Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park (Closed) Galloway WCP news 2012

Brum said:
So basically the species that'd be of most interest to us* zoochatters then... ;)

*Well me at least! :D
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I'll admit, I'm sad the civet, weasel and caracal are gone. But two ssp of leopard cat, one of which isn't onshow anywhere else in the UK, isn't to be sniffed at.

Talking of which, here are my comparative photos of the two subspecies.

Amur Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura)

http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289287/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289286/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289285/

Indochinese Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis)

http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289282/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289281/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289280/
 
TeaLovingDave said:
I'll admit, I'm sad the civet, weasel and caracal are gone. But two ssp of leopard cat, one of which isn't onshow anywhere else in the UK, isn't to be sniffed at.

Talking of which, here are my comparative photos of the two subspecies.

Amur Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura)

http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289287/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289286/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/amur-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-euptilura-289285/

Indochinese Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis)

http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289282/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289281/
http://www.zoochat.com/496/indochinese-leopard-cat-prionailurus-bengalensis-bengalensis-289280/
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They are some great photo's Dave, it's great to compare the difference in coat pattern and you can see the Amur has greater fur density. I suppose it does go some way to ease the pain of missing the civet etc. Shame about the dhole and bush dogs as well though! :(
 
Brum said:
Shame about the dhole and bush dogs as well though! :(
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These, at least, are species which are relatively evenly distributed in UK collections - Bush Dogs can be found in northwest England (Chester), the Midlands (Twycross - I'm pretty sure that Dudley has gone out of the species now) and the southeast (Port Lympne), whilst Dhole can be found in the Midlands (Twycross and West Midlands Safari Park) and the southeast (Howletts).

Conversely, Caracals can now only be seen if you can get to the extreme south-east (Port Lympne) and southwest (Porfell and Exmoor).
 
Odd how some species vanish. Some twenty years ago Caracals must have been one of the most widely exhibited mammals in Britain.

Amur leopard cats (and some would still say that "leopard cats" in NE Asia are a full, different species) are very different. It's nice to know that some can be seen in the UK.
 
IanRRobinson said:
Amur leopard cats (and some would still say that "leopard cats" in NE Asia are a full, different species) are very different. It's nice to know that some can be seen in the UK.
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I'd be in agreement with those who advocate specific status for Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura myself. As there is only this individual at Galloway, and an elderly individual at Thrigby Hall in Norfolk, there isn't a great deal of hope for them in the UK.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
.....Bush Dogs can be found in northwest England (Chester), the Midlands (Twycross - I'm pretty sure that Dudley has gone out of the species now).....
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Dudley no longer have bush dogs and I wasn't aware that Twycross had them yet? I thought the enclosure was still being built at the current time?
Incidentally, Twycross was where I saw my first bush dog, back in the early 1990's so it's nice to see them reappearing there.
 
Brum said:
Dudley no longer have bush dogs and I wasn't aware that Twycross had them yet? I thought the enclosure was still being built at the current time?
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Yeah, I was going by Zootierliste, which can as we know be inaccurate at times - for instance the inclusion of Dudley among the collections holding bushdogs. I'm not the best informed person as far as Twycross goes.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Yeah, I was going by Zootierliste, which can as we know be inaccurate at times - for instance the inclusion of Dudley among the collections holding bushdogs. I'm not the best informed person as far as Twycross goes.
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Correction to my post; Dudley may have a bush dog but it's no longer on show.
Twycross could already have bush dogs, I also am not as informed about Twycross as I once was.
Anyway let's get back on topic, :p what is the general state of rarities at Galloway now that the aforementioned species have left? I know they still hold anoa, two leopard cat subspecies and servals. Anything else juicy you can think of? :)
 
Do you know what happened to the Caracals and Dhole? i.e. did they die out or were they moved. Didn't Chester (at least practically, if not financially) assist GWP in the construction of the caracal enclosure?

I would be surprised if there weren't some Amur cats in private hands in the UK.
 
Brum said:
Anyway let's get back on topic, :p what is the general state of rarities at Galloway now that the aforementioned species have left? I know they still hold anoa, two leopard cat subspecies and servals. Anything else juicy you can think of? :)
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They now have at least a pair of Mikado pheasants, which if I recall rightly are only found at Blackbrook elsewhere in the UK. They also have Bat-Eared and Corsac foxes, both nice species which aren't in enough collections for my liking, and Orange-rumped agouti, which are only otherwise to be seen at Belfast and Folly Farm if I recall correctly.

