Highland Wildlife Park HWP 2011

J

Julz

Well-Known Member
I thought I'd start a new thread for 2011, hope no-one minds.

Last weekend I had my first 2 visits to the park of the year. I'm editing and sorting my photos and will upload some as soon as I'm done (I took 700+ lol).

Mercedes and Walker are now sharing their enclosure full time. They had access to the outdoor parts on both sides of the house. Mercedes still isn't keen on him getting too close and gave him a chase a few times while I was there, but they seem to be getting on ok. The pond was frozen over whilst we were there and Walker seems intent on cracking the ice with his plastic toys.

I didn't make it over to Wolf Wood as it seemed quite icy underfoot.

One of the female Bison is going to Romania this year to join a re-introduction programme.

Vladimir is still on course to move to Knowsley Safari Park in March. They are planning on keeping both Natalia and Dominika with Sasha for now and will re-consider plans when the time comes to have the girls into the breeding programme. There will be no more breeding from Sasha.

Several of the Kiang have been moved from the front reserve to the back of the main reserve as they were bullying the camels. They are planning on keeping the Kiang as 2 groups now.

Several new shelter areas have been built in the main reserve. They are wooden and appear to have wooden floors as well as walls and roofs.

New animals for 2011 - The Amur Leopards will be moving to HWP at 'some point', no-one seemed to know for sure when the Musk Ox would be arriving. I'm not sure if the early arrival of Walker and the need to build his enclosure in the next few years has meant a change in plans/funds.

Things seem very quiet/cautious about the Pallas Cats. The only thing they would say is that they will go on show at some point during 2011. They will go behind the Lynx when they eventually go on show. Several staff didn't even know that they were already at the park. It's quite unusual so hopefully they have perhaps bred/breeding or something hence the keeping them quiet.
 
Re: HWP

Hi Julz, thanks for that interesting update, will look forward to your photos.
Also interesting regarding the Pallas cats. Cheers, RW
 
According to the article about Yorkshire Wildlife Park getting Tigers Vladimir will be going there instead of Knowsley.
 
Strictly 2010 news, but i see that Doug Richardson has been appointed ESB keeper for the Bactrian wapiti, could this mean a long term commitment to keeping the deer at the park, he is also ESB keeper for takin too.

EAZA - EEPs
 
Some news on Mercedes reported by the BBC

Wildlife park polar bear Mercedes has been diagnosed with an incurable condition which may be causing her health to fail, it has been confirmed

The RZSS released this statement in response:

Douglas Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at the Highland Wildlife Park comments:

“Mercedes is 30 years old, which is extremely old for a polar bear, and it is to be expected that her health may be deteriorating. Despite her mobility and joints not being what they once were, Mercedes still currently enjoys a good quality of life here at the Highland Wildlife Park, where she has been for almost two years now. We constantly liaise closely with both our internal vet team and external experts and our team of keepers are on hand to give her all the care she needs.”

Simon Girling, a vet for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, adds:

“Mercedes suffers from advanced osteoarthritis, for which there is unfortunately no cure. Her condition became apparent some time after her move to the Highland Wildlife Park from Edinburgh Zoo. This condition is seen in most elderly polar bears both in the wild and in captivity. We’re managing her condition with various medication and pain relief, and we’re currently trying her on some new medication.
“If Mercedes deteriorates further in the future and begins to suffer, it is probable that with sadness we will have to consider humane euthanasia on the grounds of health and welfare. However, we are not at this stage yet.”
Click to expand...
 
I don't think that should be a surprise about Mercedes. She's an old bear and there was/is always going to come a time where they have to think about her quality of life.

I take it the statement was in response to rumours going around that they are planning to bump of Mercedes quicker so that they can plough on with getting a female in for Walker. He's not mature yet anyway is he so there would be little point in bringing in a breeding female yet?
 
I think it would be fair to say that everyone at RZSS would do all they can to help Mercedes! Many people have an amazing love for that bear! Even Doug Richardson if he was to admit it! Interesting to note that the osteoarthritis came on after her move to HWP, Shows that it is age related and also how well she was looked after at Edinburgh Zoo. The whole enclosure thing really was a perception thing! Let's hope she's with us for a little while yet.
 
Julz said:
I take it the statement was in response to rumours going around that they are planning to bump of Mercedes quicker so that they can plough on with getting a female in for Walker. He's not mature yet anyway is he so there would be little point in bringing in a breeding female yet?
Click to expand...

I also noticed some quite sensationalist headlines and stories on some tabloid and Scottish press websites yesterday which I think prompted the statement.
 
As mentioned elsewhere, Vladimir has now left the park for his new home in Yorkshire.
 
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Are you sure it was Yuri? and not his son... i was under the impression that Yuri had to be put to sleep late last year... could be getting things and names mixed up tho
 
Yuri did pass on last year....

Recent update I had was the Amur Leopards are remaining at Edinburgh Zoo for 'a few years' until a suitable enclosure is built at HWP

I believe the focus is on building the 2nd Polar Bear enclosure during the next year or so
 
There seems to have been a few changed plans recently.

In January they were saying the Amur Leopards would be arriving soon, there was no real rush to build Walker's new enclosure and various other little things.

The Musk Ox don't appear to have arrived yet and the Pallas cats are still not on show.
 
Julz said:
The Musk Ox don't appear to have arrived yet and the Pallas cats are still not on show.
Click to expand...

Phoned the park today and the Pallas cat were meant to go on show last week, but will now go on show next week in an enclosure above the lynx (i am thinking the former chough aviary).
Still no news on the musk ox.
 
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