Its Lesser Kudu, and yes they will all disappear.
Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo news 2025
- Thread starter Nisha
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This is really sad news, if all of these Antelope are indeed on Marwell's "disappear" list then that will just leave 6 species (Addax, SH Oryx, Roan, Bongo, Sitatunga and Dik Dik) left... sadly I can see the large Antelope species collection (like in the 80s/ 90s) becoming a thing of the past
It is sad. It does raise an interesting question regarding Marwell's direction as the extensive hoofstock range explained and compensated for the significant gaps elsewhere in the collection. Also sad in that when it does happen, it mean those species disappear from the UK (assuming nobody else goes into them in the meantime).
It is likely they will find replacement species, but it will be a question of what those are.
It is likely they will find replacement species, but it will be a question of what those are.
That would be a sorry loss ... allthough I must admit the Desert Area and the Hoofstock Range have looked kind of stale over the last few years....
Just to explain, the four species, Lesser Kudu, 0.2. mother and daughter, Marwell will not keep them in the future, Dorcas Gazelle, 2.1. adult pair with there adult son, Marwell used to keep a group of over twenty,but decided some time ago to stop keeping them they will did out at Marwell, Beisa Oryx, 2.0. father and son, arrived in 2022 from YWP, at the time Marwell said they would bring females in,but nothing has happened, Arabian Oryx, 0.2. maybe they will still keep them in the future hope so, but animals need to come in,it would also be nice to see another UK zoo keeping them as well.
Certainly it will be a sad loss when these animals can no longer be seen at Marwell but it must be appreciated that Marwell is the only collection in the UK to keep these 4 species so the situation is not helped at all by the fact that no other zoos or safari parks in the UK are participating in keeping these species. All four species are, of course, kept in some collections in Europe and it is getting easier to import now that the major issues caused by Brexit are being resolved, but blue-tongue is a new threat to moving antelope. But it must be hard to decide to import these animals if breeding is the intention unless other collections are prepared to participate with these species. We can but hope that Marwell continues to maintain 10 or more species of antelope - as it has done almost since it opened - by introducing new species when the existing ones go.
It's a bit like a graveyard..... I don't see the point in letting these 4 species., or some of them, just peter out and then be replaced by more and different ones. Where's the guarantee this won't just happen again? Whatever the problems I don't think they should just give up on species in this way.
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Welcoming our first potoroo joey!
First-time parents Truffle and Neville have welcomed an adorable new addition.
Potoroos are small marsupials from Australia, and with numbers still decreasing in the wild, every birth is so important for the species' conservation.
Next time you visit, look out for the little one near our Native Species Zone.
Welcoming our first potoroo joey!
First-time parents Truffle and Neville have welcomed an adorable new addition.
Potoroos are small marsupials from Australia, and with numbers still decreasing in the wild, every birth is so important for the species' conservation.
Next time you visit, look out for the little one near our Native Species Zone.
Visited Marwell today, the first time for a number of years. I was aware of the big drop in herd/group numbers of the hoofed stock as mentioned on here, so that was no surprise. But I was rather surprised to see so many dilapidated and empty buildings though, and other areas in a state of on going work. The old coati roundabout was a heap of rubble and the macaque island in a similar state at present but hopefully are being rebuilt in some form.. When you walk into the park even before the new shifted entrance, the first thing you pass is an overgrown empty pond. Why not clean it up and add the flamingos?I know flamingoes at a zoo entrance is rather a cliche but it would be such a big improvement in this case.
I saw all my main target species including nearly all the ones that get mentioned on here because they are on the verge of being lost from the UK- the lesser kudu,Arabian and Beisa oryx, Dorcas gazelle etc.I felt the only decent herd of anything really was the Banteng(10 in number) The valley field had the only other proper herd , the Prezwalski horses(9). It's a great setting that they have never seemed able to make full use of.
The young male Okapi is being weaned and was seperate from his mother. I missed the Sitatunga(?) and Gemsbok for some reason and the Anoa was a no show. I only saw one Addax in the desert-type enclosure with the two Dorcas gazelle. The main highlights for me were the Okapis and the last two Arabian Oryx but other species like the Somali Asses are always nice to see there.
