BWCP Full Update 2015
Dear ZooChatters,
The keepers at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park have decided that it would be a nice idea to give you all the news from the park over the last year or so, seeing as not too much news has been reported here. We know that this was popular when Saguinus was reporting the goings-on at the Park, and so the keepers have taken up the mantle. Some of this news may have been reported here already, but most of it should hopefully be new to you.
Arrivals
Over the last year, we have had a large number of new arrivals to the Park. A female Pygmy Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) joined our male in our ‘Moonlight’ exhibit at the start of the year, along with a male Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth (Choloepus didactylus), who joined our female in March. We recently welcomed the arrival of two male Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas), who are currently off-show. A number of new species have also joined the Park. We now have a breeding pair of Potto (Perodicticus potto). The pair are currently off-show, but a live stream of their enclosure can be seen on a television opposite the ‘Tamarin Conservation Centre’. The rest of our new additions have all joined our reptile collection. A number of Turquoise Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi) has joined the collection, with a breeding pair and a separate female on-show in our Invertebrate House. Also now on-show in the Invertebrate House are two Tokay Geckos (Gekko gecko). In our Reptile House, a pair of Blue Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus serrifer) can be seen in our Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum) exhibit, and a pair of Yellow-Footed Tortoises (Chelonoidis denticulate) can be seen in our Utila Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri) exhibit. Our Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) has been replaced by two Javan Humphead Lizards (Gonocephalus chamaeleontinus). Also joining the reptile collection are five Geyr’s Dabb Lizard (Uromastyx geyri) and three Red-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria), which are currently off-show.
Departures
A few species have left the park in the last year. Our two Greater Hedgehog Tenrec (Setifer setosus) left the collection earlier in the year, as did our two Eyelash Vipers. Also leaving the park was our group of Sugar Gliders (Petaurus breviceps), although this is only a temporary departure, and they will be back with us shortly.
Births
We have been lucky enough to have a number of births this year. As has previously been reported here, two Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta), a Golden-Bellied Capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos), a Pied Tamarin (Saguinus bicolor) and two Golden Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) were born in February and March of this year. We have also recently welcomed a second Pied Tamarin birth of the year. Also born at the park this year has been a Red-Necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus). Finally, our pair of African Spurred Tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata) produced a fertile clutch of eggs, from which five youngsters hatched.
Exhibit Changes
A lot of work has been going on at the park in terms of changes to some of our exhibits. Our family of Golden Lion Tamarins has moved from their indoor home in our Lilliput Village, to the old Sugar Glider enclosure. However, they still have access to their original outdoor aviary. Our pair of Pygmy Marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea), who were previously off-show, have also joined them here. A new turtle exhibit at the Park can be found by our Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) enclosure. The existing pond found to the side of this enclosure has been developed to hold five female European Pond Turtles (Emys orbicularis). Also, a Red-Tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) has gone on-show in the Reptile House, and our young African Spurred Tortoises are on display in a vivarium in our Reception area. Finally, we have had new permanent signage put up around site.
Future Plans
Currently, our Azara’s Agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) enclosure is being redeveloped to house a breeding pair of Cotton-Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), who will be arriving at the Park soon. The Azara’s Agouti currently housed here will remain in the enclosure with the Cotton-Top Tamarins when they arrive.
We hope that at least some of this news is new to you. We have a number of other exciting plans in the pipeline, and hopefully we shall be able to let you know about these in due course. If any ZooChatters have any questions for us, feel free to ask away and we shall do our best to answer what we can!
Thanks,
The Team at BWCP