Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo as it stands - a depthly review

dillotest0

dillotest0

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I am now posting a review I've wanted to post for quite some time now - one of a zoo which I have visited for several years. [2016-2022 - excl. 2019] A zoo which, perhaps, has gained its fair share of publicity on the ZooChat forums for quite a while. And so, here are my opinions on Marwell Zoo as it currently stands. [based on a visit made in 2022, but anyways...].
ON ENTRANCE
The entrance to Marwell Zoo occupies an unassuming corner of forest. Obvious first impressions are perhaps hindered by the lack of seeing much of the zoo - though black swans and squirrel monkeys used to occupy this area in years prior. Informational boards showcase various things of which one may consider noteworthy - how Marwell is assisting in global natural issues - so that's cool, I suppose. This area of forest, alas, does not really allow for creation of much animal exhibits - the trees fairly close to Marwell's perimeter fencing, the area between which is occupied by a broad road. Here some incongruous things can be found - the entrance still is imprinted with the impression of coatis - which left in 2018 [elaboration further later] and the nearby tambola booth features giant anteaters and bat-eared foxes, which departed in 2019 and '18 respectively. Rather incongruous as the former has its former enclosure inhabited by red river hogs and the latter was held in an exhibit now blocked by a board indicating the new Tropical House...
In any case, after a fair bit of walking, on a day considered normal, one may come across the moderately-sized 'Penguin Cove'...and its accompanying ocean-themed playground. The enclosure was actually called 'Penguin World' prior to 2012, when it was renamed and re-opened/redeveloped by Television star Dan Lobb. And why? The original enclosure was opened in 1999, stocked with African and Macaroni penguins. After a bird flu incident in 2000, it was re-stocked with Humboldt Penguins. [it also held Eiders until 2014 - and I recall one guidebook mentioning Inca Terns, though maybe this was a false memory? Perhaps one can make the point that the rename was part of that odd period of Marwell's history during the 90's and stretching to the 2010s, though more about that later]
Seeing media of Penguin World before it became Penguin Cove has me fail to find any notable difference between the two - though enough nitpicking, the Penguin exhibit is a nice one, if on the smaller scale, as far as penguin exhibits go - it has rocks, pebbles, nice planting too. But - and here is a but, nice a penguin exhibit it may be, it still looks somewhat incongruous placed adjacent a large paddock for grazing animals. But that is to say, it seems that the penguin exhibit has faced some loss in more recent times - when bird flu confirmation was once again, as it was in 1999, followed by death. I am not sure as to how many penguins have died, though hopefully not a substantial number.

And on the other side of another broad road, one overlooks some nicely-planted paddocks which hold sitatunga, red river hog, pygmy hippopotamus and Brazilian tapir. Following the death of Marwell's last nyala in 2022, [in 2012 the nyala herd at Marwell numbered 16 in all - greater numbers than any current herd at Marwell!] the sitatunga breeding thing at Marwell was seemingly restarted resulting in the resurgence of the herd and the birth of a sitatunga calf. The fields, although obviously basic in design, make for idyllic things to look at. Red River Hogs, introduced in 2021, had also been fruitful - two piglets had been born in 2022, quite cute animals to look at. [I find the adults have a 'cute appeal' as well.] The tapirs and hippo on the other hand have not been quite as prosperous in recent times - though the male hippo has recently been paired with a female from Colchester - so, in time, hopefully the pitter-patter of relatively small hippo feet will be heard on Marwell's grounds once again.
The Semi-Aquatic Mammal house, in my opinion, does a nice job in concept with introducing the similarities between tapirs and the smaller of the living hippopotanoids. In practice, the house could use a refresh and is not very attractive in itself - for as many branches as are placed as natural decoration. It seems the house used to be a bit more lively with the presence of Meller's Chameleon received as customs seizure - but the chameleons have since gone. [Obtained from Clifton Zoo in 2005, the last animals departed in 2011 - the species now absent from the UK] I personally would also enjoy it if there was underwater viewing [The Berlin Zoo intends on having such for its rhinoceros habitat scheduled to open this year!] - but I understand that there may be architectural or financial whatnots preventing this from being a possibility.
A nearby exhibit holds greater flamingos - which, far as I can tell, have not suffered from the bird flu - though I believe are offshow. They are held in a classic 'flamingo lake' - an attractive option, but ultimately an aviary would be beneficial to the birds' husbandry. And shortly after the opening of the Tropical House in 2018, plans were made for a Wetlands development in 2020 to have the flamingos in an aviary - in addition to a 'capybara walkthrough', which would certainly be a novel concept. The capybaras, however, have since left too - leaving the Wetlands plans, in their original concept, on hold for some good amount of time. And so, following this nice little section of the park, one may well choose to access the ramped wooden walkway nearby ...
TO BE CONTINUED
 
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I BLESS THE RAINS DOWN IN AFRICA
In the 39 years of Marwell leading up to the year 2011, the walkway was initially unthemed - housing cheetahs as well as, according to older maps, other 'small carnivores'. In 2011, the two adjacent enclosures were merged into the new, themed, Savannah Tracks, of which Marwell had three in 2011. [At the start of 2006, there were 5...and at the end 3] It was funded in large part from the 'SPRINT' 2009 cheetah campaign, and was opened in 2011 by Scott Mills, a DJ of Radio 1. Perhaps here a pattern begins to emerge of, following Marwell dropping the 'zoo' from its title for some time, existing exhibits being re-vitalised to some variable degree, either surviving into later years or not achieving such. The theming was rather extreme - the walkway now hosted a video screen showing video of cheetah biologists in Africa doing cheetah biologist activities, a display of skulls of animals that cheetahs eat, a cheetah-themed running track for children ...

