Howletts Wild Animal Park Howletts Wild Animal Park News 2010
- Thread starter Nisha
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monkeyworld
Well-Known Member
RE Nisha: Do you know the mother of the calf?
monkeyworld
Well-Known Member
This may be bad news as - The only breeding bull at Howletts is Jums, and he is Justa father, Jums x Stuvite = Justa x Jums = Newborn
So this calf maybe inbreed and may give a reason as to why the mother rejected the calf, this is only my theory
So this calf maybe inbreed and may give a reason as to why the mother rejected the calf, this is only my theory
Apparently the calf is healthy and the mother has accepted it now, so your theory of the rejection being caused by inbreeding has not just one, but 2 flaws.
Inbreeding is never ideal, but in the first generation it`s usually no big deal. Although I hope Howletts will exchange Jums soon.
Inbreeding is never ideal, but in the first generation it`s usually no big deal. Although I hope Howletts will exchange Jums soon.
Swapping Jums and one or two cow's for Tembo, the proven bull at Colchester might be a good idea. Colchester's herd has had little success in recent years and the changes might stimulate some breeding.
Is that Howlett's first inbred calf?
They could conceivably add another urelated bull and split the group, keeping Jums on with the unrelated(original) females.
I visited on Monday, spent a lot of time mesmerized by the gorillas in the newer cages, especially Kifu who was being a right poser. Also got very close to one of the old ladies in the kitchen garden, think it was Baby Doll.
Saw the elephant calf from a distance, as the main herd are in the grass paddock while Jums is confined in the sand one due to musth. Once more got to see the younger clouded leopards active and about thanks to the small gap near one of the elephant viewing areas.
There are now sulawelsi macaques at Howletts, in the old heck's macaque enclosure; the heck's themselves are in the javan langur enclosure next to the iberian wolves. The honey badger enclosure has been refurbished, the back being cut down to the point you can see nearly all the enclosure: Saw both Tyson and Winnie as a result. The brazillian tapirs have also been moved to the deer park as their own paddocks seem to have refugee capybaras in them, and it was here that i managed to have one spray my arm. xD
Saw the elephant calf from a distance, as the main herd are in the grass paddock while Jums is confined in the sand one due to musth. Once more got to see the younger clouded leopards active and about thanks to the small gap near one of the elephant viewing areas.
There are now sulawelsi macaques at Howletts, in the old heck's macaque enclosure; the heck's themselves are in the javan langur enclosure next to the iberian wolves. The honey badger enclosure has been refurbished, the back being cut down to the point you can see nearly all the enclosure: Saw both Tyson and Winnie as a result. The brazillian tapirs have also been moved to the deer park as their own paddocks seem to have refugee capybaras in them, and it was here that i managed to have one spray my arm. xD
I take it the Gorilla group nearest the Park entrance('Kijo's group') is still without another male yet?
A bit of a random question but is there any news in terms of the Sumatran Tigers at Howletts? They've been together for a while now and as far as i know there have been no cubs born or any pregnancies.
The female comes from the highly populated Dudley Line (FilonxSarah) so could it be the breeding programme hasn't given them permission to breed?
The female comes from the highly populated Dudley Line (FilonxSarah) so could it be the breeding programme hasn't given them permission to breed?
Visited Howletts a few days back for the first time in quite a few years (having done the RSCC a few days before and Port Lymphe sometime in the coming days) and I really enjoyed it. Howletts being quite a well known and regularly visited collection by ZooChat members I dont feel a full review is needed but just a few thoughts and opinions.
I felt the majority of the enclosures were of very good quality. Certanly the open air primate enclosures were fantastic, in particular the mixed Gelada/Colobus at the entrance. The gorilla enclosures may not have been of such a naturalistic quality of those at Bronx or other worldclass zoos but I definatly couldnt fault them, as someone who doesnt consider Gorillas to be a favourite species I was amazed by how much time I spent looking at them, and it appears others were doing the same.
The other primate enclosures varied in quality however. The walk-through Lemur enclosure was nice enough, and the majoirty of the cages were of good size. Towards the north west corner of the zoo however, things feel a little below par, the cages clearly being a bit old and would really be the only downside of an otherwise fine collection.
Same for the carnivore collection. Faultless Tiger, Dhole and Hunting Dogs enclosures and the others are all of above average quality except one or two. Great looking paddocks for the Elephants aswell, and you cant really fault a collection which has a Deer and Antelope reserve slap bang in the middle of it, aswell as a great looking exhibit of Red River Hogs.
Being a bird fan, you cant help but feel a bit lost with only Peafowl and Guineafowl, and I doubt a rather out of place Reticulated Python enclosure does much for a reptile fan. The seemingly tun loads of the same species (I've never though it'd be bored of seeing enclosure after enclosure of Dusky Langurs) very much so make this quite a specialist collection.
