Marwell Wildlife Marwell 2022 News

I visited Marwell today - Beisa Oryx, Honeycreeper+Honeyeater, Red River piglets all very visible.
I also today explored some more of the 'Encounter Village' [at least, that's what the area used to be called..] and whilst perhaps not quite as animal-dense as it once may have been, it was still quite enjoyable nevertheless. I heard one person even make note how reindeer used to inhabit the area !
All in all, an enjoyable day out, though something seemingly felt missing almost...
I have uploaded some images to the gallery

//P.S. Are there still Red Ruffed Lemurs in the Zoo? Their location on the map-app is taken up by Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, and the Red Ruffed species is nowhere to be found
 
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Charlie Simmomds said:
News from the zoo website it appears they have acquired a pair of goeldi’s monkeys from Drayton Manor. They’re housed with the Titi’s and golden-handed tamarins. Is this a new species for the zoo or one they have held previously?

Meet our adorable Goeldi’s monkeys! - Marwell Zoo
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They have been held previously for several years in the cage nearest the hall (I think now demolished if I recall). Probably up until about 7 years ago
 
I recall yesterday all of the 'newcomers' [GHLT, coppery titis, and Geoldi's monkeys] were all in one enclosure - the indoor area seemingly offshow.
 
Marwell are running a series of 'Glow' evening events on some weekends between now and Christmas. Opening times are restricted on those days to between 1 -4 p.m, at a reduced admission price. These Glow events are seperate to normal zoo admission- see their site for details. Some annual pass members are also dissatisfied with the reduction of days, (the ones with shortened hours), on which they can now feasibly visit the Park.

On a seperate issue, while they still promote 'Pre-booking is Essential' the smaller print actually says 'we strongly recommend you book' and I can no longer find the sentence about 'non-booked visitors will be refused entry', either its been dropped or I can't find it. At least one person has said on their FB that they won't visit again until they can pay on the day or use cash...
 
Pertinax said:
On a seperate issue, while they still promote 'Pre-booking is Essential' the smaller print actually says 'we strongly recommend you book' and I can no longer find the sentence about 'non-booked visitors will be refused entry', either its been dropped or I can't find it.
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It was mentioned before that it was due to end after the school break, end of Nov.
 
Pertinax said:
Marwell are running a series of 'Glow' evening events on some weekends between now and Christmas. Opening times are restricted on those days to between 1 -4 p.m, at a reduced admission price. These Glow events are seperate to normal zoo admission- see their site for details. Some annual pass members are also dissatisfied with the reduction of days, (the ones with shortened hours), on which they can now feasibly visit the Park.

On a seperate issue, while they still promote 'Pre-booking is Essential' the smaller print actually says 'we strongly recommend you book' and I can no longer find the sentence about 'non-booked visitors will be refused entry', either its been dropped or I can't find it. At least one person has said on their FB that they won't visit again until they can pay on the day or use cash...
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I know earlier in the year people were turned away for not pre booking, but later in year people were allowed in who did not book it all depended on numbers, I do not know why at this time of year pre booking is needed. On a few other points still two Red Ruffed Lemurs males at Marwell, the pair of Black White Ruffed are due to leave Marwell at some point, two female Dik Dik have arrived recently making 2.2. The three female Banteng are all due to give birth in the next couple of months.
 
After not visiting Marwell for a few years it's a bit shocking how much it has declined.

No longer home to cheetah or amur leopards, the whole African Valley abandoned, no more railway etc.

Another favourite I still miss are the sand cats.

Thinking back to my childhood, I'm sure at one time Marwell also had lions and jaguars.
 
LovingLongleat said:
After not visiting Marwell for a few years it's a bit shocking how much it has declined.

No longer home to cheetah or amur leopards, the whole African Valley abandoned, no more railway etc.

Another favourite I still miss are the sand cats.

Thinking back to my childhood, I'm sure at one time Marwell also had lions and jaguars.
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That's so disappointing to hear, their collection use to be outstanding. :eek:
 
LovingLongleat said:
After not visiting Marwell for a few years it's a bit shocking how much it has declined.

No longer home to cheetah or amur leopards, the whole African Valley abandoned, no more railway etc.

Another favourite I still miss are the sand cats.

Thinking back to my childhood, I'm sure at one time Marwell also had lions and jaguars.
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Just to correct you regarding the African Valley; it has not been "abandoned" (apart from the "African" prefix) as it continues to be used for animals and is currently the Przewalski horses' paddock.
 