the enclosure itself rather good - as far as grass and mock-rock go, though maybe the theming was in slight vain, as the cheetahs at Marwell would have no further breeding success out of this - and, in 2021, following the death of the last cheetah - the intricate theming was dropped [though to this day the silhouette of a running cheetah can still be found, if you look hard enough], and the servals, reintroduced to Marwell after a year or so of absence got a good deal of space, even if they are not quite as showy as their larger relatives. [In the enclosure area that was, for years, separated for the 'Small Carnivores'.] Once one has crossed the walkway, they find the giraffe house nearby, with a live-scale impression of a giraffe for educational purposes, I think. And, prior to 2020, they would also have found the warthog yard and house, which was - for lack of better word - lacklustre. In later years, the warthogs would not be showy animals at all - and so, perhaps for the better, they left for Malton in 2020, though now the enclosure lies empty.
And nearby, one can find one other 'relapsee' of the short-lived revitalisation of the 'zoo-drop' - in that the giraffe house was once tagged as 'Into Africa' - with ... essentially all the species it had a day before the rebranding - giraffes, coloubus monkeys, porcupines, and hyrax. [the latter's enclosure was later converted to one for weaver birds... which moved elsewhere as we will see later] But in 2017, it was decided that, like many other zoos across the country, Marwell too demanded its own lemur walkthrough, and so escorted were the coloubus monkeys, a few lemurs from World of Lemurs were rehomed, and thus - Lemur Loop was born, a lemur walkthrough like... perhaps most other lemur walkthroughs. As for myself, I believe when I visited in the times when Lemur Loop was still a functioning walkthrough, I never seemed to notice it - and it seems the walkthrough will perhaps never open again, following certain global events of 2020. It still functions as how a lemur exhibit should function, with Crowned Lemurs, Red-Bellied Lemurs [obtained 2022] and the ubiquitous Ring-Tailed Lemurs. The outdoor enclosure is viewable from a distance, though it seems to make me wish that the space between the visitor path and enclosure could be used for more enclosure space - otherwise it works well.
The rest of the giraffe house has been converted into a 'mischmetal' of an educational display - one section covering Madagascar, another covering evolution, and a giraffe skeleton thrown in as well. A walkway located close to the giraffe house can, on some days, allow for spectacular views which bring visitors head-level with the giraffe - on other days the animals stray closer to the house to eat. The herd at Marwell currently numbers four - even in late 2011, the herd numbered eleven - one can merely hope that, someday, the herd of giraffe at Marwell will prosper once again. The giraffe share the field with Roan Antelope and Plains Zebra - Marwell is unique in that it is the only zoo of the United Kingdom with all three zebra species, making for interesting comparison.
Many of Marwell's animals originate from the African continent, and Marwell's African emphasis is illustrated to some degree in 'Heart of Africa' - the last major enclosure to open during Knowles' time, Heart of Africa was opened by Wilbur Smith - an author known well for his fictional tales regarding the African continent. At its opening, Heart of Africa was something of a 'hearty' exhibit - with potto, assassin bugs, nile monitor, forest buffalo, bongo, and freshwater fish. Today, only the latter two can be seen - the nile monitor's former realm now home to a display of ungulate skulls, which is somewhat interesting, though perhaps not what visitors come to the zoo to see. The house works well for its current purpose as mainly an antelope indoor quarters, though has very much seen more animal-dense days.
The outdoor areas are inevitably good - as all antelope tend to enjoy a grassy field to do things that antelope typically do in a grassy field. Adjacent the giraffe house was, for several years, a nicely-done aviary of African birds - though in recent years, only the Marabou storks remained - making for an unusual-looking animal. In late 2022, the last two Marabou moved to Whipsnade - the aviary's future, thus uncertain. Its size compared to Marwell's major aviary is somewhat comparable - the "Marabou Mansions" were about 95 metres in perimeter - the new aviary is 115 or so. Continuing from the bongos, a field containing Lesser Kudu can be found - smaller than their 'Greater' relatives, and rarer in captivity, but still an attractive animal. Currently, kudu are not in great numbers at Marwell - only a pair of adults and their female calf at current. Marwell is one of only two [the other being Woburn] collections in the United Kingdom with this species; and the only one with a breeding group.
In the adjacent large field are a group of Przewalski's Horses - an attractive and rare animal which Marwell has had since its opening in 1972. Currently 5 live at Marwell - though with such a large field, the horses can sometimes be hard to find. Their paddock, once tagged during the 'drop the zoo' era as the 'African Valley', an exhibit featuring giraffe, zebras, ostriches and waterbuck, and opened in 2009 by His Excellency Mr. Joseph Muchemi - the High Commisioner of Kenya. Marwell's most-extensive exhibit at the time, the idyllic image of the Valley - one where the various herds of grazing animals were overlooked by herds of giraffes over the luscious riverside - never truly materialised, and within less than a decade, the tagline was dropped - and the Przewalski's Horses and Bactrian Camels moved in. The camels, a fixture of Marwell for many years, are no longer, but the Cafe Graze still overlooks some spectacular views - one can merely hope to catch sight of a horse or two as they eat - perhaps just like a horse.
And upwards one can find another Asiatic species - once boasting a robust leopard theme, its initial residents were Amur Leopards, which lived there for 17 years from 2004 til 2021. Now considered small for Panthera pardus, the exhibit now holds Clouded Leopards - a species for which it works well - if one can find the animals, that is. On my 2022 visit, the only views I got were those of cats peaking out of their house - though it doesn't detract from the exhibit's fine qualities, which it does have. The educational material is attractive and works well.
A bit further, one can find something of an - interesting experiment of an exhibit - that, for the time being, is still going strong - 'Wild Explorers' - Marwell's largest-sized[?] addition to date, comming close to 800 metres in perimeter - which aroused a fair bit of publicity from its 2015 opening - as a new house for White Rhinoceros, Grevy's Zebra, and - the icon of Marwell itself - the Scimitar-Horned Oryx. The older rhino housing still exists - though the old housing of oryx does not. One may hope that with the housing demolished, it would allow Marwell, perhaps, to make room for another animal exhibit - but it would seem, alas, that it was decided that another playground for screaming children was exactly what Marwell needed. Sometimes I wonder whether my opinion that playgrounds are not inherently beneficial or mandatory for zoo architecture makes me a maverick of sorts. All three species of which are attractive, threatened species - though, in my personal aesthetic taste, the horns of the rhinoceroses do look a bit fat and lop-sided. Not sure as to whether this is due to their age or other factors.
And, if it is meant to work as a 'naturalistic' exhibit as was touted a good few times over during the developments of the 'zoo-drop' era [though by this point in 2015, Marwell had returned to calling itself a Zoo] it's something of a poorly-tasted mix - Grevy's Zebra, an endangered species, only inhabit small areas of Sudan [and South Sudan], Southern White Rhinoceros are found to the south of the African continent - and Scimitar-Horned Oryx, as befitting the emblem of Marwell, are no longer to be found in the wild - but their historic range did not intersect with either species. But, as unlike apparently all recent developments before it, Wild Explorers is not hellbent on geographic accuracy as it is on touting three keystone conservation species that Marwell has. The mix works well, but one can hope it doesn't give a wrong idea of the three species' zoographic ranges. The informational material is interesting, though this aside, Wild Explorers has, in my opinion, not much to offer, and could benefit from perhaps a few smaller species to liven things - other than the wild ducks that ocassionally inhabit the pool of water outside. But, at least, it seems to work.

