Beale Park Beale Wildlife Park 2024

[NMM]

I had my first visit of the new year today.

Notes and observations.

• Last year's thread finished with some discussion about turkey vultures. I did see them. They are in the aviary between the tayra and otters. There aren't any signs about them yet though. It does look like they are currently rejigging their aviaries and swapping species around between them.
• There are changes in the nocturnal house.
  • The slender loris and naked mole rats have gone.
  • Where the slender loris used to be is now two enclosures. Neither have any signs yet but both are occupied.
    • One contains a small sandy coloured rodent that I suspect is some sort of jird.
    • The other contains a larger darker rodent. These appeared to be very nervous and skittish so I didn't get a decent look at them.
  • Where the naked mole rats used to be has been covered up.
  • The lighting in the nocturnal house isn't as dim as it used to be (either that or my eyesight has improved since my last visit).
• Something is being built near the tapir's indoor housing. An area has been fenced off. The first couple of rows of bricks for what could be a new building have been laid. Separately in the area a pit has been dug. This area is though next to a playground and there is also a swing in the fenced off area. It therefore may not necessarily mean a new animal enclosure.
• Several of the farm species have swapped paddocks.
• There are a couple of other moves but I suspect these are temporary, either for winter or because of the recent bad weather. In both cases the signs about the animals are still on their normal enclosure, not where they are currently housed.
  • The sulcata tortoises are in Human Nature. They are in what was previously the indoor quarters for the ruffed lemurs. The lemurs have access to a different indoor section.
  • The rhea are in a paddock being the playground next to the guanacos.

I haven't noticed MrCriss around lately but I would be grateful if he could clarify any of the above points.

 

[Lafone]

Had a fun day at Beale today. Bright and sunny and the rain held off. Fair number of visitors but not over crowded. Lots of water and flooding as you would expect given the weather - the paths around the big ponds had flooded over to the benches and the lynx enclosure area had a lot of water in it and the capybara had an even bigger water area than usual! The river had burst it's banks further upstream too.

Further to the changes in the Nocturnal house (agree it's a bit brighter there are two spotlights which I thought were new) the signed animals were;

• Grey mouse lemur (enclosure dark / no red light but still signed)
• Duprasi (in the upper portion of the former slender loris area and signed inside and outside)
• Brazilian Guinea pig (in the lower portion, signed inside)
• Ground cuscus (in the main enclosure)
• Rio Fuentes beaded lizard (near the entrance)

The naked mole rat space wasn't all covered up but it was empty. I hadn't seen Duprasi before I think so that was interesting.

The Scottish wildcat enclosure is making good progress

The sun brought lots of the animals out and there was much to enjoy including good sightings of the Rufous vented laughing thrushes which was awesome. The vultures were all sunning themselves in the enclosure which made for great views of their wingss. Super active arctic foxes (fluffy and pretty in their white winter coats) and banded mongoose were the other highlights of a good day for me.

 

[NMM]

Looks like there has been a lot of progress with the wild cat enclosure in the past couple of weeks.

The duprasi is what I assumed was some sort of jird.

 

[FBBird]

Had a fun day at Beale today. Bright and sunny and the rain held off. Fair number of visitors but not over crowded. Lots of water and flooding as you would expect given the weather - the paths around the big ponds had flooded over to the benches and the lynx enclosure area had a lot of water in it and the capybara had an even bigger water area than usual! The river had burst it's banks further upstream too.

Further to the changes in the Nocturnal house (agree it's a bit brighter there are two spotlights which I thought were new) the signed animals were;

• Grey mouse lemur (enclosure dark / no red light but still signed)
• Duprasi (in the upper portion of the former slender loris area and signed inside and outside)
• Brazilian Guinea pig (in the lower portion, signed inside)
• Ground cuscus (in the main enclosure)
• Rio Fuentes beaded lizard (near the entrance)

The naked mole rat space wasn't all covered up but it was empty. I hadn't seen Duprasi before I think so that was interesting.

The Scottish wildcat enclosure is making good progress

The sun brought lots of the animals out and there was much to enjoy including good sightings of the Rufous vented laughing thrushes which was awesome. The vultures were all sunning themselves in the enclosure which made for great views of their wingss. Super active arctic foxes (fluffy and pretty in their white winter coats) and banded mongoose were the other highlights of a good day for me.

Those laughingthrushes are the only ones of their kind in UK, long past breeding age, and are the remnant of the once extensive laughingthrush collection held at Beale back in the day

 

[Lafone]

Those laughingthrushes are the only ones of their kind in UK, long past breeding age, and are the remnant of the once extensive laughingthrush collection held at Beale back in the day

Super to see them. They are really lovely, I've had little luck seeing them before, small glimpses but today they were sitting enjoying the sun.

