Marwell Wildlife Marwell 2022 News

Cat-Man said:
Not only the early days but quite a bit later too, until at least 2005 if not longer.

I have been excited by recent developments at Marwell but to lose two big predators like that with no plans to replace them is shocking. There’s nothing wrong with the Cheetah habitat especially and I always found them the most showy carnivore in the zoo!
Click to expand...
I would not go as far as to say that Marwell Zoo will NOT replace the oldie Carnivora that passed away. Whereas I love serval on exhibit, I do assume that Marwell will acquire a new Carnivora species or 2 for exhibition purposes and perhaps breeding.

It will be interesting to see what plans are in store (apart from the marshland development that has been in the planning stages.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I would not go as far as to say that Marwell Zoo will NOT replace the oldie Carnivora that passed away. Whereas I love serval on exhibit, I do assume that Marwell will acquire a new Carnivora species or 2 for exhibition purposes and perhaps breeding.

It will be interesting to see what plans are in store (apart from the marshland development that has been in the planning stages.
Click to expand...
Well I certainly hope so. Not sure the leopard enclosure is up to holding that species anymore anyway but would be a shame to see it empty for a long period of time.
 
I do quite like the idea of using the former cheetah enclosure for servals. It is making a feature exhibit out of a lesser known species and I really do hope that works. The only regret I have about it is that they made the lower part of the exhibit part of the giraffe paddock, which is the part that I found offered the best viewing.

On Marwell's current form I am hopeful that the former leopard enclosure will not remain empty for too long. The problem as I see it is that the number of species for which the enclosure is suitable is probably quite small. They may have to wait for something suitable to become available.
 
NMM said:
I do quite like the idea of using the former cheetah enclosure for servals. It is making a feature exhibit out of a lesser known species and I really do hope that works. The only regret I have about it is that they made the lower part of the exhibit part of the giraffe paddock, which is the part that I found offered the best viewing.

On Marwell's current form I am hopeful that the former leopard enclosure will not remain empty for too long. The problem as I see it is that the number of species for which the enclosure is suitable is probably quite small. They may have to wait for something suitable to become available.
Click to expand...

I understand the sentiment of your comment but Marwell are down ok big predators now and their isn’t anything wrong with the cheetah exhibit.

Echo your comments re the leopard enclosure - they could go down the route of the CWP and go for clouded leopards but it might be a bit exposed and it’s on a major thoroughfare so may be a bit noisy. The viewing window needs some work too. Former user Zambar suggested about a decade ago that baboons would fit in there nicely.
 
Cat-Man said:
I understand the sentiment of your comment but Marwell are down ok big predators now and their isn’t anything wrong with the cheetah exhibit.

Echo your comments re the leopard enclosure - they could go down the route of the CWP and go for clouded leopards but it might be a bit exposed and it’s on a major thoroughfare so may be a bit noisy. The viewing window needs some work too. Former user Zambar suggested about a decade ago that baboons would fit in there nicely.
Click to expand...
How about jaguars
 
I did suggest give it over to sun bears previously. Given their climbing, it could work quite well.

Other than that, Puma. Not endangered but not a common species in UK zoos.
 
Looking forward to that. Shame to see the leopards go, they’re becoming less common in major British zoos.
 
If anything, perhaps a revitalisation of the leopard programme could be nice - traction for the programme peaked around the early 2000s, but it's been fading out ever since..
Or maybe it's a sort of 'overturn' where the smaller animals finally get prestige/supremacy over their larger cousins..! Not that much has changed for the leopard's wild situation, however . .
 
Last edited:
dillotest0 said:
If anything, perhaps a revitalisation of the leopard programme could be nice - traction for the programme peaked around the early 2000s, but it's been fading out ever since..
Or maybe it's a sort of 'overturn' where the smaller animals finally get prestige/supremacy over their larger cousins..! Not that much has changed for the leopard's wild situation, however . .
Click to expand...
It's strange that, after concentrating on breeding Amur Leopards, that there doesn't seem to have been a notable population increase in UK zoos, such as with the concentration on Siberian Tigers in the past.
 
zooboy said:
Savannah Tracks, as the development was initially called, certainly did not cost "millions" - it was considerably less than that, nearer £250,000. Interestingly, the Serval have returned to the area where this species was kept in the early days of Marwell's opening.
Click to expand...
I believe my mistake may have been down to an announcement about a number of projects and the overall total mentioned. I apologise for my error.
 
