I think that many an UK ZC forum member will beg to disagree. The zoo really has a considerably less diverse and varied mammal collection now. I hardly think it can be termed representative. Lately, things are a bit on the up thanks in some good part by new staff members.
Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2021
- Thread starter Cat-Man
- Start date
Had a good day at Marwell today saw most animals outside which was great! Had a chat with a lovely lady who mentioned the owl aviaries are going to be taken down and the land is just going to stand empty (seems this is becoming a theme) although the wetlands area is being pushed back a few years to gain more funding. She also mentioned there was talk of a new carnivore enclosure. Not sure if its for a current species or a new one? Lions or bears perhaps??
I was disappointed by the macaque enclosure being empty I thought that was a good enclosure for primates seems a shame to see it not used. The same with the old ocelot enclosure.
Overall a nice day out however probably wouldnt rush back in a hurry.
I was disappointed by the macaque enclosure being empty I thought that was a good enclosure for primates seems a shame to see it not used. The same with the old ocelot enclosure.
Overall a nice day out however probably wouldnt rush back in a hurry.
I certainly did and I have many nostalgic memories from that period and, yes, the collection was exciting then in a way that it could not be today. Memory tends to recall the good and not necessarily the facts and I stand by my observation that Marwell still has a significant collection of antelope and zebras. Checking back 40 years (1981) Marwell had 3 species of zebra and 12 species of antelope; it still holds 3 species of zebra and 12 species of antelope. Regarding mammals, there were then 65 species then (including 5 domestic, so 60 wild species) and today still has 60 species. But the bird collection is now notably smaller than it was, with just two thirds of the species (56 in 1981, 40 today) that were kept in 1981, perhaps surprising considering the number added in recent years with the opening of the walk-through aviary and the tropical house.
The big change though is in the number of individual mammals, from about 450 in the early 1980s to around 190 today, and I think this is the main reason why people recall Marwell having a more diverse collection than it had. There are many valid reasons why the numbers of individuals has changed but these are certainly not unique to Marwell; an interesting and complex topic but one, perhaps for more general discussion in another forum?
I am glad you did see Marwell back in the day. I liked the zoo quite a lot. As has been mentioned with some new staff they may expand the number of species held.
According to ZTL they bred the species for the first time in 2002 and they are breeding regulary.
Their last remaining 1:0 cheetah Tano has sadly been PTS due to "persistent health issues". He arrived with brother Jabal in 2014. They will not be replacing the individuals as the enclosure will be revamped for Serval.
Shame that another species has been lost from here.
Taken from their Facebook page.
Shame that another species has been lost from here.
Taken from their Facebook page.
littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
I did wonder about the cheetahs today as I noticed work going on in there (I did see a serval in it's present home).
I saw the young Chevrotain and mum and also Bokiboki, which was a nice surprise. Also a little mountain zebra foal.
I saw the young Chevrotain and mum and also Bokiboki, which was a nice surprise. Also a little mountain zebra foal.
That is a shame, I seem to recall Marwell having great success with cheetah breeding in the past so its sad to see them go out of the species. What cats do they actually keep now? At one time Marwell was probably my favourite zoo (late 1990s), and their cat collection was a big part of my reasoning behind that, as hard to believe as that may seem now!
Sad, another species gone.
It wasn't that long ago that the enclosure was revamped and rebranded as Savannah Tracks. That seems a bit of a waste now.
On the bright side, that enclosure has the potential to be a great exhibit for servals. I wonder what they will do with the existing serval enclosure. I hope it isn't left empty. I haven't been to Marwell since the covid pandemic, but the last time I visited that corner of the zoo had a number of empty enclosures.
It wasn't that long ago that the enclosure was revamped and rebranded as Savannah Tracks. That seems a bit of a waste now.
On the bright side, that enclosure has the potential to be a great exhibit for servals. I wonder what they will do with the existing serval enclosure. I hope it isn't left empty. I haven't been to Marwell since the covid pandemic, but the last time I visited that corner of the zoo had a number of empty enclosures.
Strategic moves or part of plan to create a more interesting playing field for an African savannah exhibit (and in order to free up space elsewhere to recreate new theming in other parts of the Marwell property?
littleRedPanda
Well-Known Member
I didn't see one last week. Was it in with the others?
It was with a couple of the horses. The others were in a separate enclosure next to them (they seemed separated).
Does that mean there are now Roan Antelope in two paddocks or had they reduced numbers down to 4?
Not sure what I think of moving the Blesboks to the former Warthog enclosure. It isn't as good an enclosure but it is a more prominent one. Is it because they have plans for the current enclosure or is it because it will be less obvious if it is left empty?
Not sure what I think of moving the Blesboks to the former Warthog enclosure. It isn't as good an enclosure but it is a more prominent one. Is it because they have plans for the current enclosure or is it because it will be less obvious if it is left empty?
Yes they only have four Roan now,1.3.the former Warthog enclosure was used in the past for antelope,Sable,Roan.There are four Blesbok they have been housed at the back of the Lesser Kudu but they used the large paddock at the back of the leopards,this is now being used again by Arabian Oryx.
Are the Blesbok a resent import?
