Why speculate on what a big new arrival might be in 2022 when there are big new arrivals in 2021? Visited today and saw the latest - a 4 year-old female white rhinoceros from South Lakes - that arrived yesterday. The other "big new arrival" (well, new since my last visit in the summer) is a full giraffe skeleton on display in the the giraffe house.
Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2021
- Thread starter Cat-Man
- Start date
Is the new rhino Zahra?
Yes it is Zahra, and easy to spot as she is still red coloured from the Cumbria soil!
JurassicMax
Well-Known Member
The gender has been revealed in October, it's a male!
Source:
Instagram of Marwell Zoo (16/10/2021) Login • Instagram
Visited today for the first time in about 2 years and a few things to note;
• I spoke to a keeper today about the Leopard situation. He told me that when the difficult decision to PTS Akin, the 22 year old male Amur Leopard, it was discovered he had cataracts in both his eyes, poor boy!
Also asked him what the plans are regarding the future of ‘Leopard Lookout’ and he said its being “aired out” of smells and scents from the leopards and a new cat species will soon be in there once the enclosure has had a revamp.
I tried to push him on a species but he was very tight lipped! Said it was not Lions (a given!) but did say the new cat species had “markings” on its fur so thinking maybe either Jaguars or clouded Leopard’s maybe (seems more likely to me to be the latter)
• Asked about the new development “Water and Wetlands” too. He said since Covid obviously plans have changed slightly and as of now, there is no current time frame for it to start which is understandable.
• New Rhino Zahra is settling in well. Was alone pen in the house but keepers said they hope very soon to mix them all and let her explore the paddock.
Young male Jabari seemed very agitated and was grunting like crazy to Kiri, Sula & Pembe who where all stood together in the house, he even had a ‘fight’ with them, well swuaring up more like with a few bashings of the horns. k
Keepers said he has been like a different rhino since the new arrival so they’re watching him very closely and are hopeful he’ll soon calm down.
Interesting, they told me he never really got on with the three previous girls (Kiri, Sula & Pembe) and so the new rhino was brought in as they thought he had a better chance of breeding with her over Pembe.
• I spoke to a keeper today about the Leopard situation. He told me that when the difficult decision to PTS Akin, the 22 year old male Amur Leopard, it was discovered he had cataracts in both his eyes, poor boy!
Also asked him what the plans are regarding the future of ‘Leopard Lookout’ and he said its being “aired out” of smells and scents from the leopards and a new cat species will soon be in there once the enclosure has had a revamp.
I tried to push him on a species but he was very tight lipped! Said it was not Lions (a given!) but did say the new cat species had “markings” on its fur so thinking maybe either Jaguars or clouded Leopard’s maybe (seems more likely to me to be the latter)
• Asked about the new development “Water and Wetlands” too. He said since Covid obviously plans have changed slightly and as of now, there is no current time frame for it to start which is understandable.
• New Rhino Zahra is settling in well. Was alone pen in the house but keepers said they hope very soon to mix them all and let her explore the paddock.
Young male Jabari seemed very agitated and was grunting like crazy to Kiri, Sula & Pembe who where all stood together in the house, he even had a ‘fight’ with them, well swuaring up more like with a few bashings of the horns. k
Keepers said he has been like a different rhino since the new arrival so they’re watching him very closely and are hopeful he’ll soon calm down.
Interesting, they told me he never really got on with the three previous girls (Kiri, Sula & Pembe) and so the new rhino was brought in as they thought he had a better chance of breeding with her over Pembe.
I agree, clouded are a potential disaster without indoor viewing! Leopard of any subspecies would be better
As much as I would love Marwell to have clouded leopards I agree it would be completely the wrong enclosure. There are too many hiding spaces for elusive species.
I think it is most likely to either be a leopard species or jaguars, but what other options are feasible?
With servals in the former cheetah enclosure, which in my opinion has worked very well, there is a precedence for putting a smaller cat species into an exhibit originally intended for a larger one. Could they do something similar here? Ocelots or a species of lynx come to mind but would they also have problems of spending too much time hiding away?
I think it is most likely to either be a leopard species or jaguars, but what other options are feasible?
With servals in the former cheetah enclosure, which in my opinion has worked very well, there is a precedence for putting a smaller cat species into an exhibit originally intended for a larger one. Could they do something similar here? Ocelots or a species of lynx come to mind but would they also have problems of spending too much time hiding away?
