Prochilodus246
Well-Known Member
So that begs the question where have the Kodiak & Kamchatka bears gone?
Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park 2023
- Thread starter Jedd Cullinan
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I really like the idea of having Arctic Wolves, Polar Bear and Red-breasted Geese as part of the same overall exhibit. They probably need Snowy Owl and Arctic Fox as well
Crystal Pallas
Member
According to their Facebook page they have arctic foxes now too.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Indeed, as mentioned by @Crystal Pallas , there are Arctic Foxes. No mention of the eagles alluded to elsewhere, but of course, it is entirely possible that he simply forgot to mention them, or they are yet to have arrived at the zoo.
george.h.martin
Active Member
I saw in one off the Instagram posts that it is the largest wolf pack on the uk, how many wolves does in consist off.
That'll be 12 wolves including Nev the pup
Diego the Brown bear has arrived at the Wildwood Trust from Orsa Predator Park for his temporary stay ahead of being moved on to Jimmy’s Farm once his enclosure is built.
Rescued Swedish bear arrives in Devon via Eurostar https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-67307708
Rescued Swedish bear arrives in Devon via Eurostar https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-67307708
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Had an interesting visit to Jimmy's farm today, first time I have been there.
It was pretty busy and I was parked in the overflow but it didn't seem very crowded once I'd queued to get in.
The new polar bear facility is sizeable as reported, with two paddocks to the right and left of the new house. Added a few photos to the gallery. There are three large ponds as well as a water pool outside the house.
Signage suggests the polar bear will also have use of the woods
with fencing in that area under construction. Should be interesting when complete.
All the signage references multiple bears, future proofing or prepared before the other bear died in transit. The female was out and about when I went back and forth and she was making use of all the space and patrolling about. She's a big bear. The facility looks good, though Peak's feels more put together. It'll improve though as the landscaping beds in.
While the polar bear facility is large and offers some good views I have to say I was disppointed in the viewing for the arctic wolves. They are visible at a far distance from the far side of the polar house - you'd get a better view from the railway. I don't expect to be able to walk to an enclosure or have animals do backflips, but some way to actually see the wolves without binoculars would be welcome. Their enclosure is about the size of one of the polar bear spaces so pretty good, though there are a lot of them in it. Perhaps viewing will be opened up when the bear access into the woods is finished. Either way if you are going for the wolves, don't expect to get good views at this point. While I get the wolves may use the bear enclosure when the bear is indoors, it's unclear how / when that happens and therefore how you'd see them.
The arctic fox enclosure on the hill past the bears is in the woodland and constructed on the side of a hill offering a variety of things for the foxes to do. While not the largest space they were busy in it. I was very surprised indeed to see people with their dogs egging the dogs on near the fox fence - while I've seen dogs at CWP I've never seen consistently poor behaviour (four owners in fast succession, banging the fence etc and gesturing at the dogs and foxes etc). The foxes sat fairly near the fence and were not scared as such but it was sad to see. A couple of the dogs seemed wound up by it. Perhaps the zoo should think about where dogs are allowed to go (CWP restricts dogs near the wolves and lake birds for example).
There's a good sized enclosure for red breasted geese near the bears, with views all the way around.
The rare breed area is fun (I guess it's a meet the cast, eat the cast at the farm shop sort of thing, though assume this doesn't include the horses), well laid out with good and informative signage for the pigs, goats and chickens. The two Suffolk punches and the Highland cows have good spaces. The path through the woods (past wild boar) to get to the rare breed area was well laid out (bit muddy which was to be expected given the recent weather but in good condition in general) and the woodland is nice. The end of the woods opening up to the rare breed area is particularly nice. One way through the woods was open, though when you got to the arctic fox end it was sealed off, meaning me and a few other people had to clamber back in, earning some filthy looks from the people baiting the foxes with their dogs. Standards, standards. The woods are well cared for with some lovely willow fencing. There are some good signs about native species including red foxes. There was a space with a load of shelters in it, suggesting some bushcrafting activity going on.
Elsewhere the macaque enclosure was good, with two parts including a woodland, next to a large space that the path splits for common eland and grant's zebra. Most of the enclosures seemed decent spaces (coati, racoons, lots and lots of goats and sheep, armadillo, meerkats and some nice guanaco in an unimaginative paddock, lowland tapir next to some sweet young rhea and anteater and mara sharing a woody space) and well laid out with enough to do and good viewing. Capybara in particular were making the most of their area with seven babies out and about. Nice to see black swans and the variety of geese and ducks but the number of birds on display is pretty limited. The butterfly house (next to the lemurs who were not out) and the small tropical house were also interesting. The green iguana in particular is an impressive looking specimen. I also enjoyed the zebu as you don't see them much.
Worth a visit. Wouldn't make my regular list without the wolf viewing improving or being clearer on how it works and not enough there isn't elsewhere. A good new polar bear facility though.
It was pretty busy and I was parked in the overflow but it didn't seem very crowded once I'd queued to get in.
The new polar bear facility is sizeable as reported, with two paddocks to the right and left of the new house. Added a few photos to the gallery. There are three large ponds as well as a water pool outside the house.
Signage suggests the polar bear will also have use of the woods
with fencing in that area under construction. Should be interesting when complete.
All the signage references multiple bears, future proofing or prepared before the other bear died in transit. The female was out and about when I went back and forth and she was making use of all the space and patrolling about. She's a big bear. The facility looks good, though Peak's feels more put together. It'll improve though as the landscaping beds in.
