Paultons Park Paultons Park

Some very interesting news - Paultons Park have become official partners of The Species Recovery Trust's project for New Forest cicadas, Cicadetta montana. These, the only native species of cicada from the UK, has not been seen in the New Forest since the 1990s. Following research on the management needed to help the cicadas thrive, the Species Recovery Trust is now planning a reintroduction using cicadas from Slovenia.

Paultons Park is leading up the captive breeding side of the project, and have built several rearing units for housing both adult and nymph cicadas. The main breeding enclosures are netted native saplings such as hazel and hawthorn, together with clumps of purple moor-grass for the cicadas to feed from, hide in and lay their eggs among. To help with research into their growth, indoor rearing tanks which allow underground views of the nymphs will also be used.

More information can be found in the link below:
Extinct New Forest Cicada to be reintroduced to the UK | Biaza
 
Some very interesting news - Paultons Park have become official partners of The Species Recovery Trust's project for New Forest cicadas, Cicadetta montana. These, the only native species of cicada from the UK, has not been seen in the New Forest since the 1990s. Following research on the management needed to help the cicadas thrive, the Species Recovery Trust is now planning a reintroduction using cicadas from Slovenia.

Paultons Park is leading up the captive breeding side of the project, and have built several rearing units for housing both adult and nymph cicadas. The main breeding enclosures are netted native saplings such as hazel and hawthorn, together with clumps of purple moor-grass for the cicadas to feed from, hide in and lay their eggs among. To help with research into their growth, indoor rearing tanks which allow underground views of the nymphs will also be used.

More information can be found in the link below:
Extinct New Forest Cicada to be reintroduced to the UK | Biaza

Further to this, there is a brief article on the subject in the July issue of BBC Wildlife magazine
 
Visit report from yesterday:

No Grey Winged Trumpeters in the tortoise hut anymore.

In the nocturnal House, the short fingered gecko and millipedes have been replaced with Asian Forest Scorpion and Salmon Pink Tarantula.

Sadly, the walkthrough aviary was closed for maintenance.

The Red Footed Tortoises were enjoying the sunshine in the flamingo aviary.
 
Agree, though you wonder if a lot of these theme parks will now be upping the ante what with the arrival of Universal Studios to the UK.
Paultons park has a good niche, so I’d like to think they’ll be fine, but they’ve certainly been on a “bigger is better” trend in the last two decades. I do wonder how long it will be before there’s no animals at all, though given their history I hope that’s not the case.
 
Paultons park has a good niche, so I’d like to think they’ll be fine, but they’ve certainly been on a “bigger is better” trend in the last two decades. I do wonder how long it will be before there’s no animals at all, though given their history I hope that’s not the case.
As someone who’s went a lot as a child it seems their animal offering is bigger then I remember, as much as the flamingoes and pelicans relocated they’ve acquired lemurs and the area near peppa pig world is great not to mention the aviaries so i think it’ll be ok plus it’s something for people who don’t enjoy rides
 
As someone who’s went a lot as a child it seems their animal offering is bigger then I remember, as much as the flamingoes and pelicans relocated they’ve acquired lemurs and the area near peppa pig world is great not to mention the aviaries so i think it’ll be ok plus it’s something for people who don’t enjoy rides

Yes, good point. It probably feels like the animals are less of a part of the experience these days (in rides to animal ratio) even though the exact number of species is actually larger than it was!
 
Slightly moving away from the animals but would highly recommend visiting Paultons Park if you like theme parks, it's without doubt our favourite theme park.
 
Slightly moving away from the animals but would highly recommend visiting Paultons Park if you like theme parks, it's without doubt our favourite theme park.
Yes, it was my favourite growing up, we'd go every year. As we got older we stopped going, and haven't been for over a decade now, but there is enough big rides now to make me reconsider.

I always remembering it being much better value for money than Thorpe Park etc, is this still the case?
 
Yes, it was my favourite growing up, we'd go every year. As we got older we stopped going, and haven't been for over a decade now, but there is enough big rides now to make me reconsider.

I always remembering it being much better value for money than Thorpe Park etc, is this still the case?

I find it much better value as my 6 year old can go on everything,(although she doesn't like the big rides)
I certainly wouldn't vist just for the animals but if you have a love of rides as well it's great value.
 
Some very interesting news - Paultons Park have become official partners of The Species Recovery Trust's project for New Forest cicadas, Cicadetta montana. These, the only native species of cicada from the UK, has not been seen in the New Forest since the 1990s. Following research on the management needed to help the cicadas thrive, the Species Recovery Trust is now planning a reintroduction using cicadas from Slovenia.

Paultons Park is leading up the captive breeding side of the project, and have built several rearing units for housing both adult and nymph cicadas. The main breeding enclosures are netted native saplings such as hazel and hawthorn, together with clumps of purple moor-grass for the cicadas to feed from, hide in and lay their eggs among. To help with research into their growth, indoor rearing tanks which allow underground views of the nymphs will also be used.

More information can be found in the link below:
Extinct New Forest Cicada to be reintroduced to the UK | Biaza

The first eleven New Forest cicadas have arrived at Paultons Park, all females collected from France. A number of these females were already pregnant and have been seen laying eggs in their specially-made enclosures, although the long life cycle means that it will not be known if the breeding has been successful until 2029 at the earliest.

An article about the arrival can be read here.
 
Had a great day at Paulton's yesterday. The wait times for rides were surprisingly low for a sunny Saturday and the animal areas were very quiet. Here's some notes:

- The Jerboas and cape house snake were no shows, with the former being replaced by harvest mice and the snake exhibit had a note on it saying it was under refurbishment.

- The porcupine enclosure was also under refurbishment.

- two new invertebrate arrivals since I last visited: Seychelles giant millipede and Death's head cockroach. Held in beastie burrow and Wild Lands respectively.

- the locust exhibit with the dome in beastie burrow has been replaced with lizard plush toys.
 
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