Marwell Wildlife My Monthly Updates 2010 #1

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Luckily the Przewalski's won't have to cope with that noise for much longer, as they'll move to the ankole paddock (the cattle'll go elsewhere) when the cheetah exhibit starts, which was built for wild horses in the first place anyway. The camels will go there too, so I guess they'll keep them in the yard till then to make it easier. The cheetah exhibit work will start May/June apparentley, so if they work quickly they might just finish it in time for Christmas.
 
Don't know at the moment, but if I was taking bets I'd say they'll go completely.
 
hink hey only have about 4 female Ankole Cows left so i would say they might leave of maybe go back to their old yard where the camels are at the moment as work on the Kangaroo paddock seems to be going no where
 
It was Oryx Club today, so a chance to indulge in the great sunshine at Marwell today, great to see all the animals in their paddocks, even if the giraffes were in the 'sluice gate'. As it's only been a week since my last visit there isn't really much to report, so like Maguari did in the Cotswold thread I'll leave you with a photo of the cloudless sky over Marwell's paddocks. :)
 

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Nice shot! :D

It's been a lovely weekend, hasn't it?
 
Visited today. Wonderful beautiful day with some great surprises. First off, Przewalski's Horse foals are cuuute! Secondly, one of the Giraffe's (Matilda?) appears to have had a calf. I guess she/he is only a day or so old and no great photo's I'm afraid. But the little one is beautiful and got up for a run then fell down onto the straw again. Very sweet and curious of everything :)

Apart from that it was a wonderful day out :)
 
I thought a giraffe calf had been born as I saw on the webcam what appeared to be Matilda and a calf shut inside yesterday and there were no public in the house whenever I watched the cam. My husband asked on Marwell's Facebook page if a calf had been born but hasn't had a reply yet :D Brilliant news!
 
I visited Marwell yesterday and here are a few brief comments;

1. There was one buffalo seperate from the Congo buffao group- it looked much darker and different somehow but I could not see it properly- does Zambar or anyone know what this is?

2. Saw only three Mountain Zebras again. Did one leave as well as one arrive? (Still no male).

3. In the Australian walkabout section not a single animal was evident. This is a very bad display. They could put the Grey Kangaroos in here.

4. Saw several empty looking areas, particularly in the Encounter Village area, while the old Tapir(?)House opposite the Pygmy hippos looked very decrepit and in need of tidying up. The tropical House was closed while the enormous African Valley area seemed to have just a few Ostriches and Giraffes, but nothing else on display.

Overall I thought Marwell looked rather 'tired' this visit, with no fresh exhibits and some others in need of renovation- like the Vicuna area. Is this the combination of both a hard winter and the effects of the Recession I wonder?
 
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Pertinax said:
1. There was one buffalo seperate from the Congo buffao group- it looked much darker and different somehow but I could not see it properly- does Zambar or anyone know what this is?
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That would be Donald the bull. He is always kept on his own in the adjoining yard.

Pertinax said:
2. Saw only three Mountain Zebras again. Did one leave as well as one arrive? (Still no male).
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I don't know if one has left, but I only saw three the last time I visited as well.
 
3. That area has good and bad days: Sometimes the wallabies are all over the place and kookaburras sitting on the handrails, sometimes seemingly devoid of life like it was for you. The plan had been to tear down the old ankole barn by Easter 2008 and replace that with a new house for both the grey kangaroos and emus, which would have access to the paddock above the Bush Walk and new viewing areas made on either side. However, that has irritatingly being put on hold several times now due to lack of funding.

4. Agreed that the Encounter Village has been very empty since the renovation; failed exhibits (tamarins, with the three distant birds in their now not putting on much of a good show either) closed ones (black rat area being 'under refurbishment' for months now) and old enclosure spaces being converted for other or empty uses (Small Mammal Barn becoming a kiosk, zebu yard boarded up), though I do like the reptile barn. They could've easily made the place like London's with more active and engaging animals and experiences for the kids, such as converting the rabbit mound for meerkats or marmots maybe, or creating a lorikeet feeding aviary. Not much of an exhibit now, more a bare play park.

The recession has been a hard thing for the park, lots of emphasis on public fundraising for example to try and get the park back on it's feet. However, I'm remaining hopefull that the park is still improving. :)
Takin House currently closed for unknown length of time, and there are usually zebra and waterbuck with them, suprised you didn't see them out as well. Dunno why Tropical World was closed though.
 
Zambar said:
The recession has been a hard thing for the park, lots of emphasis on public fundraising for example to try and get the park back on it's feet. However, I'm remaining hopefull that the park is still improving. :)
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Thanks for your take on it. I just noticed a number of things which led me to think that was the problem, there being a marked difference to the usual 'feel' at Marwell of everything being up to scratch and new developments planned. I hope this is only a 'blip' and they will recover momentum.
 
Some info on the baby giraffe born at Marwell:

We're celebrating the birth of our first pure bred Rothschild giraffe since 1997. Our keepers have named the new addition Nsia, which means ‘the sixth born child’ in Akan, a language spoken in Ghana, west Africa. Pronounced ‘nseeah’, the name is very apt as she is the sixth calf born to her mother, Matilda.
 
Had a good visit to Marwell today. Key points were:

1) Yasmin is back in one half of the snow leopard enclosure (as of two days ago), as Indeever and Irina have finally been paired in the other half (as of Friday 30th April). The pair have the larger half at present but it is hoped to swap them over because that half only has one hatch to the indoor quarters and apparently Indeever tends to steal all the food, whereas the other half has three hatches to the indoor quarters
2) Two penguin chicks have hatched
3) Makeda the giraffe is due to give birth very soon
4) I only saw three Hartmann's zebras again, in the gemsbok paddock
5) Some new enrichment devices have been placed in Akin the Amur leopard's enclosure today, as well as in the fossa enclosure and the meerkat enclosure
6) It was good to see five giraffes, four zebras, eight ostriches and a huge herd of waterbucks in the valley
7) A Przewalski's horse has been born
8) The new serval enclosure is still incomplete
9) Work is underway beside the area where the offshow cheetahs are and a blacked-out barrier has been placed where I usually stand to view them :(
10) The new gardens are coming along
11) The bigger otter enclosure was empty due to essential maintenance work
12) The lemur enclosures are looking good with the new poles and ropes, and the lemurs seemed to be enjoying using them :)

It's great news that the new snow leopards are now together, and that Yasmin has been able to come back into the enclosure after being offshow for a few months. She was certainly taking an interest in her new neighbours, although Indeever appeared to be hiding from her behind the rockwork! I didn't see Irina, but the keeper looked for her inside and out and thought maybe she was in the cave.
 
The best way was to view them from the path that used to lead to Night Life on the left side of the hall on the face that looks out in the zebra/oryx/ostrich paddock, which gave you a view of most of the enclosure meaning you could often see the cheetahs prowling about or sitting on a platform. As mhale says this area is being blocked up (due to the construction of a wedding marquee), the only chance you'll have is if one the cheetahs decides to poke it's head up when you're over by the tiger house on the other side.

But then again, as Suki and Juba are moving into public view once the serval enclosure is complete, you won't need to look much longer.
 
Seen today on the way home-an empty Paignton Zoo/Living Coast van-about 2 miles from Marwell-have we got a new delivery?
 
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