marmosets and black tree monitors! They also recorded a whole host of new births with the arrivals of two endangered Philippine spotted deer calves, a critically endangered Ruppell’s griffon vulture chick, two Humboldt penguin chicks, an endangered Colombian black spider monkey baby, an aardvark baby and two critically endangered Amur leopard cubs to name a few!
Colchester Zoo have also had to say a sad goodbye to some old friends that have been a huge part of the Colchester Zoo family. In March 2024, they announced the sad passing of male white rhino, Otto aged 27, and in June 2024, they shared the devastating news of their male red panda, An An aged 14.
2025 is going to be a busy year for Colchester Zoo, with the transition to a conservation charity known as, Colchester Zoological Society, hoped to take place in early 2025. Colchester Zoo looks forward to kick starting their future vision and continuing to care for wildlife and wild places with conservation remaining at the heart of all they do.
Each and every visit made to Colchester Zoo contributes to not only the continuous development of the Zoo, but also to vital conservation projects worldwide. Whether you purchase admission tickets, adoptions, experiences, annual passes or donate through their website, you will be supporting endangered species from around the world.
Colchester Zoo hopes to welcome you through their doors in 2025 to share the wonders of wildlife on an unforgettable day out.