Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens News 2025

[Lafone]

Good day out at CWP today, forecast was fog but it was overcast and cold instead. There were a fair few people out making the most of the weekend opening -the zoo has it's winter closure weeks ongoing at the moment.

Our winter opening times change from Tuesday 7 January 2025. Cotswold Wildlife Park will remain CLOSED on WEEKDAYS ONLY from 7 January until 6 February (re-opening on Friday 7 February 2025); EXCEPT FOR WEEKENDS when the Park will be OPEN from 10.00 am until 4:00 pm or dusk (whichever is earlier, with last admission being at 3:00 pm). This is to allow for essential maintenance to be carried out.

The zoo is asking people to pre book to keep the grass car park use to a minimum, pretty usual at this time of year. Members can obviously also visit. The grass car park was in use but not all the way up.

Lots of animal activity with most animals venturing into their outdoor spaces during the day and the ones who enjoy the cold weather like the wolverines super active. The rhino crash with the youngsters was out having hay in the paddock and running about. There were a few very recent looking naked mole rats in Little Africa which was nice to see. The recently arrived Pygmy Marmoset pair look to have settled in well and were at the front of their indoor space, looking out of the window.

Some work going on at the picnic area near the entrance to Little Africa and opposite the dwarf mongoose / porcupines. This was an uncovered area before. Will be a useful addition for shelter from the rain and in the summer as this is a real sun trap spot.



Other maintenace completed recently includes new fencing in various areas, replacement of the track ballast on some sections of the railway and reconditioning of the picnic bench areas as well as some more work on the gardens. The entrance driveway has also been resurfaced in two large sections.

The Tropical House planting and cover has been cleaned up and cut back a bit, removing some of the thicker winding plants which were quick thick in places. This has brightened the house back up by letting more light in through the panes on the pathway side and you can see some of the brickwork at the back near the entrance. Perhaps some additional plants to go in or the existing ones to grow back out. Having got used to it being dense and darker it was nice to have a bit of light, though hope the undergrowth grows back. Other enclosures like that for the yellow mongoose have had some plants cut back ready for the growing season.

Couldn't find a thread for 2025, but please do move this if there is one.

 

[Pertinax]

How does pre-booking help their parking? They surely wouldn't restrict numbers just to stop parking on the grass areas, or would they?

 

[Lafone]

How does pre-booking help their parking? They surely wouldn't restrict numbers just to stop parking on the grass areas, or would they?

As far as I can see it helps them manage the balance between the paved and the grass car park by understanding the numbers.

The default in summer and good weather which is most of the time, is the paved car park is used for disabled parking and the staff are also parked there and then the paved car park only opens after the main grassy areas start to fill up (so you all turn left on to the grass car park after the pay booths) or later in the day.

When the weather is particularly bad, they fill the paved car park first and they try and use less of the grass car park. Staff mostly park near the house. The zoo states bookings are restricted to members and pre paid tickets, I expect they wouldn't turn people off, but it helps them decide who to put where and keep the grass from becoming a bog.

 

[Cotswoldgent]

Good day out at CWP today, forecast was fog but it was overcast and cold instead. …

We also visited this morning and appreciated the light in the tropical house, although the sloth at the top of the back wall was still pretty difficult to see except for when it moved.
Nothing further to report from Lafone’s excellent update, but noted that the young Black & White Colobus was now fairly grey (rather than white) and increasingly inquisitive in exploring, before returning to mother.
Madagascar keeper also noted only nine bamboo lemurs following transfers to Longleat (from memory?), and some were out including young. Didn’t see any in the enclosure behind Colobus, so these were presumably those transferred.

 

[jtrbmvcq]

How is the flamingo house coming along? Is it finished?

Didn’t see any in the enclosure behind Colobus, so these were presumably those transferred.

Whereabouts are the bamboo lemurs held behind the colobus? I only remember seeing them in the walled garden.

 

[Lafone]

How is the flamingo house coming along? Is it finished?


Whereabouts are the bamboo lemurs held behind the colobus? I only remember seeing them in the walled garden.

Looks to be complete now though of course you can only see half of it. No equipment visible in the yard though.