 
Great post, please keep going. If there is more.

Also I very much agree with this, and have done ever since I was a 'screaming child'.
dillotest0 said:
Sometimes I wonder whether my opinion that playgrounds are not inherently beneficial or mandatory for zoo architecture makes me a maverick of sorts.
Click to expand...
 
DESERTS AND TIGERS AND OTHER THINGS
And so at this point one reaches a cross-roads at Marwell - on one side the Aridlands development is, and on the other the central Marwell Hall - a Tudor hall which is over 700 years of age, and was probably where Henry VIII married Jane Seymour. Around this hall are two of John Knowles' 'passion animals' - here can be found the Amur Tigers and Okapis. The Amur Tigers inhabit an exhibit complex about 230 metres in perimeter - which is nicely planted and has a nice pool. I find it works nicely - I have one particular memory of walking in an area which was away from the crowds which naturally gravitate to any enclosure of a big cat - and saying 'hello' to one of the tigers - to which I received a snarl in return.
The Okapi complex is also nicely planted - separated into two enclosures - which, combined, have a perimeter of about 525 metres. In my opinion, Marwell's okapi complex ranks about the best in the United Kingdom - and perhaps my sentiments are shared in that, for several years, this area of the zoo held the bold title of 'UK National Okapi Breeding Centre', part of an exhibit of 'Forest Herbivores' which contained Bongo ... before they moved closer to the Giraffes. On my 2022 visit, the okapi I saw was inside the building - just myself and the okapi together - a truly mesmerising experience. The okapis are also placed directly next to a playground - with the imaginative name of the 'Okapi Playground', though from my experience the animals tend to elucidate themselves from the screaming children. Also in this general area is the Lowland Anoa - considered the world's smallest buffalo species. The success of this species at Marwell has been somewhat limited - only one animal remains, though more were held in the past. I have assumed this species to be rather reclusive - but the single animal seemed curious about approaching visitors, and came close to the enclosure fence.
On the other side of aforementioned path is the 'Aridlands' area - with Kirk's Dik-Dik, which I have yet to see, in a basic sort of exhibit. I believe it used to hold gemsbok at one point or another. Other animals in this exhibit include the Arabian Oryx, held in another nice, grassy, field - bearing a good resemblance to those we have seen just before this one. Also in their own nice, grassy fields™ are Dorcas' Gazelle, first imported in 2002. Breeding success thus far has been limited - today exist two males and one female. The addax, another attractive antelope, have had better breeding success - birthing a calf in 2022, bringing the total to about four in all. The Aridlands house is exactly what one assumes of it - indoor quarters for gazelle and addax, though Painted Dragons are also to be found here in a nice terrarium. Meerkats at Marwell are not as abundant as they were in prior years - where at one time many lived at Marwell in various exhibits dotted around the zoo, the meerkats at Marwell have since been relegated to a single enclosure near Aridlands. My description of it is limited - a sandy rocky exhibit with meerkats in it ... at least they are in a geographically accurate position where some zoos may mix them in with 'Greater Africa'.
Nearby, one finds 'Desert Carnivores' - perhaps something of a 'bygone' - once home to a variety of species [Sand Cats, Locusts, Tortoises, a Black-Footed Cat at one point, obtained 2002 and died 2003] it now holds only Yellow Mongooses, a rather common species. Its conversion to a mongoose house took place in 2013 - with dwarf mongooses, though the yellow species prevailed. The species is nice, though the design is perhaps a bit less than inspired in regards to the African desert.. as can be said for the whole of Aridlands in its current state. Yellow mongoose cannot be described as 'Desert Carnivores' in the same manner as sand cats - at most they live in dry scrubland - though I suppose tortoises and locusts can't really be described as 'carnivores' in the same manner either. Checkmate it is ... Close by, some more grassy fields exist for African Wild Ass and Ostrich, and another for Banteng. The asses at Marwell currently number 5 - and at last count, the Banteng herd, species obtained in 2021, numbered 6, though has probably grown a bit since then. Several amenities and another wide pathway later, one reaches perhaps, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the zoo in its current form.
IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE
From this walkway, one looks out into yet another nice, grassy field™ - this time for a rather unique species - Beisa Oryx, the only ones of their species in the UK. Two are held - a father and son. I recall that John Knowles was always fond of the Hippotraginae sub-family of animals, with their horse-like aesthetic - and always found it a privelige that Marwell was home to all the mambers of that sub-family - except, that is, for the Beisa Oryx. And so, I'm sure, should he be watching over from the Spaghetti Monster's aerial hideout, he would be happy about this news. But, as nice a species the Beisa Oryx are, they perhaps tout some misleading notions about what the path actually leads to ...