I just hope that Marwell doesn't abandon the big cats - from what I heard, aside from antelope, Knowles was also rather passionate about breeding the large cats.
That, and the Snow Leopards are the sole remnants of the 'Roof of the World' exhibit - apparently the last of the owls have gone. I do hope that the Snow Leopards have future at Marwell.. as do the tigers.
 
Cat-Man said:
Gary, could you please remind me when marwell last held clouded leopards?
Click to expand...
Sure, although if you have a look at last year's thread, we did discuss it, so you must have missed that, as well!

It was early on, and they were in the old walled "quarantine yard". I never actually saw them out and about. Possibly as they were next to the Sumatran Tigers?!

Another member thought they had been behind the Hall at some point but we came to the conclusion that was another species.
 
dillotest0 said:
I just hope that Marwell doesn't abandon the big cats - from what I heard, aside from antelope, Knowles was also rather passionate about breeding the large cats.
That, and the Snow Leopards are the sole remnants of the 'Roof of the World' exhibit - apparently the last of the owls have gone. I do hope that the Snow Leopards have future at Marwell.. as do the tigers.
Click to expand...

Amongst John's first animals were the Przewalski Horse, Scimitar Horned Oryx and Siberian Tiger.
To me they are the legacy species Marwell should never go out of.

He was as fond of the cats as he was the hoofed mammals from what I recall.

It was a long list-Hybrid Asian/African Lions, Leopards, Jaguar, Serval, Cheetah, Ocelot, Caracal, European Lynx, Snow Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Siberian and Sumatran Tigers. There were black Leopards and Jaguars at various times.

I believe the Desert cats came in after his time but I may be wrong on that.
 
GaryA said:
Sure, although if you have a look at last year's thread, we did discuss it, so you must have missed that, as well!

It was early on, and they were in the old walled "quarantine yard". I never actually saw them out and about. Possibly as they were next to the Sumatran Tigers?!

Another member thought they had been behind the Hall at some point but we came to the conclusion that was another species.
Click to expand...
Thanks Gary, I’ll have a look on that thread.


GaryA said:
Amongst John's first animals were the Przewalski Horse, Scimitar Horned Oryx and Siberian Tiger.
To me they are the legacy species Marwell should never go out of.

He was as fond of the cats as he was the hoofed mammals from what I recall.

It was a long list-Hybrid Asian/African Lions, Leopards, Jaguar, Serval, Cheetah, Ocelot, Caracal, European Lynx, Snow Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Siberian and Sumatran Tigers. There were black Leopards and Jaguars at various times.

I believe the Desert cats came in after his time but I may be wrong on that.
Click to expand...

That is an incredible list. Worth remembering, too, that as well as the Amur they also kept Persian Leopard - I believe that was at the bottom of the park?


dillotest0 said:
I just hope that Marwell doesn't abandon the big cats - from what I heard, aside from antelope, Knowles was also rather passionate about breeding the large cats.
That, and the Snow Leopards are the sole remnants of the 'Roof of the World' exhibit - apparently the last of the owls have gone. I do hope that the Snow Leopards have future at Marwell.. as do the tigers.
Click to expand...

I’m sad to see the owls go. Is there a particular reason for them leaving?
 
Cat-Man said:
I’m sad to see the owls go. Is there a particular reason for them leaving?
Click to expand...
Not sure, though perhaps a bit of Marwellian recession taking place again - in other times, there were four species of owl in this area - Ural, Great Gray, Spectacled, and Northern-white-faced-scops. The Ural Owls would leave in 2016, the Spectacled in 2018, and the Great Grays would stay until 2020.
Though if I recall correctly, the owl section was very much a minor section, and was rather low-key compared to falconries found elsewhere in the country. I wouldn't be surprised if those at Marwell believed the owl section was rather outdated, and so focus should hopefully be sent to the snow leopards.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top