Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens News 2024

Had a fun day at CWP today. Changeable weather with torrential rain in the morning and a mostly sunny afternoon but visitors were still out in numbers all day.

The mixed weather made for lots of animal activity and it was good to catch up with the growing youngsters for the dwarf mongoose and screamers as well as the cotton top twins who are now leaping around off their parents.

Not too many changes around the site although the Hammerkop has gone out of the Little Africa area again and the sign has been removed.

The porcupine house is undergoing some maintenance and so the porcupines have gone off show temporarily.

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The four dwarf mongoose remain in the enclosure with access to their side of the house - the second tunnel they can use into the porcupine house has been blocked off for now.
 

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We were also at the Park this morning, leaving after the torrential rain just as the sun came out.
Only saw three of the young capybara, having only seen three about a fortnight ago, but as sheltering from the weather we may have missed the fourth.
The nesting crowned pigeons in the tropical house was being very territorial, with a change of nesting pigeon whilst we were there, but no sighting of chick yet. There was a young small pheasant/partridge, but forgot to check on species.
 
Cotswoldgent said:
We were also at the Park this morning, leaving after the torrential rain just as the sun came out.
Only saw three of the young capybara, having only seen three about a fortnight ago, but as sheltering from the weather we may have missed the fourth.
The nesting crowned pigeons in the tropical house was being very territorial, with a change of nesting pigeon whilst we were there, but no sighting of chick yet. There was a young small pheasant/partridge, but forgot to check on species.
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It certainly was a rainstorm!

Also only saw three young Capybara - the forth might have gone or might indeed have been under mum - three were grazing with dad.
 
Lafone said:
Latest edition of the regular online newsletter includes some photos of the interior of the updated anteater enclosure, update on the progress on the new Flamingo house, pictures of the recently arrived Strawberry frogs, notes on recent fundraising activities and updates on the young Bactrian camel and rhinos.

WORD FROM THE WILD: The Latest News From The Park : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
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Thanks for this. I don’t recall their flamingos ever having a dedicated house before, so a new addition. Where about is it being built in relation to the lake?
 
jtrbmvcq said:
Thanks for this. I don’t recall their flamingos ever having a dedicated house before, so a new addition. Where about is it being built in relation to the lake?
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It’s just to the right of the old hard standing / netted holding area. You can see the left hand side of the new building from the path as you head past the wallabies and before you get to the viewing hide at the back of the lake. There’s a new hard stand area gone in and that’s fully visible from the path.
 
The birth of another greater bamboo lemur is excellent news, but is this another 2024 baby, as we haven’t been for a couple of weeks? We have been seeing one baby this summer and I have a note that we first saw the baby bamboo lemur on 23 July when a keeper remarked that it was a couple of months old.
The website notes seven births since 2020 to two mothers
Cotswold Wildlife Park becomes the only collection in the UK this year to breed one of the most critically endangered Lemur species in Madagascar : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
 
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Cotswoldgent said:
The birth of another greater bamboo lemur is excellent news, but is this a another 2024 baby, as we haven’t been for a couple of weeks? We have been seeing one baby this summer and I have a note that we first saw the baby bamboo lemur on 23 July when a keeper remarked that it was a couple of months old.
The website notes seven births since 2020 to two mothers
Cotswold Wildlife Park becomes the only collection in the UK this year to breed one of the most critically endangered Lemur species in Madagascar : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
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I think it is a new 2024 birth as was mentioned when I was wandering into the walkthrough the other day but I didn’t see it and like you wondered if it was the one from a little earlier in the year. I thought probably recent given not sexed / named at the time of the article.
 
Other 2024 News Worth Mentioning:
On July 23rd, the zoo announced that 2+ domestic guinea pigs were born.

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
Lafone said:
Highlight in the walled garden for me though were a pair of pups for the Yellow Mongoose. One of my favourite species and enclosures at the park. The two new arrivals were playing around, particularly as the day started to cool down.
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In July (date not given), the zoo announced that 8 straw-colored fruit bats and another Kirk's dik-dik were born, as well as 2+? Eurasian spoonbills, 2+? green aracaris, and a Mexican beaded lizard named Ringo hatched (first time in Cotswold's history in successfully breeding the species). The zoo also announced the mongooses were sexed as (0.2) and named Cinnamon and Clove.

Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates an outstanding breeding season with the only Yellow Mongoose and Beaded Lizard births in the UK this year : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

Smaggledagle said:
On May 22nd, the zoo officially announced the birth of the twin lemurs, as well as sexed them as (1.1). There have now been 70 lemur births since the opening of the Madagascar exhibit in 2008.

Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates its 70th Lemur breeding success in time for ‘Lemur Week’ : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
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On September 20th, the zoo announced they named the lemurs Badger and Bramble.

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

On September 30th, it was mentioned that the zoo acquired a (1.0) Cape porcupine from the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.*

On October 22nd, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) black tree monitor to the Colchester Zoo in Essex.