I did take a full stocklist but I've left it at my girlfriend's house :rolleyes:

So a fair amount of rarities, but although it's definitely improving when compared to previous reports on this site, it's probably not worth making a special effort to visit at the present time unless you really want to see the leopard cats, when you consider how far removed it is from any public transport links. If you want a small zoo which is hard to reach and has lots of rarities, go to Hamerton ;)
 
TeaLovingDave said:
They now have at least a pair of Mikado pheasants, which if I recall rightly are only found at Blackbrook elsewhere in the UK. They also have Bat-Eared and Corsac foxes, both nice species which aren't in enough collections for my liking, and Orange-rumped agouti, which are only otherwise to be seen at Belfast and Folly Farm if I recall correctly.
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Pheasants aren't my thing but small canines are great, just a shame they lost dhole and bush dog. That possibly would've made it worth the effort personally. Agouti are pretty cool but not a personal favourite so I can take them or leave them... :p

TeaLovingDave said:
I did take a full stocklist but I've left it at my girlfriend's house :rolleyes:
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We've all used that excuse before. You do sound like you're trying to make an excuse for losingyour homework though! :D

TeaLovingDave said:
So a fair amount of rarities, but although it's definitely improving when compared to previous reports on this site, it's probably not worth making a special effort to visit at the present time unless you really want to see the leopard cats, when you consider how far removed it is from any public transport links. If you want a small zoo which is hard to reach and has lots of rarities, go to Hamerton ;)
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Hamerton is high on my list but the 4 mile walk from the drop off point with 2 young (6 & 3) children in tow fills me with dread. Like you I'm also a slave to the pains of public transport which is extremely limiting with the afore mentioned family! :p
 
johnstoni. said:
Do you know what happened to the Caracals and Dhole? i.e. did they die out or were they moved. Didn't Chester (at least practically, if not financially) assist GWP in the construction of the caracal enclosure?

I would be surprised if there weren't some Amur cats in private hands in the UK.
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I believe the Dhole must have died a while ago - it was a very old female in 2009/10 when the last reports from members of this site were made, and I know the enclosure had been empty for a while before the zoo obtained the male Grey Wolf which occupies it now.

As far as the caracals go, I believe one died in early 2011, and the other one earlier this year, at the very latest in May as this is when the servals moved into the enclosure. Chester did indeed provide assistance in the construction of the caracal enclosure.

There quite possibly are a few Amur cats in private hands, especially when you consider this is - indirectly - how GWCP ended up with their individual, which was handed into Battersea Dog's Home as little more than a kitten in early 2011, having been found as a stray. This suggests that as of 2010/2011, someone in the London area was breeding the subspecies.
 
Brum said:
Pheasants aren't my thing but small canines are great, just a shame they lost dhole and bush dog. That possibly would've made it worth the effort personally. Agouti are pretty cool but not a personal favourite so I can take them or leave them... :p
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I'm a small carnivore man myself - this being a big reason for my recommendation of Hamerton. One semi-unusual canid which Galloway still does hold and I forgot to mention is the Maned Wolf.

Brum said:
Hamerton is high on my list but the 4 mile walk from the drop off point with 2 young (6 & 3) children in tow fills me with dread. Like you I'm also a slave to the pains of public transport which is extremely limiting with the afore mentioned family! :p
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I know I was able to walk that kind of distance as a small child ;) but then I did go on regular holidays to the Lake District!

For what it is worth, the walk isn't actually all that bad if the weather is good, as it is all on the flat and the road is extremely peaceful - but Hamerton seems to be a collection which is improving rapidly in terms of unusual species held, so it should be well-worth waiting another year or two to give your children a chance to get a bit more used to walking distances. In the interim, try making them walk more to improve their stamina ;)
 
TeaLovingDave said:
I'm a small carnivore man myself - this being a big reason for my recommendation of Hamerton. One semi-unusual canid which Galloway still does hold and I forgot to mention is the Maned Wolf.



I know I was able to walk that kind of distance as a small child ;) but then I did go on regular holidays to the Lake District!

For what it is worth, the walk isn't actually all that bad if the weather is good, as it is all on the flat and the road is extremely peaceful - but Hamerton seems to be a collection which is improving rapidly in terms of unusual species held, so it should be well-worth waiting another year or two to give your children a chance to get a bit more used to walking distances. In the interim, try making them walk more to improve their stamina ;)
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It's not "children" that's the problem, it's child. The oldest will walk for hours but unfortunately yhe youngest has hit the whingey stage! ;)
I wouldn't mind but it tends to be me who does the carrying. :p
Hamerton will have to wait, but as mentioned it's expanding rapidly and should be worth the wait!
 
Clouded Leopard said:
The Caracal is still active as mentioned on GWCP Facebook. ;)
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I don't know whether to be happy a collection up north still has one, or annoyed that it was offshow when I visited, as I'm certainly not going to be returning anytime soon even if it goes back onshow!
 
New arrivals...

0.2 Yellow Mongoose from London and 2.0 Patagonian Mara from Twycross.
 
Great Park to visit :)))) been there many times as from the region originally not promoted enough by Dumfries and Galloway Tourist Board
 
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