Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens News 2024

Lafone

Lafone

Well-Known Member
A reminder about the annual new year closure at CWP

VISITOR UPDATE | Our winter opening times change from Monday 8 January 2024. Cotswold Wildlife Park will remain CLOSED on WEEKDAYS ONLY from 8 January until 8 February (re-opening on Friday 9 February 2024); EXCEPT FOR WEEKENDS when the Park will be OPEN from 10.00 am until 4:00 pm or dusk (whichever is earlier, with last admission being at 3:00 pm).

Also, due to the heavy rain, peak admission is being limited due to issues with the car park, updates to that will usually be on the zoo site or social media.

We are limiting entry as much of our grass car park is currently waterlogged and not possible to use. As parking capacity is reduced, please be aware that Park entry will be restricted to pre-booked E-tickets, Season Ticket holders and Gift Tickets for the time being. We will keep you updated with any changes.

Local ITV news also picked up on the new zebra foal which was nice.

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2...MzFsWKdwfZvGHG0lvSKZmzk54kppcJPVOAAkVJ0B37dco
 
Lafone said:
A reminder about the annual new year closure at CWP

VISITOR UPDATE | Our winter opening times change from Monday 8 January 2024. Cotswold Wildlife Park will remain CLOSED on WEEKDAYS ONLY from 8 January until 8 February (re-opening on Friday 9 February 2024); EXCEPT FOR WEEKENDS when the Park will be OPEN from 10.00 am until 4:00 pm or dusk (whichever is earlier, with last admission being at 3:00 pm).

Also, due to the heavy rain, peak admission is being limited due to issues with the car park, updates to that will usually be on the zoo site or social media.

We are limiting entry as much of our grass car park is currently waterlogged and not possible to use. As parking capacity is reduced, please be aware that Park entry will be restricted to pre-booked E-tickets, Season Ticket holders and Gift Tickets for the time being. We will keep you updated with any changes.

Local ITV news also picked up on the new zebra foal which was nice.

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2...MzFsWKdwfZvGHG0lvSKZmzk54kppcJPVOAAkVJ0B37dco
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This is similar to Paignton Zoo!
 
Lovely first visit of 2024 to CWP today, chilly but bright. As the grass car park is out of use and its members / pre booked tickets only it was not all that busy though the tarmac car park was full by about 11. There was no flooding on site but there was a large amount of flooding all the way from Oxford to Burford where a couple of the rivers had gone over their banks.

The large mixed free flight aviary near the tropical house now only contains black storks and Waldrupp ibis - the signs have been changed to reflect that. The African openbill storks, swamp hens, spoonbills and others who were in there are now not - assume they could be off show for winter or perhaps moving while the park is being closed on weekdays for some work to be done. I haven’t seen the African openbills moved elsewhere before so hoping they are returning.

The lake circle is still partly closed due to work on the train tracks but you can still visit everything, just needing to turn back at the lake and back past the wolves. The wolves have had some new bark laid in their rear enclosure which seems to have inspired them to come out more into the main one - one of them was running up and down near the lake entrance; hopefully will settle down now they are using a bit of the enclosure they haven’t been in much. They seem much more used to people now which is good to see.

The rhino family were in the house / yard all day (apart from the male) and the zebras and camels were also in their stable / adjoining yards - probably due to wet conditions in the paddocks.

The Barbary striped mice who arrived in the Little Africa area in 2023 have had a mice version of a population explosion with lots of young ones visible - there appear to be about 18 of them now (from what I assume were two pairs) so they might soon need a larger vivarium! Very pretty small rodents and it was great to see lots of people stopping to view them.

There was mating behaviour going on among both the penguins and white storks so hopefully that bodes well for CWP this season.

Personal highlight of the day for me was finally getting great views of the white browed coucal in the tropical house - I had almost come to believe that bird was a myth but today it was very showy and even sat for some pictures! So exciting. The sloths were also super active today so it was one of those good tropical house moments.

Edited to add there was a Stanley crane signed in Little Africa (couldn’t see it) I’ve seen them lurking in the next door enclosure (that you can only see from the far gate) before but not in the enclosure shared with dik dik and the Ibis and pigeons before. Interesting new addition and the sign appears to replace the one for the vulterine Guinea fowl who were not visible. The Hamerkop sign is also gone and couldn’t see the solitary Hamerkop either.
 

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Cat-Man said:
According to zootierliste the CWP held pink fairy armadillos in the late 1990s. Does anybody know anything about this?

ZootierlisteHomepage
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Nothing more than a persistent piece of vandalism with no basis in fact, presumably made by the same user who has made dozens of similarly ill-informed edits to other UK collections over the last decade.
 
