Yorkshire Wildlife Park Yorkshire Wildlife Park News 2016

[wayne4swfc]

People are saying they've now got some Grevy's zebra and still some of the old Chapman's (not in the same place)

Grevys would certainly be more striking and from a conservation point of view more valuable but aren't Chapmans used more frequently in mixed exhibits due to their size and temperament? I'm sure that in the wild they live in mixed herds though so it could be possible. Would be strange to hold both and exhibit them seperately.

 

[Bib Fortuna]

Two Grevy's mares arrived from Augsburg Zoo. That zoo wasn't allowed to breed with them since 2008, but now a new stallion arrived at Augusburg, so the zoo send this two females to Yorkshire. I guess, Yorkshire will maybe keeping only a female group.

 

[OrangePerson]

Grevys would certainly be more striking and from a conservation point of view more valuable but aren't Chapmans used more frequently in mixed exhibits due to their size and temperament? I'm sure that in the wild they live in mixed herds though so it could be possible. Would be strange to hold both and exhibit them seperately.

As I recall they did get offered Grevy's before the Chapman's (right back in year 1 when they had a zebra as the logo but no zebra in the park and were wanting some) and didn't have them because of them not being a good prospect for the mixed African plains exhibit.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Two Grevy's mares arrived from Augsburg Zoo. That zoo wasn't allowed to breed with them since 2008, but now a new stallion arrived at Augusburg, so the zoo send this two females to Yorkshire. I guess, Yorkshire will maybe keeping only a female group.

What about now? Are YWP allowed to breed the species?

 

[wayne4swfc]

Maybe the grevys are to mix with the black rhino whilst the Chapman Zebra are for the other side to make it seem more like an African plain? I know black rhino are difficult to mix but maybe Grevys zebra are big enough and agressive enough to look after themselves?

 

[Big Rob]

I do hope they can hold both species,i have missed the Zebra over the past few months. Would be nice if they could breed them too.
Wish they would thin out the Lechwe a bit. The male is supposed to be neutered/castrated but they seem to breed like rabbits.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Maybe the grevys are to mix with the black rhino whilst the Chapman Zebra are for the other side to make it seem more like an African plain? I know black rhino are difficult to mix but maybe Grevys zebra are big enough and agressive enough to look after themselves?

It certainly is worth a try and I do think if anything the Grevy's can stand their ground in the face of black rhino (also given their far more unstructured fission fusion herd …).

 

[73SLMK]

Grevys zebra

On a recent visit to Chester Zoo we saw some Grevys zebra and they were magnificent. They are so big and their manes so striking. They would be an excellent addition to an excellent animal collection.
On a personal note I would love to see elephants at Yorkshire too. They breed at Chester and currently ahve a one year old called Nandita who is absolutely adorable, but then I love ALL babies!!

 

[OrangePerson]

On a personal note I would love to see elephants at Yorkshire too. They breed at Chester and currently ahve a one year old called Nandita who is absolutely adorable, but then I love ALL babies!!

Not baby elephants, they die and break your heart!

Primates, we need primates!!! Enough already with the carnivores, a few more ungulates permitted but then PRIMATES!!!

 

[73SLMK]

Elephants are not carnivores! I accept that there is currently an issue with Herpes in young elephants, but surely the more people work on this the sooner we can eradicate it.
Orangs would be good as they are funny to watch and also like chimps!

 

[kiang]

Primates and please some more birds, in fact, lots more birds please!

 

[Macaw16]

Anything which isn't a popular, large Mammal would be nice, as they're certainly a very 'mammalist' collection (as in Mammal heavy, and not caring so much about other classes).

 

[zoogiraffe]

Anything which isn't a popular, large Mammal would be nice, as they're certainly a very 'mammalist' collection (as in Mammal heavy, and not caring so much about other classes).

Thats what happens when you have people in charge that don't like cages you get alot of things that cannot fly away!!

 

[Macaw16]

Thats what happens when you have people in charge that don't like cages you get alot of things that cannot fly away!!

I understand why, but what I don't understand why they have the bird of prey/ frogmouth/ skunk aviaries*, when that sort of goes against their 'cage free' policy.



*Of course an aviary can't keep a mammal in, but I hope you get my point.

 

[zoogiraffe]

I understand why, but what I don't understand why they have the bird of prey/ frogmouth/ skunk aviaries*, when that sort of goes against their 'cage free' policy.



*Of course an aviary can't keep a mammal in, but I hope you get my point.

I believe they are not owned by YWP and are hired in to do the displays and it was the people that have been hired in that built them!

 

[wayne4swfc]

I believe they are not owned by YWP and are hired in to do the displays and it was the people that have been hired in that built them!

The last time I went the aviarys were pretty much empty anyway I have a feeling that now the amphitheatre is being used for a bug show not a bird show they may be past their use by date, I expect that this area will be one of the next to be redeveloped.

 

[Big Rob]

I know everyone and their Auntie slags off South lakes/Safari zoo but their new Vulture aviary is vast,offering probably 60 to 80metres long by probably 20mwide and 5 or 6m tall of free flying space for the birds.Surely something of that magnitude would be a great addition to Y.W.P. ( Doesn't have to be Vultures,just 1 example.) The walk in aviary at the relatively close by Lincolnshire wildlife park (formerly Parrot zoo) is something that could be done on an even grander scale with virtually "free-flying" Macaws,Parrots,Parakeets etc making a stunning exhibit if done correctly. Probably cheaper to do the vulture version as birds like the Andean condor wont require any sort of heating I would of thought?
Anyone else like to see that sort of thing here?

By the way I'm quite sure they will do a Gorilla enclosure in the not too distant future.

And probably Elephants within 5 years too.

 

[wayne4swfc]

Having read through the last few planning applications I would highly doubt that they would add elephants anytime soon. There are massive concerns over the high pressure gas mains under the site and the amount of people that are on top of them. The last few additions have got around these concerns by saying that the species wouldn't add major interest but I feel they would struggle to make that argument with elephants. As for the avairy's, free flight or not, birds and herps just don't seem to be something that the current directors are interested in and for a new zoo starting out the addition of more "big mammals" will probably help them to grow visitor numbers more.

 

[FunkyGibbon]

Having read through the last few planning applications I would highly doubt that they would add elephants anytime soon. There are massive concerns over the high pressure gas mains under the site and the amount of people that are on top of them. The last few additions have got around these concerns by saying that the species wouldn't add major interest but I feel they would struggle to make that argument with elephants. As for the avairy's, free flight or not, birds and herps just don't seem to be something that the current directors are interested in and for a new zoo starting out the addition of more "big mammals" will probably help them to grow visitor numbers more.

Is this not then a much bigger issue than whether or not they get elephants? YWP appears to be the UK's fastest growing zoo. If the site genuinely can't support any more visitors then it'sa bit of an "irresistible force meets immovable object" situation. Surely the management won't rest on their laurels at this point.

 

[wayne4swfc]

I think it's a massive issue but whilever they keep getting applications passed its got to be tempting to just ignore it. It appears that the move further away from the pipeline out towards the new playground is to help in this regards as the visitor numbers will be more spread out. However the pause in works at Project Polar due to the same Pipeline may be because of some plan to deal with it.

As a seperate point I hope they use planting or even some hard landscaping/mock rock to hide the view of the sewerage works behind the African plains, it seems to somewhat ruin the vista.