The erstwhile-African Valley is not completely 'abandoned' - it is still in use for Przewalski's horses. I heard that the reason that giraffes were eventually denied access into the valley was that visitors would complain that the giraffes were harder to view.
It is true that at one time [up to 2001!] Marwell did hold all five of the 'big cats' at once - though in regards to the leopards and jaguars, the enclosures for those species eventually fell out of what is considered 'suitable' - the jaguar enclosure demolished shortly after the animals' disembarkment in 2004, and the leopard exhibit - now considered rather small for Panthera pardus, now holds clouded leopards, as a more size-fitting species.
Though I will say that there are areas where I am left to wonder what will come next for their existence - mainly the old sitatunga enclosure and those which surround it - perhaps these are to fall into disuse and become yet another 'natural growth area'? :rolleyes:
Makes me recall how at Chester [when I visited in 2019] there was a fenced-around area with a sign about how they were letting the grass there to grow - though at least this was the only one of that !
 
I can appreciate where @LovingLongleat is coming from as the decline in Marwell must have lasted for well over a decade. I can see that it must be a huge disappointment to see that (or a large portion of it) in one go.

I do think it is fair though to point out that in the last couple of years the decline appears to have halted. It isn't being reversed in that there has not been significant new additions, but for the past couple of years when the zoo has gone out of a species there has often been a replacement shortly afterwards. Clouded Leopards replacing Amur Leopards has been mentioned as one example but there has also been Banteng replacing Sable Antelope, Binturong replacing Fossa, Red River Hog replacing Peccaries, Coppery Titi Monkey replacing Gentle Lemurs, etc.
 
zooboy said:
Just to correct you regarding the African Valley; it has not been "abandoned" (apart from the "African" prefix) as it continues to be used for animals and is currently the Przewalski horses' paddock.
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Oh I see, so they're just using it as a paddock for some horses now...

I remember that when it opened (by the High Commissioner of Kenya!) it was to be a home to Grevy Zebra, Waterbuck, Ostrich and Giraffe all roaming together in one habitat, overlooked by Cafe Graze.
 
LovingLongleat said:
Oh I see, so they're just using it as a paddock for some horses now...

I remember that when it opened (by the High Commissioner of Kenya!) it was to be a home to Grevy Zebra, Waterbuck, Ostrich and Giraffe all roaming together in one habitat, overlooked by Cafe Graze.
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This is true, and the valley remians very under-utilised. However, it should also be added that since then Marwell has added the 'Wild Explorers' exhibit, where Grevy Zebra, Scimitar-horned Oryx and White Rhino are mixed and I happen to think is a very good exhibit! So the zebra at least are in a nicely mixed exhibit.

There is a lot to be disappointed about with Marwell in modern times, but as NMM says above there have been some recent signs of positivity. It is my local zoo and I love it very much but I can't help but be disappointed when I walk past some empty enclosures and those where species have not been replaced. I remember visiting in the early 2000's (must have been around 2005) and the enclosures seemed to be full to the brim with herds of the different hoof stock animals. Times have changed now but I'm not sure how much of that can be attributed to Marwell declining or just general trends in UK zoo management?
 
**Copied from Facebook**

Goodbye Indeever

Read more: bit.ly/3Fcbziy

We’re very sad to announce the death of Indeever, one of our beautiful snow leopards, who, at the age of 14 had developed arthritis and kidney disease.

Indeever came to Marwell from Zurich in 2010 at the age of two and has spent the rest of his life alongside Irina, his female companion. He quickly established himself as a big character at the zoo, loving to interact with his keepers and showing a keen interest in what was going on around him.

During his time at Marwell he fathered two litters of cubs including Kadhir and Kamala in 2011 and Ajendra and Animesh in 2013. This is particularly important as snow leopards are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

Carrie Arnold, Animal Team Leader, said: “I will always miss him. He was such a joyful character and never failed to make you smile. Indy loved playing hide and seek. Every morning he would run around or hide behind rocks to avoid us. When we spotted him, he would turn around and sprint off in the other direction.

“In the afternoon he would become even more playful, stalking us and following when we walked away. He would stop every time you looked back and would then come to a certain part of the enclosure where he enjoyed rolling around on the ground.

“He’ll be sadly missed.”
 
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