Lovely day out at CWP today. Bright and sunny (despite the forecast for low cloud) for much of the day. It was surprisingly busy and the grass car park was at least half full. That's all open now after the rain so nice to see more visitors coming in. Despite the numbers there were lots of opportunities for quiet times particularly in the Tropical House. Most of the animals were out and about.

The new Pallas's cat enclosure looks close to completion and it is a great upgrade from the old space. The cats are still signed off show but it doesn't look like it will be long until they can take up residence again.

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Lots of work going on around the park while the winter week closures are on; tree felling and tidying the gardens as well as changes to planting in some of the enclosures. No new paths appear to be under construction this year. The railway line work seems to be complete and the circle around the wolves and lake is open again so no need to backtrack.

The young rhinos were out in the paddock with their mothers and the male in the morning which was nice to see. The African open bill storks who are still not in the walled garden may be wintering in the aviary near the car park exit (that aviary area is not open to the public) as although it wasn't possible to walk up I noticed some flying around as I was driving out.

The Barbury striped mice are back to four in their vivarium with the others moved elsewhere.

Good to see the white storks starting to occupy the nest platforms and display, though not much building activity yet.

The Stanley crane was still separated in the adjacent enclosure to the other animals in the outside area in Little Africa but as it is signed as in the enclosure assume it will be joining the others at some point.
 
Lafone said:
Lovely day out at CWP today. Bright and sunny (despite the forecast for low cloud) for much of the day. It was surprisingly busy and the grass car park was at least half full. That's all open now after the rain so nice to see more visitors coming in. Despite the numbers there were lots of opportunities for quiet times particularly in the Tropical House. Most of the animals were out and about.

The new Pallas's cat enclosure looks close to completion and it is a great upgrade from the old space. The cats are still signed off show but it doesn't look like it will be long until they can take up residence again.

full


Lots of work going on around the park while the winter week closures are on; tree felling and tidying the gardens as well as changes to planting in some of the enclosures. No new paths appear to be under construction this year. The railway line work seems to be complete and the circle around the wolves and lake is open again so no need to backtrack.

The young rhinos were out in the paddock with their mothers and the male in the morning which was nice to see. The African open bill storks who are still not in the walled garden may be wintering in the aviary near the car park exit (that aviary area is not open to the public) as although it wasn't possible to walk up I noticed some flying around as I was driving out.

The Barbury striped mice are back to four in their vivarium with the others moved elsewhere.

Good to see the white storks starting to occupy the nest platforms and display, though not much building activity yet.

The Stanley crane was still separated in the adjacent enclosure to the other animals in the outside area in Little Africa but as it is signed as in the enclosure assume it will be joining the others at some point.
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The new Pallas' Cat enclosure looks wonderful, and I suspect it will look even better once the vegetation has had time to 'grow in.'

I am sure this has been reported elsewhere and I simply missed it, but on my visit in July there was a large empty terrarium in Little Africa, in the first room upon entry if memory serves. Is it still empty, and if not, what occupies it at the moment?
 
Kalaw said:
The new Pallas' Cat enclosure looks wonderful, and I suspect it will look even better once the vegetation has had time to 'grow in.'

I am sure this has been reported elsewhere and I simply missed it, but on my visit in July there was a large empty terrarium in Little Africa, in the first room upon entry if memory serves. Is it still empty, and if not, what occupies it at the moment?
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Yes new space looks great, so looking forward to seeing them again (minus Poppy now she has gone off to Port Lympe). Everything in there has something in it now, there were some vacancies before the new mice arrived in their two tanks. The Gundi occupy the first space. Do you mean through the plastic hangers past the naked mole rats or after that?
 
Lafone said:
Yes new space looks great, so looking forward to seeing them again (minus Poppy now she has gone off to Port Lympe). Everything in there has something in it now, there were some vacancies before the new mice arrived in their two tanks. The Gundi occupy the first space. Do you mean through the plastic hangers past the naked mole rats or after that?
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Regrettably I cannot recall what enclosure it was, but if all enclosures are occupied as you say then that should include the one I am referring to - I certainly remember seeing the Gundi so it is likely the mice, although I have a vague memory of seeing them in there as well. Thank you!
 
These are the mice who arrived around late July / August (snapped the sign in mid August). They are in two tanks in the glass fronted enclosure that was empty for a while (and had the dwarf mongoose in when their enclosure was being cleaned iirc).

Edited to add a picture of the tanks and the enclosure when it was empty on my visit in June in case it jogs a memory!
 

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Lafone said:
These are the mice who arrived around late July / August (snapped the sign in mid August). They are in two tanks in the glass fronted enclosure that was empty for a while (and had the dwarf mongoose in when their enclosure was being cleaned iirc).

Edited to add a picture of the tanks and the enclosure when it was empty on my visit in June in case it jogs a memory!
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Thank you, that is exactly the enclosure I was referring to. :)
 
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