It's a fantastic animal collection of course, Banded Leaf Monkeys, Grizzled Leaf Monkeys, Heck's Macaque, Moloch Gibbons, Dusky Langurs and Lesser Spot-Nosed Monkeys alongside the fine cat collection and fantastic Gorilla and Elephant groups made it brilliant.
I imagine photography would be quite difficult with some of the enclosures and certainly it was difficult viewing some of the cats in particular with the wire and fencing.
A few critiscims aside here & there, Howletts was a very much so enjoyable collection.
I felt the majority of the enclosures were of very good quality. Certanly the open air primate enclosures were fantastic, in particular the mixed Gelada/Colobus at the entrance. The gorilla enclosures may not have been of such a naturalistic quality of those at Bronx or other worldclass zoos but I definatly couldnt fault them, as someone who doesnt consider Gorillas to be a favourite species I was amazed by how much time I spent looking at them, and it appears others were doing the same.
The other primate enclosures varied in quality however. The walk-through Lemur enclosure was nice enough, and the majoirty of the cages were of good size. Towards the north west corner of the zoo however, things feel a little below par, the cages clearly being a bit old and would really be the only downside of an otherwise fine collection.
Same for the carnivore collection. Faultless Tiger, Dhole and Hunting Dogs enclosures and the others are all of above average quality except one or two. Great looking paddocks for the Elephants aswell, and you cant really fault a collection which has a Deer and Antelope reserve slap bang in the middle of it, aswell as a great looking exhibit of Red River Hogs.
Being a bird fan, you cant help but feel a bit lost with only Peafowl and Guineafowl, and I doubt a rather out of place Reticulated Python enclosure does much for a reptile fan. The seemingly tun loads of the same species (I've never though it'd be bored of seeing enclosure after enclosure of Dusky Langurs) very much so make this quite a specialist collection.
It's a fantastic animal collection of course, Banded Leaf Monkeys, Grizzled Leaf Monkeys, Heck's Macaque, Moloch Gibbons, Dusky Langurs and Lesser Spot-Nosed Monkeys alongside the fine cat collection and fantastic Gorilla and Elephant groups made it brilliant.
I imagine photography would be quite difficult with some of the enclosures and certainly it was difficult viewing some of the cats in particular with the wire and fencing.
A few critiscims aside here & there, Howletts was a very much so enjoyable collection.
Which species of Mangabey would this be?
Howlett's oldest Gorilla turns Fifty.
Mouila, Howlett's oldest Gorilla has turned fifty- or rather, fifty years at Howletts that is, as she was wildborn. She is one of the original group that John Aspinall set up in the early 1960's.
The Daily Telegraph article on this has a photo of a younger Gorilla carrying 'presents' (very funny!) but oddly there's no picture of Mouila herself. She is the eldest of the three old female Gorillas still at Howletts(Baby Doll and Juju are one and two years younger than Mouila respectively). Mouila is the mother of a number of offspring (mostly males,) including the two silverbacks Boulas & Oumbi which are currently at Twycross, and she is currently also the UK's oldest Gorilla.
Mouila, Howlett's oldest Gorilla has turned fifty- or rather, fifty years at Howletts that is, as she was wildborn. She is one of the original group that John Aspinall set up in the early 1960's.
The Daily Telegraph article on this has a photo of a younger Gorilla carrying 'presents' (very funny!) but oddly there's no picture of Mouila herself. She is the eldest of the three old female Gorillas still at Howletts(Baby Doll and Juju are one and two years younger than Mouila respectively). Mouila is the mother of a number of offspring (mostly males,) including the two silverbacks Boulas & Oumbi which are currently at Twycross, and she is currently also the UK's oldest Gorilla.
Visited Howletts with zoogiraffe on Saturday - not too much to report but the area around the North China Leopards was fenced off due a leopard birth, which is very encouraging.
We only spent the afternoon there, having split the morning between a quick visit to Wingham (for me, mainly to see the Little Red Fruit Bats that eluded me when they were at the RSCC!) and a trip round the RSCC. Sunday spent at Port Lympne - making for a tiring but rewarding weekend! Photos, of course, to follow!
Can I ask - where did you see Lesser Spot-noses? We had our eyes open for them but couldn't find them anywhere.
We only spent the afternoon there, having split the morning between a quick visit to Wingham (for me, mainly to see the Little Red Fruit Bats that eluded me when they were at the RSCC!) and a trip round the RSCC. Sunday spent at Port Lympne - making for a tiring but rewarding weekend! Photos, of course, to follow!
Can I ask - where did you see Lesser Spot-noses? We had our eyes open for them but couldn't find them anywhere.
Originally I thought in the un-labelled enclosure next to the Heck's Macaques, in the primate enclosures near the Wolves and Leopards. Judging from the guidebook, the only monkey species that fitted were the Guenons so I went with that.
However, a bit of Googling and confirming with Zootierliste makes me think that the monkey was actually a Samango Monkey instead.