 

[FBBird]

Super to see them. They are really lovely, I've had little luck seeing them before, small glimpses but today they were sitting enjoying the sun.

They are lovely birds, must be in their twenties. Tbf, all laughingthrushes are wonderful

 

[Dassie rat]

Looks like there has been a lot of progress with the wild cat enclosure in the past couple of weeks.

The duprasi is what I assumed was some sort of jird.

Duprasi is another name for the fat-tailed gerbil

 

[NMM]

I visited today. Observations below.

• Naked mole rats are back on show in the nocturnal house. The Brazilian guinea pigs are far less bothered by people walking around than on my last visit. I presume they must have only just arrived then.
  
• There is been more progress on the new Scottish wild cat enclosure. They are building climbing structures.
  
• There are ferrets where the red footed tortoises used to be. I know the red footed tortoises were only on show in the summer and kept off show in the winter months. I don't know if this is just a temporary thing so the enclosure is in use whilst the tortoises are off show.
  
• There was a parrot species (cannot remember what exactly) that shared the enclosure with the macaws and armadillos. These appear to have gone.
  
• The species signs around the aviaries are back in place again after some swaps. The turkey vultures now have a sign.

 

[ZooAtHome]

I am glad they have not put the duprasi on display as they came from me, if they're the same ones that is.

 

[Lafone]

I am glad they have not put the duprasi on display as they came from me, if they're the same ones that is.

I hope the not was now as they are on display and very pretty they are! Nice to know where they came from. Are they easy to breed etc?

 

[Lafone]

Fun day out at Beale today as a start of a few days off. Torrential rain in the morning, but some nice sunny moments in the afternoon. Not too many visitors which made a nice start to what I suspect will be a visitor heavy Easter week (which will be good for the zoos of course but it's still nice to have a few moments to yourself).

The naked molerat display in the tropical house was empty and curtained over. Got nice views of the Duprasi.

The Scottish Wildcat enclosure update is complete and the cats are in residence. Saw two and they seemed very content...when the sun came out they were lounging and demolishing some mice. Good viewing. Some nice planting which should grow in and lots of houses / climbing. Took a couple of pictures in the heavy rain for the gallery.

Interesting to see the arctic foxes playing about with one of them starting to turn his coat. The domestic ferrets in the former red footed tortoise enclosure are now signed.

 

[NMM]

Notes from a visit today.

• The red footed tortoises are on display in Human Nature. There are also Java sparrows in their enclosure. I don't recall seeing them at Beale before.
• The signs for the rhea have gone from the enclosure next to the capybara. There are now signs behind the playground that is next to the guanacos. I presume this means the move is permanent and not a temporary arrangement due to the flooding earlier in the year.
• Interesting to see the arctic foxes losing their winter coats at different rates. Animals that have winter coats are interesting for regular visitors as you can see the changes in spring and autumn.

 

[Lafone]

Notes from a visit today.

• The red footed tortoises are on display in Human Nature. There are also Java sparrows in their enclosure. I don't recall seeing them at Beale before.
• The signs for the rhea have gone from the enclosure next to the capybara. There are now signs behind the playground that is next to the guanacos. I presume this means the move is permanent and not a temporary arrangement due to the flooding earlier in the year.
• Interesting to see the arctic foxes losing their winter coats at different rates. Animals that have winter coats are interesting for regular visitors as you can see the changes in spring and autumn.

There are java sparrows in the large aviary opposite the Tayra though I haven't seen them anwhere else in the park so the enclosure move sounds new (signage, October '22)

 

[NMM]

Thanks.

I did notice a few months their had been quite a lot of movement between aviaries but I didn't know what was where before well enough to be able to say exactly what the changes were.

 

[ZooAtHome]

I hope the not was now as they are on display and very pretty they are! Nice to know where they came from. Are they easy to breed etc?

Yes meant to be a now, haha oops.

From my experience they are easy to breed if the pair gets along, often they won't so it's a bit of trial and error. The species also seems to suffer from 'lazy males' where you will have a pair get along but the male never seems to attempt to reproduce, this is frustrating as with other species this happens with you would just switch the males up, but often with duprasi just getting a pair to accept each other is difficult.

 

[GaryA]

Yes meant to be a now, haha oops.

From my experience they are easy to breed if the pair gets along, often they won't so it's a bit of trial and error. The species also seems to suffer from 'lazy males' where you will have a pair get along but the male never seems to attempt to reproduce, this is frustrating as with other species this happens with you would just switch the males up, but often with duprasi just getting a pair to accept each other is difficult.

You do wonder, like with Pandas, that some species are intentionally making themselves extinct with their hostility to their own species!

 

[NMM]

Just got back from a visit today. Notes below.

