Marwell Wildlife My Monthly Updates 2009 #1

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Marwell Dalek said:
I was wondering that about Basil too, a shame. He was another of my favourite animals at the zoo, acknowledged by the time I was alone in Night Life and he crept up to me on ground level. Beautiful animal, but then I suppose the nocturnal house has been closed for a year if not more strangely. Even Bill Hall, the big brain of Marwell, didn't know why.
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Where is/was 'Night Life'? All I can think of is the Bat House near the Leopards?
 
HuxleyPig said:
One of the Tigers jumped up at the window quite a few times and made the small crowd around him jump, lol. I took a really nice shot of him looking straight at the camera but it wont let me upload it
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That will be Zambar!! He seems to do that nearly every time we visit. I've got some shots of him in the gallery doing just that!! :D
 
Zambar is indeed a very fiesty cat, infact I sometimes see him as just a big cub, the way he jumps at windows and rolls around playing with branches.

Night Life is a small little outhouse of grey brick hidden away in the shrubberies to the direct left of Marwell Hall from the west side. If you've ever watched Doctor Who, it's almost like it has a way of moving out of you're field of sight like the TARDIS. It had five enclosures, four smaller ones which I remember had Steppe Lemmings, African Dormice, Arabian Spiny Mice and Kowari last time it was open, and a large enclosure which held Basil the brush-tail possum, but previously had surplus mouse lemurs.
 
Hmmm, Ive never ever come across it lol. Suppose its a bit late now =[
Also where is this new Amphibian Centre? I appreciate its not open but I cant see any new building or anything =S
 
The Amphibian Centre is going to be in the old lion house between the peccaries and the babirusa, which from 2001 to 2008 has acted as a holding centre for tigers, amur leopards, persian leopards, ocelots and giant anteater. Geoff Read, head of Lower Vertabrates and Invertabrates, confirmed last month it would be open for Easter.
 
Update 15/03/09

- A very interesting oryx club meeting for the older members was a talk on the rebranding of Marwell. From Easter, the zoo's name will change to 'Marwell Wildlife' and the logo will become a green, muddy hand print with the white siluette of an animal or plant in the palm, mostly being an oryx. We were shown a variety of pamplets and uniforms that will use this new theme, and I was impressed overall (though I'm not too fond of the new name). The valley, which will be officially opened on the 4th April by a Kenyan Ambassador, will utilise this theme heavilly, along with a new leaflet, guide book etc to use it.
- The megellan geese were mixed with the mara today, but the male was proving particuarly aggresive with the rodents.
- The brazilian tapirs have not yet arrived, but a third paddock has been formed and a stall readied in preperation.
- Unfortunately, Marwell's last babirusa has died and the zoo is planning not to keep any more. A shame, as they were one of my favourite animals there.
- Three Giraffes have gone to Folly Farm.
- A Roan Antelope, Sitatunga and another Addax have been born.
- And finally, there were quite a lot of wild toads breeding in one of the ponds between the bridge and the gibbon exhibit, and were drawing more attention than the apes!
 
It sounds as though they're copying jersey zoo/durrell wildlife, although I'm not sure it sounds right with marwell. Names like this are becoming more and more common, why are zoos so embarassed to be called zoos?
 
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The rebrand is partly to fit with the masterplan and partly to show it's closeness to nature and biodiversity (basically, as redpanda pointed out, embarrased to be called a zoo). The website should be revamped soon to utilise it, so keep checking there.
 
I wondered why my annual pass arrived late and didnt feature 'Marwell Zoo' on it. It says 'Marwell Annual Pass' and there are some paw prints at the bottom.

It arrived the day before my little bit of paper ran out and the guy on the gate said it should have come when I last visited.

I think the rebrand will be good for the zoo. And im visiting on the 5th so I cant wait to see the valley all open at last. =D
 
The species on the valley at opening will be Grevvy's Zebra, Ostrich, Waterbuck & Gemsbok(?), but that's only the start. The rest of the african savannah species in the zoo will move up there, the next target being giraffe, and I'm hoping the white rhinos will settle there give it a few years. A port lymnpe style safari will run through there in the future.

And the billboard you see when you drive into the park will be taken down at Easter and replaced by a five-metere high post with the new logo and 'Marwell Wildlife' on it. The foundations are being layed already.
 
Sorry, earlier I confused it with the signs near the bus stop, lol. I realise now that you mean the one as you come in. My mistake :)
 
Marwell Dalek said:
Update 15/03/09

- A very interesting oryx club meeting for the older members was a talk on the rebranding of Marwell. From Easter, the zoo's name will change to 'Marwell Wildlife' and the logo will become a green, muddy hand print with the white siluette of an animal or plant in the palm, mostly being an oryx. We were shown a variety of pamplets and uniforms that will use this new theme, and I was impressed overall (though I'm not too fond of the new name). The valley, which will be officially opened on the 4th April by a Kenyan Ambassador, will utilise this theme heavilly, along with a new leaflet, guide book etc to use it.
- The megellan geese were mixed with the mara today, but the male was proving particuarly aggresive with the rodents.
- The brazilian tapirs have not yet arrived, but a third paddock has been formed and a stall readied in preperation.
- Unfortunately, Marwell's last babirusa has died and the zoo is planning not to keep any more. A shame, as they were one of my favourite animals there.
- Three Giraffes have gone to Folly Farm.
- A Roan Antelope, Sitatunga and another Addax have been born.
- And finally, there were quite a lot of wild toads breeding in one of the ponds between the bridge and the gibbon exhibit, and were drawing more attention than the apes!
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Thanks for the update, where were the babirusa kept as i dont think i ever saw them at marwell.

As for the name change "Marwell wildlife" It seems too short to me, id prefer Marwell Wildlife Gardens or Park but i will have to accept it!
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
Thanks for the update, where were the babirusa kept as i dont think i ever saw them at marwell.

As for the name change "Marwell wildlife" It seems too short to me, id prefer Marwell Wildlife Gardens or Park but i will have to accept it!
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The Babirusa pigs were kept next to the Pudu and opp the Rhea and Capybara
 
Which leaves the area strangely bare; the old lion enclosure demolished, and the babirusa and pudu paddocks empty.

Personally, I'd have gone for Marwell Wild Animal Park.
 
I think the idea was to get completely away from the idea of a captive environment (stupid really cos it's a zoo), so they chose Marwell wildlife to make it seem more natural. As I said, what's wrong with being called a zoo?
 
Again, I think it's to get away from the public's perception of iron bars; though I pointed out to the zoo's marketing director in the meeting that people will still refer to the park as 'Marwell Zoo' permanantley, and she admitted this would be this case. I understand where they're getting from, but surely 'Wildlife Park' or 'Wild Animal Park' would've worked better as it proclaims that is a zoological collection that doesn't follow 'traditional' methods, whilst just 'Wildlife' could mean anything and doesn't define it as a park.
 
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