Marwell Wildlife Marwell 2022 News

G

GaryA

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Very worrying breaking news tonight as BBC website confirms bird flu found on a chicken farm in Bishops Waltham.

Marwell is literally sat on the 3 mile quarantine zone.

Needless to say, I hope all is OK. I certainly am keeping my aviary birds indoors for the foreseeable (they are anyway due to the cold weather).
 
Very worrying. I notice that Marwell is outside the protection zone but inside the wider surveillance zone.

I had a quick look at what that means and DEFRA have a document about the restrictions. https://assets.publishing.service.g...2-38-AIV2022-16-bishops-waltham-hampshire.pdf

It appears zoos are exempt from some of the restrictions but not all. Marwell's website says that the tropical house and aviaries are temporarily closed as a result.

On a completely different and happier subject, I did see a local news report about the annual stock take and it showed what appeared to be parma wallabies. Is this correct and if so, whereabouts are they?
 
From the online photo they appear to be mixed with the Bennett's Wallabies.

Sorry I can't post links (technological Neanderthal sometimes) but Irish Times has a pic in their article.

Not been since pre lockdown as been isolating due to ill health. Very much hoping to go this spring, especially as only a couple of miles away!
 
  • Like
Reactions: NMM
GaryA said:
Very worrying breaking news tonight as BBC website confirms bird flu found on a chicken farm in Bishops Waltham.

Marwell is literally sat on the 3 mile quarantine zone.

Needless to say, I hope all is OK. I certainly am keeping my aviary birds indoors for the foreseeable (they are anyway due to the cold weather).
Click to expand...

Ah that’s such a shame, good they are taking precautions. London Zoo had their walkthrough wetland aviary closed to the public due to bird flu, although the Blackburn Pavillion was still open just with a foot bath and sanitiser on entry. Marwell’s site says the tropical house and aviaries are closed.

Guess who has planned to go to Marwell next week.. Might pop to New Forest Wildlife Park instead of the tropical house is closed..
 
Last edited:
Havent seen this posted anywhere (apologies if I've missed it)

according to a Facebook video about Valentines day, a 3rd Banteng calf has been born "recently" and a new female pygmy hippo has arrived to be paired with Oliver
 
Embu said:
Havent seen this posted anywhere (apologies if I've missed it)

according to a Facebook video about Valentines day, a 3rd Banteng calf has been born "recently" and a new female pygmy hippo has arrived to be paired with Oliver
Click to expand...
Hooray, some more news ... Marwell Zoo on the up! Do we know where the female pygmy hippo came in from?
 
I notice the Marwell railway has been permanently closed. Does anyone know the plans long term for the railway? A popular attraction hopefully not going the same way as Paignton’s. I imagine the route is not compatible with the planned water and wetlands development. Hopefully it will be included in some way.
 
Bob said:
I notice the Marwell railway has been permanently closed. Does anyone know the plans long term for the railway? A popular attraction hopefully not going the same way as Paignton’s. I imagine the route is not compatible with the planned water and wetlands development. Hopefully it will be included in some way.
Click to expand...
The Marwell railway has gone for good,the cost needed to upgrade it track wise is I think not money Marwell has at the moment or want to spend,it also causes problems when you plan any new development like wetlands, also now the train journey over the years has seen less and less animals when you were on it and I understand less and less people were using it.
 
Was this not supposed to be pygmy hippo
pfloyd601 said:
Talking about Wetland development - has anyone heard any more news about this? I had sort of presumed it had been shelved...though good news with the recent introduction of a new pygmy hypo individual
Click to expand...
The last was pre 2020 planning for and building to start around 2019/2020 with focal species hippo, otter, flamingo and capybara. I would hope they come out more ambitious in species for the project.

It was a rather peculiar mish mash of token African and mostly South American mammals and one bird species. No ibis, no stork, no other wetland birds (the fox predation issue should be dealt with X voltage flutterband wired fencing) or cranes the closely associated with wetlands?

I would be sorry to see the giant anteater disappear from Marwell.
 