• Hatches - There have been a few births. These have been announced on Facebook.
  • Meerkats
  • Cameroon Sheep
  • Guanaco
• Matches - There are a couple of new species. I think these must be very recent as they didn't have signs up for them yet.
  • Squirrel Monkeys - The ring tailed lemur enclosure has been divided in two. The lemurs have on side, the squirrel monkeys the other.
  • There is now an ant exhibit in the nocturnal house.I presume leaf cutter, but there aren't signs yet. They are where the upper part of the naked mole rat enclosure was. Naked mole rats are still in the lower part.
• Dispatches - Some species appear to have left the collection.
  • The banded mongoose enclosure appeared to be empty and the signs had been removed.
  • I didn't see any scarlet ibises and the signs had been removed from the mixed aviary where they were kept.
  • The vivarium in Human Nature that used to hold giant African land snails is empty.
• Other
  • I hadn't noticed this before but there appears to be an off show paddock behind the zebras.I could see a goat there today.
  • The work that was going on near the tapir's indoor housing appears to be complete and I still can't figure out if it going to be a new animal enclosure or not. The area is now fenced off with a wooden fence and some new plants have been added.

 

[Lafone]

Just got back from a visit today. Notes below.

• Hatches - There have been a few births. These have been announced on Facebook.
  • Meerkats
  • Cameroon Sheep
  • Guanaco
• Matches - There are a couple of new species. I think these must be very recent as they didn't have signs up for them yet.
  • Squirrel Monkeys - The ring tailed lemur enclosure has been divided in two. The lemurs have on side, the squirrel monkeys the other.
  • There is now an ant exhibit in the nocturnal house.I presume leaf cutter, but there aren't signs yet. They are where the upper part of the naked mole rat enclosure was. Naked mole rats are still in the lower part.
• Dispatches - Some species appear to have left the collection.
  • The banded mongoose enclosure appeared to be empty and the signs had been removed.
  • I didn't see any scarlet ibises and the signs had been removed from the mixed aviary where they were kept.
  • The vivarium in Human Nature that used to hold giant African land snails is empty.
• Other
  • I hadn't noticed this before but there appears to be an off show paddock behind the zebras.I could see a goat there today.
  • The work that was going on near the tapir's indoor housing appears to be complete and I still can't figure out if it going to be a new animal enclosure or not. The area is now fenced off with a wooden fence and some new plants have been added.

Squirrel monkeys sound a fun addition.

I’ll be so sorry if the banded mongoose have moved on, favourite place to see the little group and such good viewing for them too. Not easy to find places with them.

 

[NMM]

There has been a couple of announcements from the park this week.

1 The arrival of 4 squirrel monkeys (which I saw a couple of weeks ago).
2 They are building a new wallaby enclosure.

I don't think the new wallaby enclosure would be what they were doing near the tapirs. Whilst not impossible, it is a bit on the small side for wallabies and certainly smaller than the current enclosure.

The wallabies also share their current enclosure with emus so I wonder what is happening with them.

Improving viewing is one of the reasons given. The current paddock is located in an odd position where you can't walk up to it. It is next to the park's railway, so it is either see it from the train or from afar.

 

[NMM]

Notes and thoughts from a visit.

There must have been something else going on somewhere on the Beale Estate. The car park was absolutely rammed. I had to park in the overflow car park, which I have never had to do before. There was hardly anybody in the wildlife park though.

• It looks like they are going to do something with the Human Nature building.
  • The sulcata tortoises have moved to the newly built enclosure next to the tapir.
    • Work has already started on the outdoor section of their old enclosure.
  • It appears animals are being moved out of Human Nature.
    • The rat and toad enclosures are now empty in addition to the giant African land snail vivarium and old sulcata tortoise enclosure.
    • The Java sparrows have gone. The red footed tortoises that they shared their enclosure with are still there though.
• There have been some other departures.
  • The snowy owls have gone and their enclosure has been dismantled.
  • The duprasi and Brazilian guinea pigs have gone from the nocturnal house.
    • Their enclosures have been joined back together to be a single enclosure again as it was when it held slender loris.
    • To backfill the cuscus has moved into this enclosure and the armadillos have moved to where the cuscus used to be. The macaws (which used to share with the armadillos) now have their enclosure to themselves.
• New wallaby enclosure
  • It is a move rather than building a new one. They are now in the paddock next to the Cameroon sheep which I believe was previously one of the shetland pony paddocks.
  • There are signs up about a joey being born. I didn't see it though. Their new paddock is quite overgrown so it would be easy to hide.
  • The emus are still in the paddock the wallabies moved from.
• A couple of observations of animal behaviour.
  • After showers the turkey vultures would perch high up and stretch their wings out as far as they could. It looked quite impressive.
  • The binturongs were a lot more active than normal today. I don't know if that was anything to do with the weather or not.