Marwell has had a Tropical House since 1996 - the first iteration from which was a large greenhouse brought over from Windsor Safari Park [now the heavily-popular Legoland, which makes the comparison with Marwell's own passing LEGO attractions one that is interesting ...]. For whatever reason, perhaps that Tropical World was no longer fit for purpose, a new house, with a pricetag of 8 million pounds, began construction in 2015, and opened in 2018 to a fair bit of fanfare. [And the closure of the now-obsolete Tropical World, which, with a perimeter of 85 metres, is an ultimately paltry offering compared to the newer iteration.]
The new tropical house is, in itself, architectually impressive - a building about 155 metres in perimeter - albeit with a shape not unlike what may be found in a bag of Wotsits. The new Tropical House surely overrides Tropical World in every category - and, as an additional benefit, it is also sensitive of its impact on the environment. Or, should I say, Marwell is sensitive of its impact. And so is reflected in the full title of the building - the "Energy for Life Tropical House". The press in 2018 were particularly enamored in the fuel used to keep the House running - namely, biofuel - in the form of animal dung. Marwell received a good deal of publicity with stories about their new-fangled 'Poo-fueled Tropical House'.
Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted to a dark room which plays an educational video about the environment, if I recall correctly, in a rather dramatic opening to the experience. A wall of flaps separates visitors from the house proper - and then - in an instant, visitors are, perhaps, overwhelmed by the brilliant colours and visual sensations brought by the environment - as a walkway takes them through an environment furnished by tall, brilliant plants. And, perhaps in vanity out of displaying to visitors how high-tech this building is capable of being, conventional signs are not to be found - signage is in the form of interactive tablets. In the event they get dirty or are disfunctional ... they are replaced by regular signs. Innovative! In a similar manner to Wild Explorers, Tropical House does not aim directly in the direction of zoographic accuracy - only in such a man-made rainforest are there African turacos, Asian starlings and pigeons, South American tanagers and honeycreepers flying in the same proximity. The small birds, I find, add a nice sense of atmosphere - and particularly nice to see are the Purple Honeycreepers, which are the only ones in the United Kingdom. If one is lucky, they may also see the Javan Mouse-deer on the forest floor alongside tortoises and ground-dwelling birds. I have yet to see the mouse-deer. Also adding atmosphere are the several thousand red-legged millipedes and good number of yellow-throated frogs - and also the aquarium in the centre of the house.
Though I will say, it is a bit of a pity that many of the species of the aquarium are species greatly common in aquiculture - perhaps it would be good if some more exotic species - maybe a large pacu for instance - or some type of turtle - were added, I'm sure it would be possible. The single sloth in the exhibit is also nice; though I think perhaps there could be more mammals in this space? Some small monkeys maybe? [initially the house kept pygmy marmosets on an island in the aquarium, though seemingly not anymore] or a tamandua perhaps? After exploring this section to appropriate degree, visitors then are led into another dark room which contains nill in the sense of animal exhibitions - aside from leaf-cutter ants. It is essentially a display about ecological issues in the world today and what is being done, and though perhaps I think another animal display here, maybe like a kinkajou or slow loris, may work nicely here, I still think it is nicely done educational material. It did catch my attention. If you will build your most ecologically-sensitive exhibit to date, I suppose it does no harm to flaunt in a responsible manner how very ecologically sensitive it truly is. Though I will say it is a bit quaint in that the exhibit on dung still contains Congo Buffalo dung ... preserved in some form I suppose.
After this bit, one enters into an area with an exhibit containing a caecillian [groovy!] a Utila Island Iguana and the same leafcutter ants we saw earlier. The original Tropical World had a good exhibit of leafcutter ants - how come these ants are relegated to the final portions of the house? I think it would be rather attractive if they were integrated into the main bit in some capacity. But as the visitors try not to get shrouded in mist, their heads turn to find the final exhibit - that of the Crocodile Monitor - the only one of its species in the United Kingdom, nicely enough. The exhibit offers good swimming and climbing opportunities, and so sometimes the large lizard can be hard to find. And so, the experience ends. And how is it in my opinion? Well, compared to the tropical houses found at London or Chester, somehow, Marwell feels a bit brief. I will see the possibility they are around the same size, though perhaps these others have a larger sense of visitor scale? In any case, I do rather enjoy the aesthetics of the Tropical House, and despite my few personal gripes with it, it is, in my opinion, one of the highlights of Marwell in its current form. Outside, one immediately finds a hilly enclosure for Hartmann's Mountain Zebra [one of only four collections with species in the UK], and further still, we arrive to, perhaps, the most volatile section of Marwell through the years ...
 
