Howletts Wild Animal Park Howletts news 2007-2008
- Thread starter Hadley
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Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
Howletts now claimed to have returned Sumartran rhinos to the wild. I know that they sent them back to indonesia, but does that realy count?
No. Only one, the male 'Torgamba,' was returned to Way Kambas Sanctuary, after the other(s) died at Port Lympne and this wasn't to the wild. I've noticed the way its written implies they had a successful breeding programme as with other species they have successfully reintroduced, but as you know, thats not so.
Its good that they have bred the Iberian Wolves. Here is a Subspecies of wolf with very few in captivity anywhere outside Spain, as back-up to the wild population. Its a species where reintroduction of younger animals would probably be feasible too. So a worthwhile species for them to concentrate on.
Are you sure about Geladas? I can see nothing on their website about them. It seems an odd species to mix with Colobus as they occupy very different habitat 'niches' in the wild. Port Lympne do have a group of Guinea Baboons though which were living in rather overcrowded conditions in a cage by the entrance. Its not these they are referring to, is it?
Which park are they talking about here?
They have just completed an open-topped monkey enclosure at Howletts, just inside the entrance, where I think the paddocks used to be. In two adverts in local papers, it has mentioned that 'striking Gelada baboons have just joined the colobus monkeys in the new open-topped monkey enclosure at Howletts'. An unusual combination, but then they have been acquiring many new primate species over the last couple of years.
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Okay, yes that sounds certain enough. And yes, after a period of comparative stagnation, they seem to be building new primate exhibits again. Last year it was the Lion Tailed Macaques at the bottom of the lime avenue.
This new Gelada/Colobus enclosure- where youy say 'just inside the entrance' do you mean the public entrance or the private one (the big white gate) that leads from the road up to the Mansion?
This means the group of about fifteen Guinea baboons that came from Paris Zoo are still in that crowded cage by the entrance at Port Lympne. I somehow assumed they would build them an enclosure in the 'African Experience', or maybe have them free-range!
I initially assumed that they were acquiring such a common primate species (Guinea Baboon) for the African experience. If they can afford to fence the area for Rhino I don't understand why they haven't done the same for the baboons. Around two dozen in that entrance cage is certainly a lot.
The Gelada/Colobus enclosure is just inside the public entrance, near to the newer Gorilla complex. I think it used to be paddocks housing Nilgai/ Bongo from time to time. On their site they have a webcam focused on it and you can see from that where it is positioned within the zoo.
The Gelada/Colobus enclosure is just inside the public entrance, near to the newer Gorilla complex. I think it used to be paddocks housing Nilgai/ Bongo from time to time. On their site they have a webcam focused on it and you can see from that where it is positioned within the zoo.
Geladas and Colobus together is certainly a rather odd mixture. I'd be interested to know where the Geladas came from too. They have bred a number of Colobus at both parks so this is probably also a further attempt to alleviate overcrowding. I'm always interested that Howletts/Port Lympne still seem to breed things like Tigers or Colobus very freely but don't part with many of them- they just build more enclosures to house the extra...
They took the Guinea baboons at Port Lympne from Paris(Vincennes) Zoo as they had a surplus. But I didn't expect them to stay permanently in that small cage by the entrance. I imagined they would put them in the African Experience area but it hasn't happened.
They took the Guinea baboons at Port Lympne from Paris(Vincennes) Zoo as they had a surplus. But I didn't expect them to stay permanently in that small cage by the entrance. I imagined they would put them in the African Experience area but it hasn't happened.
i heard on roar that the guinea baboons were in a holding cage ( I.E the small cage ) and were moving to a new encolurse but that was a year ago and still no move - and at colchestre zoo 2 males were in a seprate encoulse with a sign saying moving to another collection - perhaps this is where they came from
Iberian Wolves.
Does anyone know where their Iberian Wolves came from- was it Spain or another zoo- the Norfolk Wildlife Park had some and has recently closed as a wildlife collection, were they from there?
Also, how many do they have(before breeding) and which park are they kept at?
Does anyone know where their Iberian Wolves came from- was it Spain or another zoo- the Norfolk Wildlife Park had some and has recently closed as a wildlife collection, were they from there?
Also, how many do they have(before breeding) and which park are they kept at?
Can't answer your 1st question. The current pair are kept at Howletts, Bekesbourne.
Colchester also have a pair on loan.
Colchester also have a pair on loan.
I was at Port Lympne last month. They are building a new house just north of the bachelor gorillas and the animal health centre. The sign says it will be for black rhinos, which currently use the paddock, and the baboons. I couldn't tell how it was going to work, a mixed species exhibit seems unlikely (but what do I know?). It would be nice if the baboons had a spacious open-topped exhibit, rather than another 'drum' of wood and wire.
Alan
Alan
I would definitely agree with you regarding mixed species. I don't think Black Rhinos will mix with anything- never mind anything as mischievous as baboons!
I think the 'drums' of wood and wire are largely a thing of the past now.. The new enclosures for primates are a whole lot better.
I'm really glad they're doing something for those Guinea baboons, they've been in that cage by the entrance for too long. And I reckon you COULD keep them with Black Rhinos- Port Lympne's rhinos are really quite tractable and docile- maybe an electric fence around the paddock to contain the Baboons? Perhaps its too 'avante garde' though, but their latest enclosures have been good.
I'm hoping the Drills too will eventually be given a 'woodland zone' around their existing cage. It would be quite easy to put an electrified fence around a section of trees. Incidentally, when I saw them last year, the male 'Gorbi' was much more active than the previous year, and was trotting nimbly around the branches in the top of the cage. I suspect that even that ugly old enclosure has far more room than they had at Stuttgart and so he is corespondingly fitter....