One of my main memories of Whipsnade as a child is the peafowl screams!
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- Thread starter Lafone
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One of my main memories of Whipsnade as a child is the peafowl screams!
There’s now two baby macaques which is so nice to see! There was only one when i checked on thursday, unless i missed it, so it was a surprise to see another today. The first is over a month old now and is definitely a lot more independent. Hopefully, there’s some more to come.
This is what sometimes happens when unfamiliar animals are mixed together, it stimulates breeding between fresh partners.
My guess is with the much reduced numbers they have become concentrated in those two main areas and perhaps remain there in preference to elsewhere -as with sheep that are hefted to a particular area of grazing. I can't see how the traditional paddock fencing would contain them if they wanted to leave.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Not quite; as I understand it, the fox-proof fencing was damaged, and as a precaution the peafowl were moved offshow - I don’t believe many, if any, peafowls were actually killed by foxes, but the zoo rightly decided not to take the risk. This is the same reason why water deer foals are hand-reared behind-the-scenes (last year, four of these were sent to London, but strangely they only stayed there for a few months before moving back to Whipsnade).
Hopefully one day the fence is repaired and the peafowl are brought back, as they are great, but I always found the mammals to be a little more novel. Loads of zoos have free-ranging peafowl, but I can think of very few that I have been to where wallabies, maras and / or muntjac are, too.
The signage has been there for well over a year now, perhaps even longer, and they were certainly still free-ranging then, so I would assume they are still now. They simply enjoy spending time in Passage and on Spicer’s Field the most, so that is where you will most often see them, and the zoo has signed them for those two enclosures as a result. Can’t see how the fencing of either enclosure would be able to stop a species so small from passing through.
Oh well, have never seen them before.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I’ve only seen the CWD outside those spaces a couple of times and each time keepers were trying to get them back. The fact you simply don’t see them in other areas suggests attempts to keep them in one area are broadly successful and the zoo doesn’t call them free roaming any more either. But they don’t have many anyway as you say and they will have a space they prefer.
I believe (there’s a thread discussing it too) that they no longer hand raise all the CWD behind the scenes and certainly last summer there were fawns born and being raised in the rhino paddock (I posted some pics). They did for some years though as they lost so many.
I don’t think they will put peafowl back and they don’t hold them any more either off or on show, though never say never. I also enjoyed the prairie dogs who were effectively free to do what they liked and it’s a shame they aren’t there any more.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I had my suspicions when I saw something that was certainly not a rhino, gemsbok or blesbok in the paddock in September, but was not 100% sure as I believe they didn't have a sign alongside the other three species where I was standing.
Here is the individual, this photo comes complete with a mara in the background.
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Lafone
Well-Known Member
Definitely the CWD. This is in the same paddock June last year. There were a couple of fawns out.
That was my original reaction when I first heard the Chinese water deer were no longer free ranging.
I was told a couple of years ago that the main reason the Chinese water deer fawns were being hand-reared was to protect them from predatory birds.
I do hope Whipsnade can make something out of their accidentally being a repository / resthome for non native - invasive - Chinese water deer Hydropotis inermis as they are a species of conservation concern in the P.R. of China. Perhaps it would even open up potential for cross fertilisation in sending back Chinese water deer back to in-country ranges in cooperation with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
How many Chinese water deer are estimated to be on site at Whipsnade Zoo: Any tallies of counting / sexing them? Same goes for Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi?!!!
How many Chinese water deer are estimated to be on site at Whipsnade Zoo: Any tallies of counting / sexing them? Same goes for Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi?!!!
There's about fifty Chinese water deer according to the latest animal inventory and no more muntjac
Thanks Tim!
I would say for sure there IS potential for working with the zoo community and conservation authority in the P.R. of China for the Chinese water deer! The species here is as yet regarded as conservation concern, where curiously the IUCN Red List has a significant omission....!!!!
Do you know per chance if the Chinese water deer in the UK all belong to the nominate subspecies inermis from P.R. of China? The other subspecies argyropus is restricted to the Korean Peninsula only.
For your information, I include a recent status survey from Chinese science community on the deer in North East P.R. China.
Source: Distribution update of water deer (Hydropotes inermis) and prediction of their potential distribution in Northeast China | Scientific Reports
Lafone
Well-Known Member
This article has useful information on their introduction
Water Deer Distribution - A British Introduction | Wildlife Online
We don't know, although it seems likely. From the very limited data we have so far, at least one haplotype present in the British population is possibly extinct in China. There has been talk about the UK population potentially being a source for reintroduction in China in the past, but it's expensive and difficult to ship them long distances (from the wild or free range, I'm told they're quite prone to capture myopathy). Even if it does become feasible, a recent paper by Min Chen suggests that some reintroduction projects in China are being hampered by a sizeable population of feral dogs. (Incidentally, I suspect argyropus is the subspecies, if you consider the subspecies to be truly valid, expanding into south-east Russia and is probably no longer restricted to the Korean Peninsula.)
I also found the discussion on water deer no longer being free range at Whipsnade interesting. I spoke with a keeper very recently who told me that while the deer seem to prefer some specific areas of the park (e.g., Passage through Asia, Southern white rhino paddock, the off-show back fields, etc.) they are not restricted by the staff and are still allowed free range. Perhaps the reduced number, their habitat preferences, and keepers not wanting them in specific enclosures gives the appearance of enclosure?
Cheers,
Marc.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I think it is indeed likely that they no longer state on the site etc they are free ranging because they do try and keep them in particular areas (I've seen staff moving them along from the fields from the back towards the main Passage through Asia area). As you know (and better than me!) they do like particular areas and habituate to them as long as there is food so will stick to them so they tend to be seen in some places more than others and the zoo signs them in those places so people know what they are. Only the Mara and the Wallabies are noted as access all areas.
Thank you for confirming the Chinese water deer are still allowed free range
Out of interest, are Gaur quite short-lived and/or highly strung bovine? Over the years I’ve visited, Whipsnade has seemed to suffer some premature losses, especially the breeding bulls. I recall one dying once having been transported between the old paddock (now Warty pigs) to the current one.
Cotswoldgent
Well-Known Member
Lovely visit yesterday with fine weather although cold, and although there were no new sightings to add to the above, it was great to see:
- the two baby macaques, with the elder now very active, hanging upside down from feet
- the young wild boar (outside gaur house between giraffes and otters), with a maximum of five seen at any one time, but they are active, running in and out of house
- active white rhinos, with plenty of mock combat, including the two young from time to time
- lions up close to the viewing windows
- lots of Owl Butterflies, although I still haven’t managed to photograph their opened wings, showing the beautiful blue bottoms of their wings although not as impressive as blue morpho butterflies
Six hours are not enough, even at this time of year.
- the two baby macaques, with the elder now very active, hanging upside down from feet
- the young wild boar (outside gaur house between giraffes and otters), with a maximum of five seen at any one time, but they are active, running in and out of house
- active white rhinos, with plenty of mock combat, including the two young from time to time
- lions up close to the viewing windows
- lots of Owl Butterflies, although I still haven’t managed to photograph their opened wings, showing the beautiful blue bottoms of their wings although not as impressive as blue morpho butterflies
Six hours are not enough, even at this time of year.
Were the lion cubs also out?