In response to this, and the previous posts, surely the fact that there is no indoor den viewing and that there are places in the outside enclosures where animals can get out of sight of visitors when they choose to do so are exactly the reasons why these enclosures would be suitable for Clouded leopards?
Its going be Clouded Leopard.
I don't think anyone was suggesting the enclosure would not be suitable. More a case of whether a mainly invisible species would be ideal for the zoo at the current time. The leopards were not particularly easy to see but clouded leopards will be seen even less, possibly never by some visitors!
Agree with the above post. From the clouded leopard's point of view it is a perfectly fine enclosure for them.
My concerns were that with Marwell's recent history with regard to empty enclosures (even if they have appeared to have turned the corner) is a species known for being difficult to see in an enclosure that can make viewing difficult the best option?
My concerns were that with Marwell's recent history with regard to empty enclosures (even if they have appeared to have turned the corner) is a species known for being difficult to see in an enclosure that can make viewing difficult the best option?
Strangely enough, they are a species I have never struggled to see - with the notable exception of the individual briefly held at Edinburgh some years ago. I would be very much in support of the species arriving at Marwell!
Given the fact you've been complaining for years about Marwell losing species and (in your opinion) not bringing anything exciting in, I find it somewhat amusing that you are now bemoaning the prospect of an extremely nice species coming to the collection as being a "potential disaster"
It may or may not be clouded leopard in the end - I have no clue either way - but if it is, this is something to be celebrated and *not* complained about!
Amusing maybe, but I would have rather they brought in more leopards for that enclosure AND clouded leopards or another cat species elsewhere in the zoo!!Strangely enough, they are a species I have never struggled to see - with the notable exception of the individual briefly held at Edinburgh some years ago. I would be very much in support of the species arriving at Marwell!
Given the fact you've been complaining for years about Marwell losing species and (in your opinion) not bringing anything exciting in, I find it somewhat amusing that you are now bemoaning the prospect of an extremely nice species coming to the collection as being a "potential disaster"
It may or may not be clouded leopard in the end - I have no clue either way - but if it is, this is something to be celebrated and *not* complained about!
Must admit I never saw the Clouded that lived in the quarantine yard as was, in all the time it was there.
I say get Clouded, Jags or another Leopard ssp, or even Puma, as they aren't exactly common in UK collections.
I would also like to see Cheetah back after spending so much on Cheetah Rock only a few years back.
I say get Clouded, Jags or another Leopard ssp, or even Puma, as they aren't exactly common in UK collections.
I would also like to see Cheetah back after spending so much on Cheetah Rock only a few years back.
Strangely enough, they are a species I have never struggled to see - with the notable exception of the individual briefly held at Edinburgh some years ago. I would be very much in support of the species arriving at Marwell!
Given the fact you've been complaining for years about Marwell losing species and (in your opinion) not bringing anything exciting in, I find it somewhat amusing that you are now bemoaning the prospect of an extremely nice species coming to the collection as being a "potential disaster"
It may or may not be clouded leopard in the end - I have no clue either way - but if it is, this is something to be celebrated and *not* complained about!
We’re all happy they’re getting a new species (albeit at the expense of an old one) but they will not be a good exhibit there, especially if the boardwalk isn’t open. It takes balls to admit you’ve been so lucky with Clouded Leopards, I only wish I had bald as much luck.
Assuming they are Clouded Leopards, which seems the most obvious choice.
Not sure if that was one of the same individuals, but Marwell had a pair of Clouded Leopards when the Park first opened. They first lived in a small metal Gazebo style cage (that had formerly held Peacocks) in the shrubbery to the left of the entrance to the Hall. They were basically invisible and I think they may have moved elsewhere but not sure on that.
I suspect it was the same ones, although as I say, I never saw them.
Some animals seemed to stay in the 2 yards permanently, such as the Wombat, the Clouded Leopards and the Sumatran Tigers (although I think they may have moved up by the Siberians later).
The quarantine yard was always my first visit as a kid, to see anything new.
Some animals seemed to stay in the 2 yards permanently, such as the Wombat, the Clouded Leopards and the Sumatran Tigers (although I think they may have moved up by the Siberians later).
The quarantine yard was always my first visit as a kid, to see anything new.
Marwell have announced the birth of two Banteng calfs:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Marwellwildlife/status/1469547497706164230
https://mobile.twitter.com/Marwellwildlife/status/1469547497706164230