While the polar bear facility is large and offers some good views I have to say I was disppointed in the viewing for the arctic wolves. They are visible at a far distance from the far side of the polar house - you'd get a better view from the railway. I don't expect to be able to walk to an enclosure or have animals do backflips, but some way to actually see the wolves without binoculars would be welcome. Their enclosure is about the size of one of the polar bear spaces so pretty good, though there are a lot of them in it. Perhaps viewing will be opened up when the bear access into the woods is finished. Either way if you are going for the wolves, don't expect to get good views at this point. While I get the wolves may use the bear enclosure when the bear is indoors, it's unclear how / when that happens and therefore how you'd see them.
The arctic fox enclosure on the hill past the bears is in the woodland and constructed on the side of a hill offering a variety of things for the foxes to do. While not the largest space they were busy in it. I was very surprised indeed to see people with their dogs egging the dogs on near the fox fence - while I've seen dogs at CWP I've never seen consistently poor behaviour (four owners in fast succession, banging the fence etc and gesturing at the dogs and foxes etc). The foxes sat fairly near the fence and were not scared as such but it was sad to see. A couple of the dogs seemed wound up by it. Perhaps the zoo should think about where dogs are allowed to go (CWP restricts dogs near the wolves and lake birds for example).
There's a good sized enclosure for red breasted geese near the bears, with views all the way around.
The rare breed area is fun (I guess it's a meet the cast, eat the cast at the farm shop sort of thing, though assume this doesn't include the horses), well laid out with good and informative signage for the pigs, goats and chickens. The two Suffolk punches and the Highland cows have good spaces. The path through the woods (past wild boar) to get to the rare breed area was well laid out (bit muddy which was to be expected given the recent weather but in good condition in general) and the woodland is nice. The end of the woods opening up to the rare breed area is particularly nice. One way through the woods was open, though when you got to the arctic fox end it was sealed off, meaning me and a few other people had to clamber back in, earning some filthy looks from the people baiting the foxes with their dogs. Standards, standards. The woods are well cared for with some lovely willow fencing. There are some good signs about native species including red foxes. There was a space with a load of shelters in it, suggesting some bushcrafting activity going on.
Elsewhere the macaque enclosure was good, with two parts including a woodland, next to a large space that the path splits for common eland and grant's zebra. Most of the enclosures seemed decent spaces (coati, racoons, lots and lots of goats and sheep, armadillo, meerkats and some nice guanaco in an unimaginative paddock, lowland tapir next to some sweet young rhea and anteater and mara sharing a woody space) and well laid out with enough to do and good viewing. Capybara in particular were making the most of their area with seven babies out and about. Nice to see black swans and the variety of geese and ducks but the number of birds on display is pretty limited. The butterfly house (next to the lemurs who were not out) and the small tropical house were also interesting. The green iguana in particular is an impressive looking specimen. I also enjoyed the zebu as you don't see them much.
Worth a visit. Wouldn't make my regular list without the wolf viewing improving or being clearer on how it works and not enough there isn't elsewhere. A good new polar bear facility though.
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Given the longevity of polar bears, "her final few years" could be another twenty years...
I've no idea how long captive polar bears live for, I'm going off the last 2 UK deaths(Mercedes & Victor) dying between 15 & 30yrs roughly. Anyhow hopefully a fair few years left
There are several records of polar bears living to be over forty years old; let's hope this individual will be around for many more years.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
The Wolves have access to all the same areas as the Polar Bear and will have access to the woodland as well.
It's done on rotation. The paddock you saw them in, is where they get fed in the morning. They swap them around during the day, and where they swap them to depends on where Ewa is.
It's not a case they have access when Ewa is indoors. There is 4 paddocks, and soon to be 6 with the extension into the woodland. They can have access to any of the 6, as can the Polar Bear.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Thanks, perhaps there were other plans or arrangements when I was there. I stayed all day and the wolves remained secured in the far enclosure the whole time.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
May have been Ewa didn't wanna move from the enclosure with the big pond. If she wont leave that area, then they can't move anything around, as they have to go through the race to that one.
I was there on 16th November with the rangers all day and got to meet Ewa and all the other carnivores which have arrived for the Tundra section, and the keeper was telling me all about how the exhibits work, and the plans with the woodland etc so just relaying what was told.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
When I visited she was in the other enclosure and back and forth to her house etc not just in the pond area and she was wandering around a lot which was nice to see. She's an impressive bear. It's good to know how it is meant to work wolf wise but the arrangements for a regular visitor weren't signed or clear and as they didn't move anywhere I wouldn't regularly make the longish trip to see them from such a distance. As I said I don't expect them to be right up close nor do anything they don't want to, but in the rear paddock they are not really on view. I'd probably go back when they finish the woodland space.
Also edited to add I wouldn't want to be one of those 'I didn't see X the zoo was rubbish' sort of visitors' lol. Hopefully people will get decent views of the wolves now it is clearer how they move around and I might even get to see them at some point at a less telescopic distance!
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Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
There are no plans to get any more.
This project, along with Peak, YWP & HWP is just fantastic. I can’t help but think of all the polar bears I’ve seen in N American zoos in concrete cave pits, as well as Mercedes at Edinburgh.
I love the big open pond exhibits and the fact that Jimmys will allow woodland access is just so forward thinking and exciting.
I love the big open pond exhibits and the fact that Jimmys will allow woodland access is just so forward thinking and exciting.
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