Manor House Wildlife Park Anna Ryder-Richardson - TV Program Sun 30th Nov
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taun
Well-Known Member
The title seems to suggest they know what they are doing....
The Title makes sense now watching the program, with her mid-life crisis. However it also shows they dont have a clue at what there doing and I think the camel dying finally it dawned on them!
But it was after serval animals dying.
taun
Well-Known Member
Yes, but the gibbon enclosure was shocking, were as I have seen lemurs kept in worst but they got a nice new home!
To be fair the lemur enclosure is nice, and they have done the best they can for steve the gibbon.
taun
Well-Known Member
He is, but to me the gibbon would of been a top priority on a project like this.
easytigger
Well-Known Member
I had an interview at manor house at easter and having watched this program i'm not sure if I missed out on a chance of a life time or should breath a sigh of relief.
The place was a dump, without a doubt the worst zoo I had been to but it had potential, there were big improvements in some areas, but they cannot be held responsible for the deaths of these animals, there are keepers and vets there that have been involved in the husbadry of these animals long term, and i get its all down to resources but basic observations would be a start
I really do wish them the best of luck with the project
The place was a dump, without a doubt the worst zoo I had been to but it had potential, there were big improvements in some areas, but they cannot be held responsible for the deaths of these animals, there are keepers and vets there that have been involved in the husbadry of these animals long term, and i get its all down to resources but basic observations would be a start
I really do wish them the best of luck with the project
Last edited:
taun
Well-Known Member
I know TV can be shown in a different light to what actually was going on but with a project like this, surely ensuring your animals are healthy and happy is the first thing you need to address????
And not be dependent on the people there are already there but get a second opinion, as they didn't have a clue!
The main thing the couple brought to the project was obviously enthusiasm, but when Anna was talking about the scimitar horned oryx and said "wherever they come from", that sent a little shudder down my spine.
Then came the opening of the lemur walk through, an excellent exhibit by the looks of it, hopefully "Steve" the siamang will get a similar sort of enclosure with a female.
I wish them well in their new venture, it was filmed before the credit melt down kicked in so times are bound to get tougher.
If they want to bring the crowds in i think one of their priorities should be to bring in a big cat species.
And the final line of the programme was quite insightful, Anna wanting to bring in "a rhino or three". We shall see!
p.s is this a one off documentary or is it a series?
Then came the opening of the lemur walk through, an excellent exhibit by the looks of it, hopefully "Steve" the siamang will get a similar sort of enclosure with a female.
I wish them well in their new venture, it was filmed before the credit melt down kicked in so times are bound to get tougher.
If they want to bring the crowds in i think one of their priorities should be to bring in a big cat species.
And the final line of the programme was quite insightful, Anna wanting to bring in "a rhino or three". We shall see!
p.s is this a one off documentary or is it a series?
However it also shows they dont have a clue at what there doing and I think the camel dying finally it dawned on them!
I did not watch this programme. However I saw most of the 'Ben's Zoo' series. It only goes to show you don't need any experience or knowledge to get into the Zoo industry if you have the cash to buy.
I'm sure they mean well and have already learned a lot. But being so (evidently) zoologically naive, can they have any real plan or direction for the park in mind? Maybe just succeeding in running a 'hotch potch' collection as it is, will be reward enough.
I do wonder how long this and the Dartmoor saga will last though.
jacks zoo
Well-Known Member
Yes the gibbon cage is where the chimps used to live , the rusted chair shown was for them ! I do not remember it as an open enclosure but that is possible . The final shot of the gibbon cage , newly painted , with plenty more ropes and a raised viewing area is as I saw it in September , and is a great improvement . They twice had breeding pairs of siamang but lost at least one adult of each pair. I do not know if Steve is the offspring of the first pair and therefore the male of the second pair , or whether he is the offspring of the second pair .
The lack of basic management causing the loss of the young camel was a shame . I hope their staff and veterinary back-up are now on top of the routine health checks .
They have had scimitar-horned oryx there for years living on grass with only a small shed and no hardstand . They are closed in the winter so I do not know if the oryx are just left out all year , I assume so as there does not appear anywhere else for them to go .
The large paddock where the bison and emu now live , in the first year also housed zebra , ostrich , oryx and sitatunga . There is a large barn which opens out to the paddock with no separate yards or stalls . By the second year the ostrich and oryx had been removed and the sitatunga gone as had a group of four young male bongo from Marwell which had been where the oryx now are .
A number of species appear to have been transferred to Folly Farm - I saw marsh mongoose , sacred ibis and night heron there , all species previously at Manor House . There was also a sign at Folly Farm saying brown capuchins were arriving but I did not see them on show , last night's programme said they were going to a local collection .
