Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2021

were they last in across from the Okapi, next to the tropical house? there was an Anoa in there a couple of weeks ago
 
I visited Marwell yesterday for the first time since November 2016. Having been a pass holder for several years until a year or 2 before that, I left that day in 2016 very depressed and has been well documented previously vowed not to return for some time in protest at what I considered the ridiculous amount of money being spent on a tropical house which I considered would add little for either myself as a zoo nerd or the general visitor.
So following my visit, I asked myself the following questions -
in the last 5 years has Marwell improved - a bit, I wasn't anywhere near as downbeat as in 2016, there there were some positives with new species such as narrow striped Mongoose, long nosed potoroo, crowned lemur(even if they are in the awful exhibit and I didn't see them ) lesser kudu. I find it hard to add some of the others - eg Binturong, banteng, as they are simply a replacement of a previous species!
Criticism required for trying the Whipsnade trick of filling exhibits with surplus animals - 3 single Anoa occupying 3 on show paddocks, a massive paddock holding surplus grevys zebra- I guess it's better than them being empty?!
Then we come on to former exhibit s sat empty or derelict - owls, red panda x2, meerkat,/Mongoose on the lawn, ocelot, bat eared fox, takin and biggest crime of all the macaque island (I heard visitors complaining about it to a keeper and that they couldn't get to the house to see the siamang currently in there.
The Tropical House - it is OK, but really think still that the money could have been spent on adding more to the overall zoo experience! There really weren't members of the general public flocking in there!!
So overall, did I enjoy my long overdue visit? Yes

Will I visit again - yes next year maybe

Is Marwell still worth recommending? Yes

Is Marwell on the up? I would like to hope recent senior appointments will help the zoo improve,but I will review this in a year!

Overall opinion, working hard, but could still do better!!
 
Thanks for posting this mini review, I too haven't visited for a while thanks to my disappointment at the direction the zoo was taking so it's interesting to see you've felt more positive about it on this visit.

pipaluk said:
Criticism required for trying the Whipsnade trick of filling exhibits with surplus animals - 3 single Anoa occupying 3 on show paddocks
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I'm a little surprised with this though, with anoa being solitary surely this isn't as big a negative as you've pointed out? I remember reading something a long time ago about them getting stressed if they see other anoa outside of breeding, hence all of the sight barriers Paignton used to have in their enclosure, however I might be misremembering. This just seems like good management of an endangered, sensitive species to me, though I expect the public would disagree.
 
Dormitator said:
Thanks for posting this mini review, I too haven't visited for a while thanks to my disappointment at the direction the zoo was taking so it's interesting to see you've felt more positive about it on this visit.



I'm a little surprised with this though, with anoa being solitary surely this isn't as big a negative as you've pointed out? I remember reading something a long time ago about them getting stressed if they see other anoa outside of breeding, hence all of the sight barriers Paignton used to have in their enclosure, however I might be misremembering. This just seems like good management of an endangered, sensitive species to me, though I expect the public would disagree.
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It is good management practice. Besides, I seem to remember that Marwell was rather slim lately on anoa. If they have 3 exclosures and 3 anoa ..., that is something of a boost, is it not?
 
pipaluk said:
I visited Marwell yesterday for the first time since November 2016. Having been a pass holder for several years until a year or 2 before that, I left that day in 2016 very depressed and has been well documented previously vowed not to return for some time in protest at what I considered the ridiculous amount of money being spent on a tropical house which I considered would add little for either myself as a zoo nerd or the general visitor.
So following my visit, I asked myself the following questions -
in the last 5 years has Marwell improved - a bit, I wasn't anywhere near as downbeat as in 2016, there there were some positives with new species such as narrow striped Mongoose, long nosed potoroo, crowned lemur(even if they are in the awful exhibit and I didn't see them ) lesser kudu. I find it hard to add some of the others - eg Binturong, banteng, as they are simply a replacement of a previous species!
Criticism required for trying the Whipsnade trick of filling exhibits with surplus animals - 3 single Anoa occupying 3 on show paddocks, a massive paddock holding surplus grevys zebra- I guess it's better than them being empty?!
Then we come on to former exhibit s sat empty or derelict - owls, red panda x2, meerkat,/Mongoose on the lawn, ocelot, bat eared fox, takin and biggest crime of all the macaque island (I heard visitors complaining about it to a keeper and that they couldn't get to the house to see the siamang currently in there.
The Tropical House - it is OK, but really think still that the money could have been spent on adding more to the overall zoo experience! There really weren't members of the general public flocking in there!!
So overall, did I enjoy my long overdue visit? Yes