I was pleased to see the Siamang enclosure now has plenty of webbing to allow them to use the whole space properly, a big improvement on what I saw before. Not actually seeing them didn't matter.
Lovely grounds but very small numbers of the main high profile species, and the numerous unused buildings were unfortunately very prominent.
I saw all my main target species including nearly all the ones that get mentioned on here because they are on the verge of being lost from the UK- the lesser kudu,Arabian and Beisa oryx, Dorcas gazelle etc.I felt the only decent herd of anything really was the Banteng(10 in number) The valley field had the only other proper herd , the Prezwalski horses(9). It's a great setting that they have never seemed able to make full use of.
The young male Okapi is being weaned and was seperate from his mother. I missed the Sitatunga(?) and Gemsbok for some reason and the Anoa was a no show. I only saw one Addax in the desert-type enclosure with the two Dorcas gazelle. The main highlights for me were the Okapis and the last two Arabian Oryx but other species like the Somali Asses are always nice to see there.
I was pleased to see the Siamang enclosure now has plenty of webbing to allow them to use the whole space properly, a big improvement on what I saw before. Not actually seeing them didn't matter.
Lovely grounds but very small numbers of the main high profile species, and the numerous unused buildings were unfortunately very prominent.
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It does seem that after a few years of positivity, things at Marwell seem to be in a bit of a transition again. Some through no fault of their own (they couldn’t know they’d go to all that effort to bring in clouded leopards and bush dogs just for them to die so soon after arriving), and some through management choices, eg letting the herds dwindle.
Not a key thing but not a fan of the new entrance system, when I visited. Seems a bit convoluted.
Not a key thing but not a fan of the new entrance system, when I visited. Seems a bit convoluted.
Did you mean to say Gemsbok or something else? They haven't had Gemsbok for some time.
The Marwell Zoo still requires good animal collection management and better investment focus to really get ahead. I have more confidence in the current senior management then what had been about a few years before her.
Despite the negatives -and there are positives too, I forgot to mention I like what they are doing with native species like Sand Lizard and Crayfish. Sand Lizard in particular they have contributed large numbers for reintroduction programmes, including some that are locally near me.
I guess in busy times the booked people just get fast tracked on entry, while the walk-ins have to go over to the shop which might create congestion in there. I haven't been a fan of all this booking business up till now but I saved money doing it the night before and I can see the advantages now....
It is intended that a new admissions kiosk(s) will be built next year to replace the temporary arrangements currently in place. The temporary kiosks were necessary to allow the old entrance to be demolished and other changes made. I expect what is now the pre-entrance area, will be re-landscaped on completion but, of course, as the pond (formerly the black-swan pond) is now technically external to the zoo, it would not be possible to keep flamingos, or other non-native species, on it.
Why wouldn't it be possible? It is now just outside the part you have to pay to access It isn't outside the gates or anything.
At the Cotswold Wildlife Park you drive past the paddocks containing ostrich, llama and reindeer before you pay to get in. I haven't been to Paignton for while, but there you queued up to pay to go in alongside the flamingo exhibit.
Now with the Keeper's Kitchen cafe being open to people not entering the zoo, maybe one teaser exhibit before the pay kiosks might encourage some spur of the moment decisions to enter the zoo.
At the Cotswold Wildlife Park you drive past the paddocks containing ostrich, llama and reindeer before you pay to get in. I haven't been to Paignton for while, but there you queued up to pay to go in alongside the flamingo exhibit.
Now with the Keeper's Kitchen cafe being open to people not entering the zoo, maybe one teaser exhibit before the pay kiosks might encourage some spur of the moment decisions to enter the zoo.
I think that neglected pond is crying out for flamingoes...it doesn't matter if technically outside the zoo -that is unless there is some legislation technicality or security issue. I know of other places where, as already mentioned, one or more species are viewable before entering.
Ah, right, I see. It did look a bit of a non-entrance at present.
They are indeed doing amazing things in terms of conservation of native species, but 'Thriving through Crayfish' or whatever it's called is a fairly dull exhibit that is hardly going to get the general public or enthusiast alike making a beeline for it.....as with everything Marwell these days, it could have been so much more.