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dillotest0 said:
DESERTS AND TIGERS AND OTHER THINGS
And so at this point one reaches a cross-roads at Marwell - on one side the Aridlands development is, and on the other the central Marwell Hall - a Tudor hall which is over 700 years of age, and was probably where Henry VIII married Jane Seymour. Around this hall are two of John Knowles' 'passion animals' - here can be found the Amur Tigers and Okapis. The Amur Tigers inhabit an exhibit complex about 230 metres in perimeter - which is nicely planted and has a nice pool. I find it works nicely - I have one particular memory of walking in an area which was away from the crowds which naturally gravitate to any enclosure of a big cat - and saying 'hello' to one of the tigers - to which I received a snarl in return.
The Okapi complex is also nicely planted - separated into two enclosures - which, combined, have a perimeter of about 525 metres. In my opinion, Marwell's okapi complex ranks about the best in the United Kingdom - and perhaps my sentiments are shared in that, for several years, this area of the zoo held the bold title of 'UK National Okapi Breeding Centre', part of an exhibit of 'Forest Herbivores' which contained Bongo ... before they moved closer to the Giraffes. On my 2022 visit, the okapi I saw was inside the building - just myself and the okapi together - a truly mesmerising experience. The okapis are also placed directly next to a playground - with the imaginative name of the 'Okapi Playground', though from my experience the animals tend to elucidate themselves from the screaming children. Also in this general area is the Lowland Anoa - considered the world's smallest buffalo species. The success of this species at Marwell has been somewhat limited - only one animal remains, though more were held in the past. I have assumed this species to be rather reclusive - but the single animal seemed curious about approaching visitors, and came close to the enclosure fence.
On the other side of aforementioned path is the 'Aridlands' area - with Kirk's Dik-Dik, which I have yet to see, in a basic sort of exhibit. I believe it used to hold gemsbok at one point or another. Other animals in this exhibit include the Arabian Oryx, held in another nice, grassy, field - bearing a good resemblance to those we have seen just before this one. Also in their own nice, grassy fields™ are Dorcas' Gazelle, first imported in 2002. Breeding success thus far has been limited - today exist two males and one female. The addax, another attractive antelope, have had better breeding success - birthing a calf in 2022, bringing the total to about four in all. The Aridlands house is exactly what one assumes of it - indoor quarters for gazelle and addax, though Painted Dragons are also to be found here in a nice terrarium. Meerkats at Marwell are not as abundant as they were in prior years - where at one time many lived at Marwell in various exhibits dotted around the zoo, the meerkats at Marwell have since been relegated to a single enclosure near Aridlands. My description of it is limited - a sandy rocky exhibit with meerkats in it ... at least they are in a geographically accurate position where some zoos may mix them in with 'Greater Africa'.
Nearby, one finds 'Desert Carnivores' - perhaps something of a 'bygone' - once home to a variety of species [Sand Cats, Locusts, Tortoises, a Black-Footed Cat at one point, obtained 2002 and died 2003] it now holds only Yellow Mongooses, a rather common species. Its conversion to a mongoose house took place in 2013 - with dwarf mongooses, though the yellow species prevailed. The species is nice, though the design is perhaps a bit less than inspired in regards to the African desert.. as can be said for the whole of Aridlands in its current state. Yellow mongoose cannot be described as 'Desert Carnivores' in the same manner as sand cats - at most they live in dry scrubland - though I suppose tortoises and locusts can't really be described as 'carnivores' in the same manner either. Checkmate it is ... Close by, some more grassy fields exist for African Wild Ass and Ostrich, and another for Banteng. The asses at Marwell currently number 5 - and at last count, the Banteng herd, species obtained in 2021, numbered 6, though has probably grown a bit since then. Several amenities and another wide pathway later, one reaches perhaps, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the zoo in its current form.
IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE
From this walkway, one looks out into yet another nice, grassy field™ - this time for a rather unique species - Beisa Oryx, the only ones of their species in the UK. Two are held - a father and son. I recall that John Knowles was always fond of the Hippotraginae sub-family of animals, with their horse-like aesthetic - and always found it a privelige that Marwell was home to all the mambers of that sub-family - except, that is, for the Beisa Oryx. And so, I'm sure, should he be watching over from the Spaghetti Monster's aerial hideout, he would be happy about this news. But, as nice a species the Beisa Oryx are, they perhaps tout some misleading notions about what the path actually leads to ...
Marwell has had a Tropical House since 1996 - the first iteration from which was a large greenhouse brought over from Windsor Safari Park [now the heavily-popular Legoland, which makes the comparison with Marwell's own passing LEGO attractions one that is interesting ...]. For whatever reason, perhaps that Tropical World was no longer fit for purpose, a new house, with a pricetag of 8 million pounds, began construction in 2015, and opened in 2018 to a fair bit of fanfare. [And the closure of the now-obsolete Tropical World, which, with a perimeter of 85 metres, is an ultimately paltry offering compared to the newer iteration.]
The new tropical house is, in itself, architectually impressive - a building about 155 metres in perimeter - albeit with a shape not unlike what may be found in a bag of Wotsits. The new Tropical House surely overrides Tropical World in every category - and, as an additional benefit, it is also sensitive of its impact on the environment. Or, should I say, Marwell is sensitive of its impact. And so is reflected in the full title of the building - the "Energy for Life Tropical House". The press in 2018 were particularly enamored in the fuel used to keep the House running - namely, biofuel - in the form of animal dung. Marwell received a good deal of publicity with stories about their new-fangled 'Poo-fueled Tropical House'.
Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted to a dark room which plays an educational video about the environment, if I recall correctly, in a rather dramatic opening to the experience. A wall of flaps separates visitors from the house proper - and then - in an instant, visitors are, perhaps, overwhelmed by the brilliant colours and visual sensations brought by the environment - as a walkway takes them through an environment furnished by tall, brilliant plants. And, perhaps in vanity out of displaying to visitors how high-tech this building is capable of being, conventional signs are not to be found - signage is in the form of interactive tablets. In the event they get dirty or are disfunctional ... they are replaced by regular signs. Innovative! In a similar manner to Wild Explorers, Tropical House does not aim directly in the direction of zoographic accuracy - only in such a man-made rainforest are there African turacos, Asian starlings and pigeons, South American tanagers and honeycreepers flying in the same proximity. The small birds, I find, add a nice sense of atmosphere - and particularly nice to see are the Purple Honeycreepers, which are the only ones in the United Kingdom. If one is lucky, they may also see the Javan Mouse-deer on the forest floor alongside tortoises and ground-dwelling birds. I have yet to see the mouse-deer. Also adding atmosphere are the several thousand red-legged millipedes and good number of yellow-throated frogs - and also the aquarium in the centre of the house.
Though I will say, it is a bit of a pity that many of the species of the aquarium are species greatly common in aquiculture - perhaps it would be good if some more exotic species - maybe a large pacu for instance - or some type of turtle - were added, I'm sure it would be possible. The single sloth in the exhibit is also nice; though I think perhaps there could be more mammals in this space? Some small monkeys maybe? [initially the house kept pygmy marmosets on an island in the aquarium, though seemingly not anymore] or a tamandua perhaps? After exploring this section to appropriate degree, visitors then are led into another dark room which contains nill in the sense of animal exhibitions - aside from leaf-cutter ants. It is essentially a display about ecological issues in the world today and what is being done, and though perhaps I think another animal display here, maybe like a kinkajou or slow loris, may work nicely here, I still think it is nicely done educational material. It did catch my attention. If you will build your most ecologically-sensitive exhibit to date, I suppose it does no harm to flaunt in a responsible manner how very ecologically sensitive it truly is. Though I will say it is a bit quaint in that the exhibit on dung still contains Congo Buffalo dung ... preserved in some form I suppose.
After this bit, one enters into an area with an exhibit containing a caecillian [groovy!] a Utila Island Iguana and the same leafcutter ants we saw earlier. The original Tropical World had a good exhibit of leafcutter ants - how come these ants are relegated to the final portions of the house? I think it would be rather attractive if they were integrated into the main bit in some capacity. But as the visitors try not to get shrouded in mist, their heads turn to find the final exhibit - that of the Crocodile Monitor - the only one of its species in the United Kingdom, nicely enough. The exhibit offers good swimming and climbing opportunities, and so sometimes the large lizard can be hard to find. And so, the experience ends. And how is it in my opinion? Well, compared to the tropical houses found at London or Chester, somehow, Marwell feels a bit brief. I will see the possibility they are around the same size, though perhaps these others have a larger sense of visitor scale? In any case, I do rather enjoy the aesthetics of the Tropical House, and despite my few personal gripes with it, it is, in my opinion, one of the highlights of Marwell in its current form. Outside, one immediately finds a hilly enclosure for Hartmann's Mountain Zebra [one of only four collections with species in the UK], and further still, we arrive to, perhaps, the most volatile section of Marwell through the years ...
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Purple Honeycreepers are in private collections in UK
 
