Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens News 2023

Visited yesterday, good weather, nice enough for a good stroll around all day

Most of the animals active, nice to see the bird walkway past the wolves back open. Notice how the wolves were just in the pen at back, not in the main part.

Always felt cotswold has a lot of potential but doesn't live up too it, can utilise more of the space it has and upgrade a lot of the enclosures that haven't really changed since I've visited there as a kid. As well with the animal list being inconsistent to what they have to offer. Food for thought
 
Matthew Philip Crowther said:
Visited yesterday, good weather, nice enough for a good stroll around all day

Most of the animals active, nice to see the bird walkway past the wolves back open. Notice how the wolves were just in the pen at back, not in the main part.

Always felt cotswold has a lot of potential but doesn't live up too it, can utilise more of the space it has and upgrade a lot of the enclosures that haven't really changed since I've visited there as a kid. As well with the animal list being inconsistent to what they have to offer. Food for thought
Click to expand...

It’s a tricky one with Cotswold. They certainly have a lot of space that could be well utilised more, but you have to balance that with not wanting to ruin the character of the place, which has a wonderful, almost quintessentially British, charm.

What I would say is that it could be time to add another major species, as it hasn’t had anything major since the Giraffes. I’ve always thought European brown bears would fit the collection well.
 
Pandaboi said:
What species live in the Madagascar walkthrough?
Click to expand...
On Wednesday, I saw the following:

Crowned Lemur
Red-bellied Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
Madagascar Teal
Radiated Tortoise

Greater Bamboo Lemur and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur live in separate enclosures, but they are only visible from within the walkthrough.
 
Kalaw said:
On Wednesday, I saw the following:

Crowned Lemur
Red-bellied Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
Madagascar Teal
Radiated Tortoise

Greater Bamboo Lemur and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur live in separate enclosures, but they are only visible from within the walkthrough.
Click to expand...
Do they still keep crowned Sifaka?
 
Last edited:
Pandaboi said:
Do they still keep crowned Sifaka?
Click to expand...
The enclosure in the smaller Walled Garden (labelled on the map as 'Lemurs') is home to a pair of sifaka.

I could be mistaken, but I believe they were once kept in the walkthrough. Is this is correct, does anybody know why they were moved?
 
Kalaw said:
The enclosure in the smaller Walled Garden (labelled on the map as 'Lemurs') is home to a pair of sifaka.

I could be mistaken, but I believe they were once kept in the walkthrough. Is this is correct, does anybody know why they were moved?
Click to expand...

Maitso the crowned sifaka lived in the walkthrough there’s an article about him here;

https://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/WILDTALK-2019-for-web.pdf

the other two (father and son) lived together along with the female who died.

I believe it was this side of lockdown that the sifaka weren’t in the walkthrough any more and I think that’s because Maitso died. However I haven’t been told that etc so someone more knowledgeable can verify / correct.
 
Cat-Man said:
It’s a tricky one with Cotswold. They certainly have a lot of space that could be well utilised more, but you have to balance that with not wanting to ruin the character of the place, which has a wonderful, almost quintessentially British, charm.

What I would say is that it could be time to add another major species, as it hasn’t had anything major since the Giraffes. I’ve always thought European brown bears would fit the collection well.
Click to expand...

I do agree but think they could go for more quality over quantity like for the giraffes could definitely be bigger or try to expand or merge them and the giraffes into one enclosure and feel that could be done to more enclosures to improve the older barred ones that are starting to look more dated.

I think bears would fit the place very well but seems the number of animals there has started to slowly decrease as well
 
I could definitely imagine bears at Cotswold, now that it has been mentioned I really can't think of any big changes that have happened there since my first visit! Wonder if they could pull off something like pygmy hippo.
 
Matthew Philip Crowther said:
I do agree but think they could go for more quality over quantity like for the giraffes could definitely be bigger or try to expand or merge them and the giraffes into one enclosure and feel that could be done to more enclosures to improve the older barred ones that are starting to look more dated.

