Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo news 2025

Pertinax said:
I just saw a very recent video on Marwell's Okapis hosted by keepers. It confirmed I was correct in the two females that I saw together, as well as featuring the new birth.
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I saw some videos of keepers and okapis recently posted by Marwell and Chester for World Okapi Day. What impressed me is how close the keepers got to the okapis and even touch them... I always figured they were more protected contact animals? They are quite big and usually shy
 
That was the Marwell video that I mentioned above. Some must be very tame. I talked to a keeper at Bristol once who was brushing an Okapi, like grooming a horse. But the other week at Marwell I trod on a twig and one of the Okapis nearby jumped and briefly trotted away. They have signs up at entrances to the house asking for quiet etc as they are nervous, so I think nervous but very approachable and gentle. Love them.
 
I was in the okapi house earlier this year talking to a keeper who was cleaning the enclosure and one of the okapis walked over to her and seemed to want to be stroked. I think I remember her saying it was Nkutu.

The signs at the house about being quiet, do seem to make a difference. I can't remember ever seeing anyone not respect the signs. I sometimes wonder if it is the way the signs are displayed. Firstly they are very large and secondly the wording is all about the animals being naturally very nervous. Very different to the "Please don't bang on the glass" signs you often see being routinely ignored.
 
Marwell Bites animal news October 2025 - Marwell Zoo
A new release from Marwell about updates for October 2025.
Some things I found notable...
-The Blue-crowned Laughingthrush have moved from the 'back garden aviary' [I'm guessing this is the aviary behind Marwell Hall?] to the Tropical House, with the Mount Omei liocichla chicks set to move in in December.
-The ostriches have moved to the former Blesbok enclosure.
-The female red panda has finally moved over to the old leopard/clouded leopard enclosure, but for the time being is off display.
 
Glad the Red Panda exhibit has opened. I do like it as an exhibit and am curious as to how it will be used from a viewing perspective, but is undoubtedly an upgrade for Cherry.

The movement of the Ostrich is interesting - you have 3 species, almost in a row (Lesser Kudu, Arabian Oryx & Ostrich) that don't look like they have a future at Marwell! I always forget the app actually have Ostrich so I guess this is a positive move.
 
They used to have more ostrich than they do now and had breeding... but they gradually let the group dwindle until today where there are only two females.
Will be curious with this move if they intend to bring more ostriches in or if the two females they have now will have their final resting place in the old blesbok area.
 
Notes from a visit today.
  • The new red panda exhibit is now open and viewable. I didn't see Cherry though.I get the feeling viewing might be difficult. There are a lot of places to hide. I did see Tashi in the old exhibit.
  • There has been further progress with converting Macaque Island for red river hogs. They seem to be focusing on digging out and leveling the area at the moment.
  • The indoor part of the penguin exhibit (underwater viewing area) was closed for maintenance.
  • The northern side of the okapi house is still shut but the sign has been updated to say it is because of a newborn.
  • I saw a potoroo (a frequent no show), but not the joey.
  • The red river hogs were allowed in with the sitatunga today.
  • The rhinos were shut out of the main Wild Explorers paddock today. They only had access to their house and hardstanding area. The Grevy's zebras and scimitar horned oryx still had access.
  • Again I saw roan antelopes in the plans zebra indoor quarters. I know they share a paddock but it seems to be the antelope are in the zebra indoor quarters more often than their own.
  • Have they got some more blue faced honeyeaters? It seemed like there were more in their aviary.
  • I saw a male sitatunga in the old sitatunga paddock (it is now used as an off show area).
 
NMM said:
Again I saw roan antelopes in the plans zebra indoor quarters. I know they share a paddock but it seems to be the antelope are in the zebra indoor quarters more often than their own.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but do they not share an indoor quarters with the Zebra with a gap in between the 2 areas? I may be completely wrong but that's what I'd always assumed.
 
Yes, the zebra and roan antelope indoor quarters are effectively just different rooms in the same building. It just seems odd because there is indoor viewing of the zebra's area but not the roan antelopes.
 
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