Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Port Lympne 2011

I'm bit confused about the lynx situation between the Aspinall parks - Zootierliste show PL to hold Northern and Howletts to hold Siberian and no ssp. specific.

However, I'm sure Siberian were at PL when I went, and Northern at Howletts - would make sense since I believe the lynx at PL were in quarentine, yet it's not like zootierliste to be out of date on such a thing :s
 
The parks' Youtube Channel is showing 12 wildebeest calves born this year, apparently making a total of 41 wildebeest now at the park. This species has been highly prolific since arriving at PL.
 
The wildebeest have indeed done well there. Presumably it was 45 before they moved four(?) males to Longleat?

I presume the intention is to allow them to increase into a really big herd so they can replace the Asian deer/antelope as African 'big game' in the African mixed area. That would be worth seeing.
 
I've just come back from a two-night stay in the East, one of which was doing the Livingstone Lodge overnighter. Got to say it was absolutely fantastic, very knowledgeable guides who used to work in Africa with many stories to tell, and one announced during the tour how much he loved Marwell's giraffe house, so we were able to find more common ground there. :p Great food, brilliant accomodation where you can wake up to eland outside your tent and Milo the lion roaring on the other side of the Park. I'd really recommend to everyone here, partly as it's a much more satisfying experience than the 'general' safari you get, especially as they stop the truck for ages at animal spots during the VIP tour.

Anyway, the two days were very enjoyable and perhaps because of what we were booked on to the changes weren't so drastic as they were to others. I was disappointed that you can't walk to the elephants, house and gorilla pavillion, and overhearing an educator's conversation with some other visitors they are taking complaints into account and may well make further revisions; they indeed stopped making visitors get on the trucks the moment they arrived after two weeks, and now provide an alternative walking route to the carnivore enclosures: So those who think a visit to PL requires a certain ride in a truck, it is once again not the case.
 
Zambar said:
they indeed stopped making visitors get on the trucks the moment they arrived after two weeks, and now provide an alternative walking route to the carnivore enclosures: So those who think a visit to PL requires a certain ride in a truck, it is once again not the case.
Click to expand...

When they advertised this reorganisation of the Park, it said that a smaller part of the Park (mainly the Primate and Carnivore sections alongside and below the Mansion at the Western side of the park) would still be a pedestrianised area. It still seems a bit confusing where you now can and can't go on foot. I can't see why the original 'round' bachelor Gorilla pavilion has now been closed off to Pedestrians either- what is the point of that?

It seems they are still making alterations to the access layout in what is their first summer of this new regime. They are bound to get some complaints whatever they do! Hopefully further re-appraissal may re-allow access to some areas for enthusiasts who don't want to go on the trucks or who wish to take the opportunity for prolonged viewing of rare species which the reorganisation has, to an extent, taken away.

Glad you had a good time with your 'experience'. Interesting to get some positive feedback (this year) from Port Lympne for a change.
 
Last edited:
lechweoryx said:
Bit of news. 6 Barasingha calves have been born this summer bringing the herd up to 22 individuals.
Click to expand...

At one time they had a large herd of Barasingha(100+?). Recently there seems to have only been a very small herd(about a dozen animals) in one of the Paddocks on the hillside opposite the Bison. It seems they are building this herd up again.

On ISIS these are listed as Cervus. d. branderi which is the Central Indian 'hard ground' Barasingha. I would like to know if this group are genuine 'branderi' and so a more recent import of this much rarer race of this Deer, or if this description is actually wrong and they are simply descendants of their original Northern Barasingha which they've had, in varying numbers, for many years.
 
Last edited:
Jordan-Jaguar97 said:
Port Lympe have annouced the birth of three Meekrats.
Click to expand...

Come on, that's really not worth reporting. What's next, "Buck and Doe rabbit become proud parents of three in Pets Corner"?

If you must must recycle the news from websites and e-letters please operate some filter so that only the genuinely interesting and/or newsworthy* get through.

Your enthusiasm is great, but try and focus it a little more.