There is an enclosure to the left of the Colobus behind the burrowing owls which you can see from the path down the side of the Colobus house that also serves it. That’s where the other group of Bamboo lemurs used to be.

 

[A.L. Gardner]

How do people feel about dogs, other than guide dogs, being allowed in? One of the Keepers told me a peacock got attacked last week - it survived but had its tail feathers ripped out. Last year I saw a dog nearly get into the meerkats as it's owner wasn't paying attention, thankfully he didn't lose his grip on the lead as it was a large dog and had all four feet on top of the wall ready to jump. I reported the incident and was met with "Oh no, not again". I do see beautifully behaved, well trained dogs too, but they're very rare. It seems an unnecessary stress to the smaller animals to constantly have dogs standing up at the enclosures despite all the signs forbidding it.

 

[A.L. Gardner]

We also visited this morning and appreciated the light in the tropical house, although the sloth at the top of the back wall was still pretty difficult to see except for when it moved.
Nothing further to report from Lafone’s excellent update, but noted that the young Black & White Colobus was now fairly grey (rather than white) and increasingly inquisitive in exploring, before returning to mother.
Madagascar keeper also noted only nine bamboo lemurs following transfers to Longleat (from memory?), and some were out including young. Didn’t see any in the enclosure behind Colobus, so these were presumably those transferred.

The two bamboo lemurs, Voanjo (m) and Faya (f), were transferred to Twycross. They seem to be settling in well.

 

[Cotswoldgent]

How do people feel about dogs, other than guide dogs, being allowed in?

I can’t say that I am personally a dog lover, but in the majority of cases the owners do keep their dogs under control and follow guidance. The Wildlife Park is a lovely area for a walk and I suspect that a reasonable number of season ticket holders would cancel if dogs were not allowed. Dogs are already forbidden from the lake walkthrough and tropical house, where animals are “loose”. Anyway, I am sure that the park owner keeps this under review.

 

[TriUK]

How do people feel about dogs, other than guide dogs, being allowed in? One of the Keepers told me a peacock got attacked last week - it survived but had its tail feathers ripped out. Last year I saw a dog nearly get into the meerkats as it's owner wasn't paying attention, thankfully he didn't lose his grip on the lead as it was a large dog and had all four feet on top of the wall ready to jump. I reported the incident and was met with "Oh no, not again". I do see beautifully behaved, well trained dogs too, but they're very rare. It seems an unnecessary stress to the smaller animals to constantly have dogs standing up at the enclosures despite all the signs forbidding it.

One of the reasons I like going to my local zoos is that it’s one of the few outdoor places left - other than some beaches in a small summer window - where there are no dogs.

 

[Lafone]

How do people feel about dogs, other than guide dogs, being allowed in? One of the Keepers told me a peacock got attacked last week - it survived but had its tail feathers ripped out. Last year I saw a dog nearly get into the meerkats as it's owner wasn't paying attention, thankfully he didn't lose his grip on the lead as it was a large dog and had all four feet on top of the wall ready to jump. I reported the incident and was met with "Oh no, not again". I do see beautifully behaved, well trained dogs too, but they're very rare. It seems an unnecessary stress to the smaller animals to constantly have dogs standing up at the enclosures despite all the signs forbidding it.

I am not a dog fan (well I like ones I know I dislike random dogs particularly the more aggressive breeds) but I’ve rarely seen poor behaviour from dog owners at CWP - I’ve seen worse from parents and kids so look on it as the zoo allows both.

As Cotswoldgent says there are dog restricted areas. I expect the animals are used to it now.

I’ve not heard of an animal being injured before and that’s bad - I’d hope they lifetime ban the owner as well as the dog. But I wouldn’t think it happens all the time.

The zoo has four paws on fhe ground signs around the enclosures and I’ve politely asked people to not let their dogs jump up before and most have been fine about it.

 

[ZooNews2024]

How do people feel about dogs, other than guide dogs, being allowed in?