Exciting New Additions & Changes! - Colchester Zoological Society

Lafone said:
There was also a new infant Greater Bamboo Lemur in the enclosure which shares a fence with the walkthrough, which is another excellent result for CWP's breeding programme.
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Dassie rat said:
A greater bamboo lemur has been born at Cotswold: Birth of rare lemur celebrated by Cotswold Wildlife Park
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On October 25th, the zoo announced the lemur's sex (1.0) and name, Mino.

3.1K views · 93 reactions | Mino the Greater Bamboo Lemur | We are delighted to announce the name of our latest Greater Bamboo Lemur arrival - perfect timing as today is also World Lemur Day. His name is Mino... | By Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens | Facebook

* Information given by @rjh in the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2024 thread (Page 36 Post #715).
 
Cotswoldgent said:
Great news.
Realised that another of the Facebook posts refers to Capybara triplets, so they have probably lost one of the four babies.
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That's a shame but thought that might be the case as, like you,, I had only seen three recently. Great to see the others doing well.

Nice to see the news on the Oxford Sandy and Black piglets too, sometimes seen as 'just from the farm' these are one of our rarer breeds, really coming back into their own.
 
Fun day at CWP today, very quiet as to be expected on a Friday at this time of year. First really Autumnal day and first day the gloves were out..here comes Winter!The gardening team were hard at work removing the seasonal plants and tidying up the beds.

The Porcupines are back on show in the enclosure shared with the dwarf mongoose after some enclosure work. A new low wall and gate appears to have gone in inside their portion of the house.

Was lovely to see the new Colobus baby and also to see the whole Dik Dik herd out together in Little Africa. The zebra foal was bombing about which was fun to watch.

Good views of most other animals. Wasn't expecting to see the Binturong as it was chilly but they were outside in a large heap and the lemurs all came out for the daily feed. The lake was busy with wildfowl with quite a few wild arrivals for winter mingling with the captive birds.
 
jtrbmvcq said:
Don’t know if it’s been explicitly announced by the park yet but CWP have put out some Halloween pictures including a few of a very young looking giant anteater pup!
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Cotswoldgent said:
Also had some good views of the baby giant anteater riding on his mother’s back :)
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On November 18th, the zoo officially announced that a giant anteater (named Antony) was born, as well as 4 crested screamers named Alison, Red, Swift, and Taylor which are on exhibit. This is the first time in Cotswold's history to have successfully bred crested screamers.

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
 
Thanks. Was thinking about going tomorrow.
Went last week and discovered that another of the young capybaras had died, unknown causes.
 
Had a fun visit today, not too many people and it was cold but mostly dry. The gardens have been tidied for winter and in the surest sign of the season the banana and other sensitive trees have been wrapped up in hessian. A number of the enclosures and aviaries have also had some gardening activity including in the Little Africa area. Lots animals visible including the wolverines being fed. Was a good day to be able to sit in the Tropical House for a while!

The birds in the African Stork / Waldrupp Ibis, African Spoonbill aviary were not outside but the signs are still up so not sure if they are in the process of moving off for the winter as last year.

Was fun to see the baby Colobus leaping around and climbing off mum though it was too cold for them to join the others on a brief excursion outside. Against the weather odds the lemurs were super active in the Madagascar walkthrough and had great views of the Greater Bamboo lemur youngster.

The Western Moustached laughing thrushes are not in the corner aviary near the Tropical House entrance now leaving them on view in one enclosure near the Hanging parrots. This changed a while ago but the mix of birds has now been the same for a few visits with the Purple Glossy Starlings in the space.

A new pair of Pygmy marmosets have arrived and are occupying the house next to the Cotton Tops. There is also a new arrival expected to join the existing male (who currently lives with the Coppery Titi monkeys) so perhaps we will see little Pygmy marmosets at CWP again. The two new arrivals (one is very much smaller than the other) look to be settling in well.
 
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Back at CWP for Boxing day which was busy but the weather had kept big crowds away. After rhinos in the mist on Xmas eve at Whipsnade it was the same weather today with the house barely visible across the rhino paddock.

cwp mist.jpg

Managed to get a photo of the back of the new Flamingo House as the trees retreat for winter. The new hard standing and fences look complete and all look smart. There are screens between the Flamingo and White stork outside areas.

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Lots of animal activity today and good timing on catching a lion feed.

The Capybara have been split up again with the male in the enclosure with the Patagonian Mara.

The African storks and African Spoonbills were not in the large free flight aviary in the walled garden and the signs had been removed (leaving Waldrupp Ibis and Black Stork in situ) so assume they have indeed gone off show for the winter.

I hadn't noticed the Green Anaconda tank having four snakes in it on recent visits..is this a recent change? I usually just see the huge snake who rests it's head on the step near the window but today there were smaller ones too. I am probably just unobservant.

The Lace Monitor isn't in the enclosure near the tortoises and I couldn't see it elsewhere.
 

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