Will I visit again - yes next year maybe

Is Marwell still worth recommending? Yes

Is Marwell on the up? I would like to hope recent senior appointments will help the zoo improve,but I will review this in a year!

Overall opinion, working hard, but could still do better!!
Click to expand...

Your honest and objective review is much appreciated. Just picking up on a few points; as others have pointed out the anoa need to be accommodated separately and out of sight of each other; I believe that there have been a number of attempts to exchange animals to obtain a compatible pair (or more). Sadly there is a practice, that still not uncommon in many zoos, of keeping surplus or solitary animals shut inside at least in the daytime and Marwell has been pro-active in avoiding doing that. To control the breeding programme of the Grevy zebra, the stallion is normally kept apart from the main group of females, which is why he is kept in a different paddock away from close sight and sound of the main group. At present he is with two other Grevy's but fairly recently there have been Roan antelope and ostrich sharing that paddock.

Regarding the cost of building the Tropical House. this - and any other tropical house - should be evaluated together with the operating costs. The former Tropical House had served Marwell well, having been obtained second-hand from Windsor Safari Park (their Crocodile House) but with its single glazing cost a fortune to heat, for example. The design of the new Tropical House incorporates many energy saving features, from being partially buried into the ground, selection of construction materials, to control systems, all of which add a lot to construction cost but should be making an appreciable reduction on operating costs throughout the coming years.
 
zooboy said:
Your honest and objective review is much appreciated. Just picking up on a few points; as others have pointed out the anoa need to be accommodated separately and out of sight of each other; I believe that there have been a number of attempts to exchange animals to obtain a compatible pair (or more). Sadly there is a practice, that still not uncommon in many zoos, of keeping surplus or solitary animals shut inside at least in the daytime and Marwell has been pro-active in avoiding doing that. To control the breeding programme of the Grevy zebra, the stallion is normally kept apart from the main group of females, which is why he is kept in a different paddock away from close sight and sound of the main group. At present he is with two other Grevy's but fairly recently there have been Roan antelope and ostrich sharing that paddock.

Regarding the cost of building the Tropical House. this - and any other tropical house - should be evaluated together with the operating costs. The former Tropical House had served Marwell well, having been obtained second-hand from Windsor Safari Park (their Crocodile House) but with its single glazing cost a fortune to heat, for example. The design of the new Tropical House incorporates many energy saving features, from being partially buried into the ground, selection of construction materials, to control systems, all of which add a lot to construction cost but should be making an appreciable reduction on operating costs throughout the coming years.
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IMHO the new Tropical House is the best thing to happen at Marwell for many years, and helps to offset the sad fact that they no longer keep pheasants, waterfowl, cranes or Sulawesi Macaques.
 
FBBird said:
IMHO the new Tropical House is the best thing to happen at Marwell for many years, and helps to offset the sad fact that they no longer keep pheasants, waterfowl, cranes or Sulawesi Macaques.
Click to expand...
They still have a Himalayan Impeyan Pheasant male with a female due,but yes I miss the Cranes,
 
okapis said:
Hartmanns Zebra seven animals have now been moved down to the former Roan paddock.
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A good move I think. Would be nice if they make long term changes so that each will correspond to a geographical area. It would be really nice if the Hartmann's mountain zebra and some antelope would make up a Namibia exhibit theme. Well that is just me dreaming ..., I guess (please let it be so and not start another phantasy tangent on the news thread).
 
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