The Government (DEFRA) have ruled this illegal at other zoos in the UK. It is not clear how Cotswold and some of the other farm-parky places continue to get away with it - or indeed why would any zoo want dogs in, anyway?
It is a condition of the BALAI regulations (which require approval to allow any import or export permits to be granted) that ANY mammal entering an approved zoo from a non-approved source has to enter one months formal isolation/quarantine.
For (some) other UK zoos this has been applied by DEFRA/APHA to ALL mammals, be they dogs, guide-dogs or ANY mammals...

 

[Richie Hell]

Humans?

 

[A.L. Gardner]

I can’t say that I am personally a dog lover, but in the majority of cases the owners do keep their dogs under control and follow guidance. The Wildlife Park is a lovely area for a walk and I suspect that a reasonable number of season ticket holders would cancel if dogs were not allowed. Dogs are already forbidden from the lake walkthrough and tropical house, where animals are “loose”. Anyway, I am sure that the park owner keeps this under review.

Yes, I got the feeling that the Keepers wished it wasn't so. The Coppery Titi Monkeys were going crazy last time I was there because a large dog was very close to their enclosure, to be fair the dog wasn't doing anything, they were just unhappy it was there.

 

[A.L. Gardner]

I am not a dog fan (well I like ones I know I dislike random dogs particularly the more aggressive breeds) but I’ve rarely seen poor behaviour from dog owners at CWP - I’ve seen worse from parents and kids so look on it as the zoo allows both.

As Cotswoldgent says there are dog restricted areas. I expect the animals are used to it now.

I’ve not heard of an animal being injured before and that’s bad - I’d hope they lifetime ban the owner as well as the dog. But I wouldn’t think it happens all the time.

The zoo has four paws on fhe ground signs around the enclosures and I’ve politely asked people to not let their dogs jump up before and most have been fine about it.

The Keeper I spoke to said the people responsible ran off so they never caught them. Yes, kids and parents would be a whole new topic!

 

[A.L. Gardner]

The Government (DEFRA) have ruled this illegal at other zoos in the UK. It is not clear how Cotswold and some of the other farm-parky places continue to get away with it - or indeed why would any zoo want dogs in, anyway?
It is a condition of the BALAI regulations (which require approval to allow any import or export permits to be granted) that ANY mammal entering an approved zoo from a non-approved source has to enter one months formal isolation/quarantine.
For (some) other UK zoos this has been applied by DEFRA/APHA to ALL mammals, be they dogs, guide-dogs or ANY mammals...

Yes, the Keeper said the same, that this was the only one in the UK which allowed dogs.

 

[Lafone]

The Keeper I spoke to said the people responsible ran off so they never caught them. Yes, kids and parents would be a whole new topic!

They probably have them on camera somewhere. Some people are always idiots

 

[jtrbmvcq]

The Government (DEFRA) have ruled this illegal at other zoos in the UK. It is not clear how Cotswold and some of the other farm-parky places continue to get away with it - or indeed why would any zoo want dogs in, anyway?
It is a condition of the BALAI regulations (which require approval to allow any import or export permits to be granted) that ANY mammal entering an approved zoo from a non-approved source has to enter one months formal isolation/quarantine.
For (some) other UK zoos this has been applied by DEFRA/APHA to ALL mammals, be they dogs, guide-dogs or ANY mammals...

Is this why CWP is not in BIAZA?

 

[Cotswoldgent]

First visit after January weekday closure today and it was cold, so many animals were staying out of sight, but had a beautiful view of the three clouded leopards sitting on one of their platforms.
The young B&W colobus is losing white colouration with black all around his face now, but still a grey back.
Tropical House has had vegetation cut back so there is a lot more light at present, and we saw most of the bird species, one Poteroo running along the top of the back wall (another sleeping) and one sleeping sloth against the back wall.
The nearby house for the Tamandua and Armadillos is currently empty, with a sign saying undergoing repairs.
They are still doing some other works around the park, with what looks like a large raised flower bed (mini digger on top) being built between the train line and the overflow car park.

 

[A.L. Gardner]

I went yesterday (13th February). Keepers were monitoring the Pallas' cat enclosure as they were allowing the new breeding male, Kahl, to meet Penelope. She was sleeping in the same box as him so looks promising.
It was sad to hear of Tull's passing some time in October, he looked very old the last time I saw him.
They said Kahl was just there on loan from Banham Zoo.