Marwell Wildlife Review of my Marwell visit 29/08/09

[Pertinax]

Sitatunga.

Of course, this is just speculation, and Marwell could completely suprise us.

Regarding new species for the valley, it is a pity they don't try the Sitatunga as well as they have that huge lake. This is a semi-aquatic antelope species but at present Marwell's appear to have no water or pool at all. I noticed Whipsnade's do have a small pond but at Cricket St Thomas the shallow river runs through the Sitatungas' paddock and they can be seen freely wading in it. I'm sure they would swim too if it were deep enough.

 

[Zambar]

They've just dug a small pond in the sitatunga paddock only a few months ago. And the sitatunga will probably go in the West African Wetlands area once the biomes plan starts fleshing out, near the pygmy hippos.

 

[Pertinax]

They've just dug a small pond in the sitatunga paddock only a few months ago.

good news- I somehow missed that. 'West african wetlands' sounds a good eventual destination for them- they really are interesting to see in the water.

 

[zooboy]

Most of the errors and questions have been correctly address by the latter contributors to this thread, but I can confirm the following:

Gerenuks were never kept at Marwell.

The Goral were on show in the southern part of the current Nyala enclosure when the park first opened.

There is off-show accommodation in the Warthog House; it would not be desireable to mix the male with his daughter.

Thanks to Bongo Rob for fully quoting from "Marwell the Story so Far" which confirms that African lions were not obtained for Marwell. HOWEVER there WAS an African lion cub very briefly at Marwell in 1973. It was obtained, on loan from Windsor Safari Park, as a companion for the first, hand-reared, tiger cub. However this did not work out and the animal was returned. This is also refered to in MTSSF (page 28); it was unnecessary to state that it was an African lion as there were no Asian lions kept in the UK at that time.

Not sure about all these "empty enclosures" that people keep seeing. The only empty ones are where work is going on. If there is a sign on the enclosure then an animal can be in it, but animals often hide or choose to be in their housing. The old Babirusa enclosure, for example, houses Anoa, and there are still plenty of kangaroos and peccaries - they just chose not to to be about at the time of your visits.

 

[Gary]

Could someone clue me in on the exhibit featuring the giant eggs? There was a broken off sign on the floor that mentioned elephant birds-I assume it is some sort of art installation?

Was it previously a used enclosure? Or was it put together solely for whatever reason?

And, out of interest, when animals are kept "off-show" at Marwell, is this on zoo grounds or is there a separate site used? Any idea what animals are not currently on view-someone previously mentioned cheetah?

Some years back, I had seen some small native rodents being bred in a house in the old stable year (I think)-is this still ongoing?

 

[Zambar]

That was an art exhibit that had a mock exhibit sign about elephant birds, with a hole in the fence covered in feathers where the elephant bird had 'escaped' and then footprints in the ground leading to the woods. I was told that it's coming down, which explains the disrepair. It's on the site of the old snow leopard enclosure, specifically the rock ledge, the only thing remaining from it.

There are number of pens in the stable yard (the walled compund that Tropical World is built into) where animals are kept off-show, and I went in there several years ago to see the bat-eared foxes in one of the pens before they went on display. Larger animals I think are usually kept shut in the houses out of public view if they need to stay off-show, as was the case with the black wildebeest.

There was a rodent room in the stables behind the gazelle, and now otter/anoa enclosure stables that held a large number of rodents. This area is now off-show to the public as is the old porcupine pen and aviary row nearby, but I'm not sure whether the rodents have been discontinued or not.

 

[mhale]

Visited the other day and have a few questions, maybe Marwell Dalek or someone could answer;

1. There are only two female Warthogs now(mother & daughter?) Did the male die? Is another on the way?

Xena and her daughter are on-show in the front part of the house, but Hercules is off-show with their sons at the back of the house. The males generally get the run of the outdoor enclosure at the end of each day. I saw all five of them today (and took photos to prove it) so can assure you that Hercules is certainly alive and well

4. What is the work being done in the Pygmy hippo outdoor enclosure(or adjacent to it)

The fencing alongside the railway line is being replaced, so the hippos do not have access to their paddock at the moment.

6. Peccaries- there seemed to be just three instead of the big group previously. Where have they all gone?

I saw 9 peccaries outside today, so you were just unlucky

Interesting to see the new Black wildebeest- the male is extremely quiet- totally unlike his predecessor but there is plenty of time for him to become territorial and aggressive(but then maybe he won't)

The male was snorting a little bit today (this is the second time I have heard him), but generally he does seem calm.

 

[Pertinax]

The male was snorting a little bit today (this is the second time I have heard him), but generally he does seem calm.

The old male used to snort/belch almost continously when he was outdoors. He would canter around the perimeter of the hardstanding too. If this one develops this sort of behaviour they will have to put them further away from the public as he will start attacking the fences if he's angry.

Thanks for the other explanations too..

 

[bongorob]

They've just dug a small pond in the sitatunga paddock only a few months ago. And the sitatunga will probably go in the West African Wetlands area once the biomes plan starts fleshing out, near the pygmy hippos.

I'm surprised that sitatunga and lechwe are often kept with no access to water. In the 1970s a male sitatunga at Chester was kept in the area now occupied by Asian Plains, the pond at the north end of the enclosure was in his enclosure. I never saw him in the water but I can imagine that the exhibit was very suitable for a sitatunga.