Having had a chat with Jim Vassey who was head of cats at Howletts two years ago, when mentioning my interest in lions, his comment was that he wasn't a big fan, stating that they were a tad dull, so having seen his job up for grabs, he has obviously retired, perhaps lions were first on the cards for the new head of cats!
Howletts Wild Animal Park Howletts Wild Animal Park News 2012
- Thread starter Jordan-Jaguar97
- Start date
As i said in my earlier post,i for one was pleased to see them the other week, the more species added to any collection the better- in my opinion.
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Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
I thought Layla and Jabir were closely related? Isn't Jabir castrated too? Maybe not?I think they have been together as a pair at Port Lympne for some years, in an enclosure near where the Safari trucks leave from.
Jabir is the son of Kabir (Ex Port Lympne and Longleat) also Layla is the daughter of Kabir too. Jabir was Jade x Kabir and Layla was Aiesha x Kabir. Jabir and Suliman are the only castrated males at PL and Howletts. Milo (Saffiya x Suliman) is not castrated.
Also a male Javan gibbon was born last month to; Kulon. The first for a while if I'm correct, also I believe the breeding female died in June/June 2011.
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
Good to hear
It is promising news - it's the first in a few years (2009 possibly earlier?) the group seems to have shrunk. A few of the offspring of the old group(s) have moved to other collections, namely Belfast and some place in North America.
gorgeousingray
Well-Known Member
Is Howlett's expecting any elephant births this year?
johnstoni.
Well-Known Member
JAF are sending some other their captive-bred Javan gibbons and langurs to their in situ release project, according to video released on their Youtube channel. If moloch numbers are low across the parks, perhaps some have already gone out there.
The first line of the newspaper article above says 'settling into the park in the hope they will breed' so I guess that bit isn't quite right.
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
No breeding should/will take place for two reasons;The first line of the newspaper article above says 'settling into the park in the hope they will breed' so I guess that bit isn't quite right.
1. Jabir is castrated and therefore cannot breed.
2. Jabir and Layla have the same father (Kabir).
Maybe PL have moved them to Howletts to give them more space for another cat species or there existing Lions.
Given my misjudgement over the age of the Gelada in my earlier post(although I couldn't see much more than its head as the mother held it in her arms) , I have now been caught out again! I had good view of the female on the platform, but what must have been Jabir by the far fence showed no sign of a mane from that distance, so unless he's fairly young, I can't see breeding being possible! Irrespective of breeding potential, I think they make a good exhibit and it's a good idea to spread the species across the 2 collections.
Castrated males do lose their manes. He's not young. They are obviously a non-breeding pair.
In the second tiger enclosure as you walk down the first path opposite the entrance past the hunting dogs
Reported in today's 'Daily Telegraph' .
Two zoo keepers are due to take their employers to tribunal for unfair dismissal . Howletts Wildlife Park sacked Jim Vassie , the head of carnivores , and Dave Magner , the head elephant keeper , last month . Mr Vassie , 56 , claims he was told he was being dismissed for his 'corrosive attitude ' , while Mr Magner , 54 , claims he was sacked for 'negligence' after not feeding a baby elephant when it was due to eat . He said ' I did go in and she was sleeping so I decided not to wake her ' .
Two zoo keepers are due to take their employers to tribunal for unfair dismissal . Howletts Wildlife Park sacked Jim Vassie , the head of carnivores , and Dave Magner , the head elephant keeper , last month . Mr Vassie , 56 , claims he was told he was being dismissed for his 'corrosive attitude ' , while Mr Magner , 54 , claims he was sacked for 'negligence' after not feeding a baby elephant when it was due to eat . He said ' I did go in and she was sleeping so I decided not to wake her ' .
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Two senior, experienced, keepers being dismissed? Something has gone very badly wrong...
johnstoni.
Well-Known Member
Their whole lives were with this place. This sounds very wrong. I hope they win at Tribunal.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=jim%20vassie%20%2C%20the%20head%20of%20carnivores%20%2C%20and%20dave%20magner&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kentonline.co.uk%2Fkentonline%2Fnews%2F2012%2Fmay%2F5%2Fhowletts_keepers_sacked.aspx&ei=H4SlT7r5A8TR8gOElujlBA&usg=AFQjCNHUsxznJphLXAQeF4s_wqkMYEZX8Q&cad=rja
Howletts' management do not look good from this at all.
Howletts' management do not look good from this at all.
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
Well, no-one is immortal. And any organisation requires some degree of management.
Reading between the lines the endowment that was left behind to secure the animal parks' future hasn't proved sufficient. There has been a fairly obvious drive to commercialise the parks.
It wouldn't be wise to say too much with a tribunal pending, but somewhere along the way the senior management at the Aspinall parks have obviously failed to win over some important people. That is very, very sad.