*I realise the borderline of this is totally subjective, but that post was definitely on the wrong side of newsworthy.
 
Nisha said:
0:2 Gorilla (one from Howletts and one from PL) are now calling Brazil home after being moved to a zoo over there this week.
Male gorilla gets female companions: News24: Sci-Tech: News
Click to expand...

Its been very unusual for Howletts/PL to part with (just) female Gorillas in the past, though they have done so previously to one zoo in France(0.2 to Beauval), while St Martin have also had a total of 2.2 from them.

I wonder if this is part of a reciprocal agreement and that they will receive animals from Brazil?
 
This strikes me as a very odd decision from Aspinall's, but i am guessing like the export of animals to Schmutzer, in Indonesia, there must be something in it for Howletts/PL.
 
If not reciprocal then there will most likely be some other benefit to them (money?)- Howletts/Pl animal transactions/exchanges are never one-sided and usually benefit them in some way.
 
Last edited:
Pertinax said:
If not reciprocal then there will most likely be some other benefit to them (money?)- Howletts/Pl animal transactions/exchanges are never one-sided and usually benefit them in some way.
Click to expand...

Incremently, all zoo deals have an interest for them. This is just not particular to PL, as it is to all zoos, if that be in the form of conservation out-reach or new species or staff exchanges.

Surely, PL will have sent gorilla staff over to Brazil to check over the BL Zoo, have probably entertained BL primate staff at PL, perhaps even on a gorilla husbandry training, and on transfer sent out several keepers for the first few critical weeks of acclimatisation.

They did much the same in the Schmutzer Center deal too.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Incremently, all zoo deals have an interest for them. This is just not particular to PL, as it is to all zoos, if that be in the form of conservation out-reach or new species or staff exchanges.

Surely, PL will have sent gorilla staff over to Brazil to check over the BL Zoo, have probably entertained BL primate staff at PL, perhaps even on a gorilla husbandry training, and on transfer sent out several keepers for the first few critical weeks of acclimatisation.

They did much the same in the Schmutzer Center deal too.
Click to expand...

True enough. What I was implying was that I'm wondering what species(if any) they might get in return.

I'm sure they will have checked out the accomodation as I believe they refused to allow the transfer of another of their male Gorillas(Boulas) already living at another zoo, to a new male group at (I think it was) Warsaw(?) because they didn't approve the accomodation layout.
 
Last edited:
Port Lympne have caught footage of a Javan rhino and her calf on a camera trap in Ujong Kulon. Footage is clear and, for a Javan rhino nut like myself, very interesting :)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can see the moment the mother becomes aware of the camera(or at least something 'alien') and backs away from it. Positive proof of recent breeding though which is good.

A few years ago it was rumoured Howletts or Port Lympne could get Javan Rhinos. However my guess would be that after being unsuccessful with the Sumatrans that they might be less willing to take them on. Though I suspect Javans may be no harder to keep/breed in captivity than their close relative the G.I. Rhino. But it would be taking a considerable risk for somewhere to prove that was the case.
 
Last edited:
Pertinax said:
You can see the moment the mother becomes aware of the camera(or at least something 'alien') and backs away from it. Positive proof of recent breeding though which is good.

A few years ago it was rumoured Howletts or Port Lympne could get Javan Rhinos. However my guess would be that after being unsuccessful with the Sumatrans that they might be less willing to take them on. Though I suspect Javans may be no harder to keep/breed in captivity than their close relative the G.I. Rhino. But it would be taking a considerable risk for somewhere to prove that was the case.
Click to expand...

I like the way that the mother is wary of the 'alien' object, though that can only be expected.

I may be a little biased, but I would love to see somewhere (indeed, one of the Aspinall parks) take on Javan rhino, though I can't see it happening. I would say that Javan rhinos could be successful, and we have to remember that PL would have had better success with Sumatran rhino had they had better specimens - from what I hear they were the first to crack the husbandry of the species.

An ex-situ population would be a huge advantage to the species, but I just can't see anybody trying it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top