Quite a nice mixed exhibit - seemed to be reasonable numbers of Blackbuck, Hog Deer and Axis but Nilgai looking a bit thin on the ground. Very nice how you see the exhibit from several different viewpoints but never see the whole paddock.
Quite a nice mixed exhibit - seemed to be reasonable numbers of Blackbuck, Hog Deer and Axis but Nilgai looking a bit thin on the ground. Very nice how you see the exhibit from several different viewpoints but never see the whole paddock.
I think this dates back to the very earliest collection at Howletts, well before it was open to public. I would very much like to know where the Axis/Nilgai/Blackbuck (formerly) Sambar and Hog Deer which grace this paddock originated from. I believe some may have come from the former Maidstone Zoo when it closed but not sure if correct or which species. I am rather doubful that he actually imported any of these species but am not sure about that either. Given his poor opinion about London Zoo I'd be surprised if any came from Whipsnade, but you never know...
Does anyone else think it's about time the move the deers out, and have a Mixed African exhibit? This is a large enclosure, and could be made in to a very good exhibit. All of this space is, in my opinion, wasted on these animals. New fencing and housing will need to be created, however it will be worth it. I can imagine the Giraffes, Zebras, Ostriches etc, roaming around this great enclosure now. Does anyone agree with me?
Couldn't agree less I'm afraid. It already is a very good exhibit! The Asian ungulates look wonderful in the paddock and there's a much more spacious African exhibit at Port Lympne.
Why do you consider these deer and antelope a 'waste'? Nilgai and Hog Deer in particular are not easy to find in captivity these days.
I'm sure this paddock will remain as it is, mainly because its an integral part of the Howletts parkland setting and allows views to and from the mansion without any buildings or fencing (apart from rustic wood palings) in sight.
African animals would require more elaborate housing, modern fencing while Giraffe would ruin the trees(which include a specimen Sweet Chesnut- the biggest(?) in the UK.) So I agree with Maguari that Port Lympne is the place for such developments, not here.
It is a quite attractive exhibit and is a mainstay IMO for Howletts. Also, it is nice that actually both parks differ in setting and species. Howletts is more oriented towards Asian animals anyway (why bother with an African veldt exhibit when PL does that job brilliantly spacewise ...).
I have never understood why Howletts choose to maintain 4-6 Lowland tapir when Port Lympne has been the main UK holding for Malayan tapir for so long. I would far prefer to see an attempt to establish a breeding pair of Malayan tapir in the wooded area of the park. I would like to see the lowland tapir paddocks, as well as the kudu paddock, connected to the deer park, and used for Asian rhino. I would love to see a haha system developed in some sections of the perimeter, and for the rhino to be mixed at times with the antelope in the main park.
I would also rather see peafowl maintained in the deer park rather than guinea fowl. I am sure Howletts used to have peafowl, however this may not be an accurate memory.
I have never understood why Howletts choose to maintain 4-6 Lowland tapir when Port Lympne has been the main UK holding for Malayan tapir for so long.
I would like to see the lowland tapir paddocks, as well as the kudu paddock, connected to the deer park, and used for Asian rhino. I would love to see a haha system developed in some sections of the perimeter, and for the rhino to be mixed at times with the antelope in the main park.
I would also rather see peafowl maintained in the deer park rather than guinea fowl. I am sure Howletts used to have peafowl, however this may not be an accurate memory.
1.There have always been a few anomolies about Howletts/PL animal stocks and this is probably one of them.
2. I don't think Asian rhinos at Howletts would ever happen as they would need heavy steel fencing and big housing which would destroy the picturesque feel of the area while Rhinos would plough up the paddock and probably damage the specimen trees too. They make paddocks very bare with their regular 'footpaths' too.
However I think the large flat area at the bottom of Port Lympne where the Buffalo are would be ideal for Asian Rhino. In fact they were offered a number some years ago by the Indian(or Nepali) Government- animals that needed to be relocated for various reasons from the National Parks, but for some inexplicable reason they turned them down- possily as a result of the Sumatran rhino failures they were experiencing. Yet G.I. Rhino is as easy to keep/breed as the African species and would have been a good species for them.