Ah, so a 'distant cousin' of the "Elephant Odyssey". :p
I see where Marwell would be going with W&W, though for sure the biogeography here is odd.
From what I heard, Marwell used to have a nice collection of cranes, so to see this again would be nice I think..
Though it would be interesting to see a zoo maybe create an exhibit based off a more 'niche' biome like the Patagonia - featuring guanaco, penguins, rhea..?
That said, I wonder what has become of the old anteater yard - has it been demolished now?
If so, there's still a fairly-sized field the blesbok moved out of, I'd imagine some anteaters would be very happy to make that a home of theirs :p And would also make a neat tie-in to the tropical house
 
Last edited:
Kifaru Bwana said:
Was this not supposed to be pygmy hippo

The last was pre 2020 planning for and building to start around 2019/2020 with focal species hippo, otter, flamingo and capybara. I would hope they come out more ambitious in species for the project.

It was a rather peculiar mish mash of token African and mostly South American mammals and one bird species. No ibis, no stork, no other wetland birds (the fox predation issue should be dealt with X voltage flutterband wired fencing) or cranes the closely associated with wetlands?

I would be sorry to see the giant anteater disappear from Marwell.
Click to expand...
Giant anteater have been gone from Marwell for about three years now. Their enclosure was home to the peccaries for a bit though I'm not sure what is in there since they left last year.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Was this not supposed to be pygmy hippo

The last was pre 2020 planning for and building to start around 2019/2020 with focal species hippo, otter, flamingo and capybara. I would hope they come out more ambitious in species for the project.

It was a rather peculiar mish mash of token African and mostly South American mammals and one bird species. No ibis, no stork, no other wetland birds (the fox predation issue should be dealt with X voltage flutterband wired fencing) or cranes the closely associated with wetlands?

I would be sorry to see the giant anteater disappear from Marwell.
Click to expand...
The intended 2019 start on the wetlands project was delayed which, in hindsight, was very fortunate due to Covid and the consequent major impact on finances. An important part of the redevelopment of this area of the zoo was to improve the facilities and viewing of the Pygmy hippo and tapirs and to rehouse the flamingos by provision of a walk-in aviary that would allow birds to be fully winged, and improve their management. Foxes are always a risk in zoos, but rats are a more of a problem so a well-designed enclosed aviary would be a great improvement. I have no doubt that work will occur in this section of the zoo but is more likely to be phased in stages over a longer period. Meanwhile a number of previous occupants of the area have been moved out of the collection - capybara and rhea for example - and the lone anteater went over two years ago, allowing other species - nylala, sitatungu and red river hog - to use the areas they formerly occupied. Removal of the track train is also a phase towards new development as, if it was retained, maintaining its route would compromise development plans. So news that the train is going suggests that planning towards development is moving. Incidentally the annual inventory for 2021 has been on the Marwell website for several weeks now.
 
zooboy said:
The intended 2019 start on the wetlands project was delayed which, in hindsight, was very fortunate due to Covid and the consequent major impact on finances. An important part of the redevelopment of this area of the zoo was to improve the facilities and viewing of the Pygmy hippo and tapirs and to rehouse the flamingos by provision of a walk-in aviary that would allow birds to be fully winged, and improve their management. Foxes are always a risk in zoos, but rats are a more of a problem so a well-designed enclosed aviary would be a great improvement. I have no doubt that work will occur in this section of the zoo but is more likely to be phased in stages over a longer period. Meanwhile a number of previous occupants of the area have been moved out of the collection - capybara and rhea for example - and the lone anteater went over two years ago, allowing other species - nylala, sitatungu and red river hog - to use the areas they formerly occupied. Removal of the track train is also a phase towards new development as, if it was retained, maintaining its route would compromise development plans. So news that the train is going suggests that planning towards development is moving. Incidentally the annual inventory for 2021 has been on the Marwell website for several weeks now.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your comments. Would you say that wetlands will have an African theme with sitatunga and river hogs amongst others or is that as yet not clear?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top