I think bears would fit the place very well but seems the number of animals there has started to slowly decrease as well
Click to expand...
They must have one of the smallest giraffe paddocks in Britain? London’s is smaller, but where else is? Dudley or Edinburgh perhaps?
 
Fallax said:
I could definitely imagine bears at Cotswold, now that it has been mentioned I really can't think of any big changes that have happened there since my first visit! Wonder if they could pull off something like pygmy hippo.
Click to expand...

the main changes I remember since the turn of the millennium is the change for Amur leopards to clouded, addition of wolves (not sure what year, maybe 2008?) the wolves, the wolverines and Madagascar (all fantastic, by the way). They’ve also changed a primate enclosure into enclosure for the binturongs and have siamangs in what could perhaps be the smallest gibbon enclosure in Britain?
 
Cat-Man said:
the main changes I remember since the turn of the millennium is the change for Amur leopards to clouded, addition of wolves (not sure what year, maybe 2008?) the wolves, the wolverines and Madagascar (all fantastic, by the way). They’ve also changed a primate enclosure into enclosure for the binturongs and have siamangs in what could perhaps be the smallest gibbon enclosure in Britain?
Click to expand...
I think WMZ's might be smaller though it's longer and thinner so not entirely sure.
 
Cat-Man said:
the main changes I remember since the turn of the millennium is the change for Amur leopards to clouded, addition of wolves (not sure what year, maybe 2008?) the wolves, the wolverines and Madagascar (all fantastic, by the way). They’ve also changed a primate enclosure into enclosure for the binturongs and have siamangs in what could perhaps be the smallest gibbon enclosure in Britain?
Click to expand...

There is also the decision not to mix rhinos and zebras in the large main paddock and the knock on effects.
- Zebras moved to the ostrich paddock. Ostriches moved to the scimitar horned oryx paddock and the oryx left the collection.
- The redevelopment of the former zebra stabling an yard for the main paddock into the Little Africa exhibit.

Other new species in that time are the cassowary and pallas cat, an aviary was converted into the enclosure for the latter.

There is also the new tamandua and armadillo enclosure that was built in the walled garden.
 
NMM said:
There is also the decision not to mix rhinos and zebras in the large main paddock and the knock on effects.
- Zebras moved to the ostrich paddock. Ostriches moved to the scimitar horned oryx paddock and the oryx left the collection.
- The redevelopment of the former zebra stabling an yard for the main paddock into the Little Africa exhibit.

Other new species in that time are the cassowary and pallas cat, an aviary was converted into the enclosure for the latter.

There is also the new tamandua and armadillo enclosure that was built in the walled garden.
Click to expand...
Did the zebras by any chance wind up or bully the rhinos?
 
Cat-Man said:
the main changes I remember since the turn of the millennium is the change for Amur leopards to clouded, addition of wolves (not sure what year, maybe 2008?) the wolves, the wolverines and Madagascar (all fantastic, by the way). They’ve also changed a primate enclosure into enclosure for the binturongs and have siamangs in what could perhaps be the smallest gibbon enclosure in Britain?
Click to expand...
Plus the new lion house and extension that’s been a really good addition.
 
Pertinax said:
I don't know but they are much educed in number too- around three now, from about eight formerly.
Click to expand...

They have three currently. Stella and Bob the adult Chapman's and one youngster.

There have been quite a few foals (one every year since 2016 I know of, someone will probably know better about before that) , I assume moving on to other collections as they get older. There was also an older female Sarah who had a foal (bucking the trend for dominant females) but I believe she has now died.

They did once post an archive picture of a Grevy's chasing the rhino in the early days of the park! Linked at the bottom of this article.

Lightning Stripes: Cotswold Wildlife Park celebrates birth of Chapman’s Zebra foal : Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

They had Eland for a bit iirc intending to put them in with the rhinos, but that was a while ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top