Red River Hogs make their debut at chester

by Mark Mclean. Published Fri 03 Jul 2009 09:59, Last updated: 2009-07-03

Baby rhino, Bashira, brings a flurry of good news to Chester Zoo

ALL creatures great and small are bringing some good news to Chester Zoo this summer.

A number of animal births and the opening of a new enclosure are being welcomed at the 110-acre zoo.

A breeding pair of Asian Short-clawed otters have moved into a new purpose-built enclosure which they will share with a breeding pair of babirusa. The remainder of the otters have moved in with the orang-utans and gibbons – the first time all three species have been put together at a zoo.

Other ‘families’ prompting happy smiles are the pair of Yellow Mongoose and the Red River Hogs, Rick and Lulu, who have all had triplets.

The Banded Mongoose have also had four young.

Other new arrivals include Bactrian camels, Ider and Shanshan, who join the zoo’s other camel, Becky. Ider and Shanshan were brought over from a zoo in Denmark.

Lively Californian Sealions, Hella and Lara, have come to Chester from Germany. Hella was previously at Munich Zoo and Lara in Nuremburg.

Along with all the new faces is the return of an old favourite. Dicky, a male Okapi, is now back in Chester following a two year ‘secondment’ to London Zoo. Keepers hope to partner him with female, Stuma.

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Continuing the welcome news is the female baby Black rhino who made her debut in May. Keepers have finally decided on a name - Bashira - which means ‘bringer of good news’.

Kevin Buley, Head of Zoo Programmes, said: “It’s the perfect name since everyone here was thrilled by Bashira’s arrival. Her arrival seemed to be the start of a baby boom. We are delighted to welcome so many new animals in such a short space of time.”

Ends 3 July 2009