THE TOWN WITH NO NAME
I have discussed thus far about various sections of Marwell with an otherwise robust standing - until the 'drop the zoo' era of the early 2010s which led to revitalisation, and in some cases, depreciation ultimately. And this is not necessarily new - a once-shed for pigeons was converted to a small nocturnal house in 1999 - closed in 2007. Several species of rodent were obtained for a devoted 'rodent room' - by 2007, most of these had disappeared. But, now, we approach perhaps the section of Marwell which has faced the most tenure from the passage of time - the Encounter Village.
In the 90s, the Village was re-established as a children's farm, allowing small children, presumably tired of the playground, to come in contact with various familiar domestic animals - such as sheep and goats. larger animals were kept in relatively small pens - including donkeys, llamas, and reindeer. Other amenities were also to be found at the Encounter Village, making it perhaps a 'leisure central' for parents and children. With the impact of foot & mouth disease in 2001, which closed the zoo for several months, the goats and sheep were moved into an enclosure. And so Encounter Village stayed relatively sound until 2006 around Knowles' retirement - the Village was closed, set to re-open in 2007.
In 2007, the Village had been redeveloped indeed - the domestic fauna were, for the large part, gone, and now erected was a proud walk-through for Golden Lion Tamarin. A paddock once used for Exmoor Pony was now home to a wallaby walkthrough and kookaburra aviary. An exhibit resembling the interior of a ship was created for Brown Rats. Emus had also been introduced in 2006 as to hail in the creation of the 'Australian biome'. This was around one part of Marwell's history when creation of nebulous 'biomes' was something of a goal, which may explain several developments made during the 'drop the zoo' era.
A reptile barn was also opened, allowing visitors to observe reptiles. And so, with the 'biome' concept seeing a start of sorts, and Marwell having Grey Kangaroo at this time, surely it'd make sense that the kangaroos move to this area? No, seemingly not - the emus left a few years later, and the kangaroos a few years after that. The Village had been seeing issues elsewhere as well - the tamarin walkthrough, advertised largely as Encounter Village's prominent feature, was not entirely functional - with guests feeding tamarins on ocassion - leading to the ultimate disembarkment of the tamarins from this section of the zoo in 2010. It was decided, then, that the former tamarin walkthrough be turned into an aviary - though, this still left them without a prominent mammal - and so in 2013 it was announced that the Encounter Village, now known as 'Fur, Feathers, and Scales' for no apparent reason, would be hope to 'the largest coati exhibit in Europe'.
Meanwhile, Marwell had, for many years, a climbing-frame-on-an-island-type exhibit for coatis that had been going well for many years - with the coatis breeding regularly, that for some, the announcement that the coatis were being rehomed was something of a surprise. Also around that time a different aviary opened for the same birds as the previous one. The coati complex, with a perimeter exceeding 100 metres, was nevertheless opened in 2013 - providing much the same opportunities as the 'Coati Roundabout' before it [dirt, climbing frames, etc] and the experience of visitors watching coatis navigate branches overhead, as several other coati exhibits would do. By this point the tamarin exhibit had fell into disuse, and the original Coati Roundabout had been converted into a 'wild space'. [An empty exhibit, but it's not empty because it has beetles in it! Innovative!] But, in 2016, as fate would have it, the EU published a list regarding various species of animal in Europe regarded as 'alien species of concern' which could, from thereon, no longer be bred or traded within EU boundaries. Coatis were on said list, proving problematic for Marwell's development. The coatis left in 2018 - the Village now looking rather empty - though the Bennett's wallabies were still as existant as ever, as was the walkthrough aviary. But, the developments once touted as being 'revolutionary' for Marwell's Encounter Village were now, as was the farmyard before it, relegated to the past.
DILLOTEST0'S BRAIN [That isn't an exhibit at Marwell, is it?]
And so perhaps, Encounter Village encapsulates the identity crisis which Marwell has experienced - why, in such short span of time, are there animals anticipated, celebrated, and buried again? What is behind this apparent chaos? Perhaps the answer lays within the shifting views Marwell has encompassed over its 50-year history - Knowles, in all likelihood, envisaged a Marwell different from what we know today - though even under his lead, Marwell encountered a number of changes - where Marwell was once home to a variety of species of deer - including Axis, Fallow and Elaphure. Later on, during Knowles' time, the deer collection was rather smaller - by 2000, only muntjac, reindeer and pudu remained. And, following his retirement from Marwell in 2006, a strong lead was no longer present - and so, attempts to 'redevelop' the park from Knowles' time were undertaken. New exhibits which, whilst intriguing to visitors, lacked a clear lead. And when the 'zoo-drop' occured in 2009, the lead's grasp was even lesser - here, now, was Marwell seemingly trying to experiment with the nebulous concept of new, improved naturalistic facilities. Marwell, now lacking 'Zoo' from its