The lack of basic management causing the loss of the young camel was a shame . I hope their staff and veterinary back-up are now on top of the routine health checks .
They have had scimitar-horned oryx there for years living on grass with only a small shed and no hardstand . They are closed in the winter so I do not know if the oryx are just left out all year , I assume so as there does not appear anywhere else for them to go .
The large paddock where the bison and emu now live , in the first year also housed zebra , ostrich , oryx and sitatunga . There is a large barn which opens out to the paddock with no separate yards or stalls . By the second year the ostrich and oryx had been removed and the sitatunga gone as had a group of four young male bongo from Marwell which had been where the oryx now are .
A number of species appear to have been transferred to Folly Farm - I saw marsh mongoose , sacred ibis and night heron there , all species previously at Manor House . There was also a sign at Folly Farm saying brown capuchins were arriving but I did not see them on show , last night's programme said they were going to a local collection .
What interests me most is despite the good will and sums of money injected into them, whether places like this and Dartmoor are actually viable in the long term.
The fact they were 'run down' before doesn't necessarily have that much relationship with attendance. If conditions are improved, new 'exciting' species brought in etc is it going to have any major impact on whether the venture will succeed longterm or not? Why have they not prospered before? Why could Mole Hall, Norfolk Wildlife Park and various other smaller collections in the past not keep going?
How will they attract visitors outside of the Holiday season? T.V. publicity from these shows is obviously very valuable but it won't bring people from too far afield, particularly out of the holiday season-which is very short. I don't know the answers. Just wondering...
The fact they were 'run down' before doesn't necessarily have that much relationship with attendance. If conditions are improved, new 'exciting' species brought in etc is it going to have any major impact on whether the venture will succeed longterm or not? Why have they not prospered before? Why could Mole Hall, Norfolk Wildlife Park and various other smaller collections in the past not keep going?
How will they attract visitors outside of the Holiday season? T.V. publicity from these shows is obviously very valuable but it won't bring people from too far afield, particularly out of the holiday season-which is very short. I don't know the answers. Just wondering...
I'm shocked that the response to that show on here is as positive as it is. I don't know anything about animal management, but I was absolutely appalled by it! I know Ben at Dartmoor isn't the most knowledgable person, but he has a real passion which is something money can't buy, and he was quick to hire people who knew exactly what they were doing! This programme seemed to be about a silly woman who didn't know what to do with her life, so she bought a zoo for a bit of a laugh and her husband went along with it.
A few of the main things that I didn't like:
*The reference to a 'tamarind monkey' - oh dear!!!
*Anna's reaction to the reptiles was pathetic, you don't buy a zoo if you're scared of some of the animals!
*I assume the black & white/red ruffed lemurs were mixed? If so, can we look forward to some baby hybrid lemurs?
*All of the arguing, swearing etc. didn't exactly make them look good. I think marriage counselling would have been a better move than buying a zoo!
*Anna admitting she bought the place because of a mid-life crisis and 'it would be somewhere nice to bring up the children' - a very poor justification IMO.
I could go on but... Ben's Zoo, great series and a top guy. Anna, no thanks!!!
A few of the main things that I didn't like:
*The reference to a 'tamarind monkey' - oh dear!!!
*Anna's reaction to the reptiles was pathetic, you don't buy a zoo if you're scared of some of the animals!
*I assume the black & white/red ruffed lemurs were mixed? If so, can we look forward to some baby hybrid lemurs?
*All of the arguing, swearing etc. didn't exactly make them look good. I think marriage counselling would have been a better move than buying a zoo!
*Anna admitting she bought the place because of a mid-life crisis and 'it would be somewhere nice to bring up the children' - a very poor justification IMO.
I could go on but... Ben's Zoo, great series and a top guy. Anna, no thanks!!!
Johnny Morris.
Well-Known Member
The line was "They are extinct somewhere in the world."
I've just watched the programme, they have clearly taken this Zoo on as a buisness venture. If they wanted to make money they should have gone elsewhere.
The Husband seems more entusiastic about the project, but i doubt a TV prog would have been made about him buying a zoo. I have to say that i was impressed with the Lemur enclosure, but like another poster was concerned about inter breeding. (Will this still occur if the Lemurs have their own kind to breed with? Does it happen in the Wild? Do they even meet in the wild?) All in all if they can carry on what they have started with the Lemur enclosure, it could become a very good Zoo. But i honestly think they are in the wrong place, for this venture (which i think it is,) to be a success.