Hamerton Zoo Park Hamerton News 2023

Lovely day out at Hamerton today - bright and very windy but fortunately dry. Busy given it was half term and the overflow field car park was filling up but still there was plenty of room. Loads of active animals.

Collared lemurs are now in half the area near the entrance that the binturongs used to occupy, with the civets next door.

A few Parma wallabies have been added to the anteater enclosure.

There’s a new enclosure building going up in the corner space opposite the tayra (near the lynx), picture of the house in progress below.

The new tortoise house has its coat of brown wood stain now too so looking near completion. Lots of work going on in the new building in the centre near the cafe too. Much hammering. Looks like it’s going to be an exciting year for new additions!

The bears are back out after their torpor and it was great to see them playing in their pond. I do miss seeing them when they are in the den for a couple of months.

The new baby bactrian camel (couple of weeks old now) is lovely.

It was excellent to see the young cassowary out in the large enclosure now she has run of the whole space.

No possum action but I feel spoiled by my last couple of visits and just have the ring tailed ones to go.
 

Attachments

  • 4B1B6221-5DEF-4164-90DC-06215FD92E3C.jpeg
    4B1B6221-5DEF-4164-90DC-06215FD92E3C.jpeg
    329.8 KB · Views: 16
Lafone said:
There’s a new enclosure building going up in the corner space opposite the tayra (near the lynx), picture of the house in progress below.

The new tortoise house has its coat of brown wood stain now too so looking near completion. Lots of work going on in the new building in the centre near the cafe too. Much hammering. Looks like it’s going to be an exciting year for new additions!

It was excellent to see the young cassowary out in the large enclosure now she has run of the whole space.
Click to expand...

Nice to see that, the builds are progressing, I noticed a few weeks ago, a bit of building work going on there, but wasn't sure if the Lynx exhibit had just been shortened, but good news it's a new exhibit. Maybe a new area for the Sumatran Civets when they get too big for the current area?

You mention the Bears are back on show, great news. Is the Jaguarundi exhibit by the tigers empty, or is something in there now?

What's the viewing like for the young Cassowary? Can you see her from the window that looks in from the Squirrel Glider hut, or is there still a mesh in the way.

Thanks.
 
Alwaysevergreen said:
Nice to see that, the builds are progressing, I noticed a few weeks ago, a bit of building work going on there, but wasn't sure if the Lynx exhibit had just been shortened, but good news it's a new exhibit. Maybe a new area for the Sumatran Civets when they get too big for the current area?

You mention the Bears are back on show, great news. Is the Jaguarundi exhibit by the tigers empty, or is something in there now?

What's the viewing like for the young Cassowary? Can you see her from the window that looks in from the Squirrel Glider hut, or is there still a mesh in the way.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The former jaguarundi enclosure is empty at the moment, the wire at the front is covered with wood framing.

Viewing is good for the young cassowary as she’s in the enclosure where one of the adults was (the one who can be seen at the back of the vultures). It is through wire but she was right near the fence having a nap when I saw her (right near the bench that’s there) so good sightings indeed. The glider hut only let’s you see the side of the enclosure but the viewing is best from the front.
 
Further information on the Kirk's Dik-Dik from their website. A male will soon arrive from Cotswold Wildlife Park during March to join the aforementioned female from Chester. The pair of dik-dik will live in a newly-renovated paddock near the pudu and close to the new tortoise house which is due to open this month as well. The dik-dik represent one of a dozen or so new species expected to arrive at Hamerton throughout this month: Hamerton Zoo Park - Animal Park Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
 
Had a great day out at Hamerton today, chilly and lots of people about. Lots of cyclists enjoying the day too, always good to be cautious when driving around the area.

The new dik dik is lovely and is in the former aardwolf enclosure as mentioned above. She seems happy to wander quite close and was pottering about in her enclosure and newly decorated and enhanced house and paddock area that is divided from the grass with some dik dik size cat flap doors. Looking forward to seeing her and her new male mate from CWP (they have a lovely small herd).

The female brown wood owl is sitting on a nest at the front of the enclosure so there’s a small barrier in place to give her some space, though she’s tucked under the fence and people didn’t appear to notice her.

Got some good shots of the young cassowary in her new space.

As noted on the zoos Facebook the cheetahs have swapped enclosures and a female is now in the one nearest the picnic area. She seemed happy to be up near the fence and sitting around which was good to see.

Got sightings of most of the animals (barring the raccoons who I do like very much but are usually in their log and of course the possums) and the bears were super active which was very enjoyable.
 
The new Tortoise House is now finished, with the tortoises due to move in later this week and some plants to be added. The hope is that the house should be ready for Easter.