title desperate to revitalise itself, yet not becoming 'just a walk in the park' - and so a tagline was born - 'Marwell Wildlife - more than just a walk in the park'. And so, another shift occurred. And in the later 2010s, when Marwell became a 'Zoo' once again, perhaps so again another shift in methodology took place. The consistency of Marwell, tenuous as it has been over the years, has been directed by people of authority. As people arrive and leave, perhaps shifts will continue to occur, to whatever result. Most zoos in the United Kingdom are known well by the public for their distinguishing factor - Chester is '#1', London for its location, Whipsnade for its size, Twycross for its primates. And, yet, Marwell finds itself in a curious position - what is it known by the public for? Perhaps, according to people who have not visited in several years, they may say that Marwell is distinguished by its great herds of grazing animals. And yet, Marwell's herds today are rather smaller than they were in Knowles' time - the great herds largely reduced to those of the imagination. And so, perhaps, Marwell will be best identified by a fair number of people, perhaps including myself, as the zoo which experiments heavily with various identities - throwing fudge to the ceiling and seeing if it sticks. And, if not, there is always a different tube of fudge to throw at the ceiling. Knowles was a man confident of Marwell being fruitful in biodiversity - and, perhaps, his successors have been, less than confident in such. But, as we have seen, when Marwell is confident of itself - that its projects will be victorious - it does succed, and tends to succeed well. I recall a time when looking over the previous animal collections of Marwell - I was rather saddened that Marwell could never be the place it was a decade or two ago. A place from when I have no memories of it... And of course, I still do have some problems of mine with some new additions - surely the 'Eco Island' could have been used for an animal exhibit of some kind? Surely several of Marwell's downsized herds could be contributed to, somehow? But, still, I do understand that in a variety of cases, the existing infrastructure was insufficient, and so, for the better, things have changed. And, if recent developments are any indicator, I hope that the future for Marwell is a bright one. The Encounter Village, or Fur, Feathers and Scales, did consolidate over time. It has formed an identity - maybe not some people would have liked, but one, that in my opinion, works well.
BACK TO: THE TOWN WITH NO NAME
The first thing that visitors to the Encounter Village come across is an unassuming entrance to the zoo's main walkthrough aviary. And when entered - through my eyes anyway - it is an utter delight to look at! In my opinion, the aesthetic highlight of Marwell as it currently is. A luscious, colourful habitat where trees poke out, bulrushes and birdnests overlook a gorgeous little pond. It, like the Tropical House, is brief - but it is - through my eyes - beautiful. Beauty, formed out of the chaos of Marwell's shifting identity. The most visible birds here are the Waldrapp - which are perhaps amongst the largest birds in the aviary as well. On clear, sunny days, they look very attractive when perched on a branch. Smaller bird species make good use of space as well. I think, perhaps, a few more bird species could be introduced to this aviary - but as it stands, it is a very nice part of Marwell. Once one leaves this exhibit behind, they may head to Encounter Village's other walkthrough aviary - as it has two of them. The other holds Wonga Pigeons and Blue-faced Honeyeaters, of which are the only ones in the United Kingdom. They are an attractive species with some nice colours, though can be hard to photograph. I did not see the Wonga Pigeon here, somehow. I used to assume that this was the former Golden Lion Tamarin walkthrough - though it'd seem that, in fact, it is a completely different aviary, which used to hold hornbills. The planting is nice, and it also works very well. Nearby, there is another walkthrough which has Bennett's and Parma Wallabies which is also nicely planted and enjoyable - though maybe the enjoyment is slightly numbed by both species' ubiquity in UK captivity. Also nearby is the ex-coati exhibit - which has now been overtaken by Red Panda. Also works well. An aviary for swift parrots and potoroo in the area also looks good - though, I did not see either on my visit, somehow. And so the last major exhibit left to cover is the Cold-Blooded Corner, which houses a few reptiles in standard terrariums. Not much to say about this one ... Though, as befits Encounter Village's original name, there are still some interesting animals for interested guests to find around some of the corners - one such corner holds the zoo's population of Partula snails - of which it would seem Marwell was especially devoted to in regards to educational material - plastered on the walls nearby is a sequence of 'story pieces' regarding the story of the Partula Snail with illustrations drawn in the manga style - and another comic drawn in a more standard 'Western' style with the title of 'Snail Wars'. Snails don't have either Fur, Feathers or Scales, and so the name falls to bits here! As far as I can tell, the ex-Golden Lion Tamarin area has been boarded up, its future uncertain. Perhaps Encounter Village will continue to develop regardless of it. Nearby, guests can also insert a coin to get a token of various animals ... including an anteater. Preservation of some form, I suppose ...
 