Work continues on the new meerkat enclosure and the new development by the tayras but both have been delayed, as the maintenance team have been re-fitting the quarantine building for animals to be held during rabies isolation.

More information can be found in the link below:
Hamerton Zoo Park - Animal Park Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
The male Kirk's Dik-Dik has safely arrived from Cotswold and been introduced to the female. Another species arrived from Cotswold Wildlife Park as well - a colony of Gidgee Skinks which can be found in their reptile house now. All reported on their FB page.
Click to expand...
Is that all of Cotswold's skinks or just some of them?
 
Sunny day out at Hamerton today. Pretty busy given it’s bank holiday weekend, but still fine to see everything and not feel crowded.

Great to see the finished tortoise house, the tortoises look very content in it.

Lovely to see both dikdik and see them getting on well.

Some nice new arrivals all around the park. A new infant red bellied tamarin was being actively swapped around the adults.

Was also exciting to see the greater flamingo chick born on 20/3 in the nursery behind the main flamingo enclosure.

The albino Bennett’s wallabies have a new joey and it was wandering around outside the pouch which was great to see. Also saw three Parma wallaby joeys - bulges indicated there might be more.

The barking owls are signed as sitting on eggs so hopefully there will be more success with them after the chicks last year. The brown wood owl is still sitting right next to the fence.

An Ushant / Ouessant lamb was in the goat / sheep and donkey area which was nice to see.

In other areas, lots of new trees have been planted in the parma wallaby and stork enclosure.

The cotton top tamarins have moved from the enclosure next to the red handed tamarins. They are now next to the red bellied tamarins (opposite the dikdik). Squirrel gliders signed into the old space.

The corsac foxes are moulting their winter coats - that always signals spring for me.

Saw the raccoons which I enjoyed as haven’t seen them outside their log for a while.
 

Attachments

  • 4647B841-4875-478E-9205-CB9543BF0B6E.jpeg
    4647B841-4875-478E-9205-CB9543BF0B6E.jpeg
    183.5 KB · Views: 11
  • 20EFCC51-C7ED-4FE2-BDC8-A2B90105ED9A.jpeg
    20EFCC51-C7ED-4FE2-BDC8-A2B90105ED9A.jpeg
    86.4 KB · Views: 8
  • 7BCEF519-8B23-4951-A18C-F08F97BDCF82.jpeg
    7BCEF519-8B23-4951-A18C-F08F97BDCF82.jpeg
    76.8 KB · Views: 9
  • 7A218D8A-82FE-4CFE-B1E8-E0E10F8B2D27.jpeg
    7A218D8A-82FE-4CFE-B1E8-E0E10F8B2D27.jpeg
    188.5 KB · Views: 9
Good day out at Hamerton today - few visitors, probably to do with the coronation and the weather forecast.

Rained solidly after 12pm but still loads to see and lots of active animals. Having the covered areas at Hamerton is an advantage in a downpour. Lots of the birds were enjoying the rain / bathing which made for some good viewing.

Was great to be able to go back into the outback aviary.

The two young flamingoes were looking good in the bird nursery.

Tasmanian golden possums are now signed in the former jaguarundi enclosure on the way to the bears so another chance to miss them! Should be a quiet spot for them.

Was great to see both otters in the enclosure playing around in the water. Both civets in the enclosure near the meerkats were also out and about.

Two ushant lambs were visible today and one looked recent.

The black cheeked love birds who recently arrived from CWP are in the former adult frogmouth enclosure - the frogmouth pair are now opposite the burrowing owls.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1672.jpeg
    IMG_1672.jpeg
    156.9 KB · Views: 7
  • IMG_1671.jpeg
    IMG_1671.jpeg
    171.2 KB · Views: 7
Other 2023 News:

On April 6th, the zoo announced that a (1.0) Poitou donkey was born a week prior and is now on exhibit in the donkey barn.

Welcome to our new Poitou Donkey foal! Born just over a week ago to Mum Diddy! It's a boy and he's doing great! You can see him in the Donkey Barn... | By Hamerton Zoo | Facebook

On January 7th, the zoo announced they acquired a (1.0) Asian small-clawed otter from the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland in December 2022 which is now on exhibit. On January 18th, the zoo announced his name, Clyde.

Hamerton Zoo
Cuteness overload! We can't get enough of our new Otter! ❤️ We also now know his name is... Clyde! So say a big hello to Clyde everyone ... | By Hamerton Zoo | Facebook

On March 3rd, the zoo announced that the (0.1) Bactrian camel born on February 4th was named Nikita.

Hamerton Zoo

On March 19th, the zoo announced that a (0.0.1) common? brush-tailed possum was born.

Hamerton Zoo

On April 28th, the zoo announced that they reopened the Play Area and the Outback Aviary to the public.

Hamerton Zoo Park - Animal Park Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top