dillotest0 said:
What happened to them? I thought they had a calf not long ago?
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£12m for virtually no animals! The chevrotain were the most significant addition by some distance. The tropical house is a joke, another Marwell (mis) management cock up!! The animals that building holds could probably be held for less than 1% of the cost. of that building!
 
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pipaluk said:
The chevrotain were the most significant addition by some distance.
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I speak for myself in saying I like chevrotains as an animal too; but I'm willing to say that 'distance' was probably measured with a sizeable pole ...
 
pipaluk said:
£12m for virtually no animals! The chevrotain were the most significant addition by some distance. The tropical house is a joke, another Marwell (mis) management cock up!! The animals that building holds could probably be held for less than 1% of the cost. of that building!
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Do we know where the Chevrotain went to and when?

When I visited in the summer, they said they were off show, as there was reasons not to keep them in the Tropical House at present (they didn't say what, and I didn't ask either), and also a number of birds had been moved due to AI.

Can't remember exactly when this was, but it was just after the Clouded Leopards had arrived, and there was a baby Przewalski's horse born within a week earlier.
 
dillotest0 said:
Well then, I hope that wasn't too long-winded ...
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Yes it was a bit have we still got Life among the trees to come as well as the area near, with Gibbons, Otters, Binturong, Warty Pigs, and the back lawn area of Marwell Hall.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
Do we know where the Chevrotain went to and when?

When I visited in the summer, they said they were off show, as there was reasons not to keep them in the Tropical House at present (they didn't say what, and I didn't ask either), and also a number of birds had been moved due to AI.

Can't remember exactly when this was, but it was just after the Clouded Leopards had arrived, and there was a baby Przewalski's horse born within a week earlier.
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I was told both the Chevrotain and Tortoises were removed from the house due to Avian Influenza when I visited back in the Summer. It sounded like most species were removed and they started by reintroducing the birds and sloth, but hadn’t gotten around to the tortoises or mouse deer by then. Shame to hear it’s still not back in there. Definitely gone or just offshow? Marwell is still having some pretty significant bird flu problems and recently lost a lot of penguins.
 
Fresco3 said:
I was told both the Chevrotain and Tortoises were removed from the house due to Avian Influenza when I visited back in the Summer. It sounded like most species were removed and they started by reintroducing the birds and sloth, but hadn’t gotten around to the tortoises or mouse deer by then. Shame to hear it’s still not back in there. Definitely gone or just offshow? Marwell is still having some pretty significant bird flu problems and recently lost a lot of penguins.
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Sounds like you were told the same as me at a similar time too.
 
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