Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2013

John le Carre once described committees as being like an animal with four back legs. ZSL has been plagued for years by the fact that too many people get involved in decision-making. Sadly, this seems to be the fate of all too many UK zoos when, with the best of intentions, a charity takes charge.
 
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The 2013 collection Inventory is now on their website . Three mammal species left the collection - dwarf mongoose , mara , Goeldi's monkey . Many other species are kept in a single sex only , amongst these are - ocelot , Amur tiger , Grevy zebra , dama gazelle , sitatunga , sable antelope , cheetah , fossa , capybara , giant anteater , golden lion tamarin , emperor tamarin , red ruffed lemur , Bennet's wallaby .
 
The 2013 collection Inventory is now on their website . Three mammal species left the collection - dwarf mongoose , mara , Goeldi's monkey . Many other species are kept in a single sex only , amongst these are - ocelot , Amur tiger , Grevy zebra , dama gazelle , sitatunga , sable antelope , cheetah , fossa , capybara , giant anteater , golden lion tamarin , emperor tamarin , red ruffed lemur , Bennet's wallaby .

Hi Bele, that it interesting, but the inventory is not quite right - they do have a new female Giant Anteater now (1.1), the Amur Tigers they are hoping to breed again, the Grevy`s Zebra are probably awaiting a new stallion to continue breeding, as far as I know the Sable and Sitatungas had a male in the group (though) possibly separate? The Damas have just all died off now down to only a couple of animals, the Red Ruffed Lemur groups are separated - with some being surplus, there is only a single Fossa anyway, breeding has been stopped with the Golden Lion Tamarins, Bennett`s Wallaby and Capybara. The Emperor Tamarins are under the EEP managed at Marwell so breeding will have been limited.The Mara departed about a year ago.
 
The 2013 collection Inventory is now on their website . Three mammal species left the collection - dwarf mongoose , mara , Goeldi's monkey .

It only took a month of 2013 for the kangaroo to join them and the only callitrichids i've seen on my last 2 visits were the cotton-top tamarin, so even if some of the other species remain on the inventory, they're barely worth counting as part of the collection currently.
 
The Damas have just all died off now down to only a couple of animals,.

That is surprising as last time I went they still had a number- presumably this is another species that may disappear when the last ones die or are moved?

Is there any further news about what other species might leave to fit in with their current policies? What is happening for the Black Wildebeest for example?
 
That is surprising as last time I went they still had a number- presumably this is another species that may disappear when the last ones die or are moved?

Is there any further news about what other species might leave to fit in with their current policies? What is happening for the Black Wildebeest for example?
'current policies' ? It appears to me they only have one - get rid of species or allow them to run down, take them off show , leave as many empty enclosures as possible and never bring anything new in! They do have another one which is to boast about their in-situ work, which is probably to detract from a zoo that's going to ruin.
It's a good job they have little serious local competition.
 
'current policies' ? They do have another one which is to boast about their in-situ work, which is probably to detract from a zoo that's going to ruin.

That term was used a little tongue in cheek..;) Talk of 'in situ' work does seems obligatory in zoos nowadays- its good to know about what is being done but I always feel it is at such a distance that it must have very little relevance to the usual paying public who have just come for a day out.
 
That is surprising as last time I went they still had a number- presumably this is another species that may disappear when the last ones die or are moved?

Is there any further news about what other species might leave to fit in with their current policies? What is happening for the Black Wildebeest for example?

Yes the Dama group has diminished quite rapidly in last two or three years, several animals developed a strange muscle-wasting condition which
could not be reversed, the last new arrivals to the group were two young males but no breeding has taken place for some time to compensate for the loss of animals.
 
Sad though it would be to see them go, I do wonder if the Dama gazelles wouldn't be better off being sent to the USA, maybe replaced by Mhorr Gazelles, which do seem viable in Europe.
 
Sad though it would be to see them go, I do wonder if the Dama gazelles wouldn't be better off being sent to the USA, maybe replaced by Mhorr Gazelles, which do seem viable in Europe.

Yes, I can`t see Marwell carrying on with Damas unless they are going to seriously commit to importing some more again, Mhorrs would appear to be a good replacement to us, but whether they would fit in with Marwell`s collection plan or not I am not so sure.
 
Yes, I can`t see Marwell carrying on with Damas unless they are going to seriously commit to importing some more again, Mhorrs would appear to be a good replacement to us, but whether they would fit in with Marwell`s collection plan or not I am not so sure.

Sad to see the damas go ...., but it would be better for the eastern Dama to go to Eastern Europe (Dvur still has a viable group). Strangely enough they do well there ... which is more wet et cetera .... Allthough, I understand that mohorr dama are the preferred species in Europe now.

So, there is a collection plan now?
Time to fill in the open spaces then ... :)
 
Announcement today that the female Snow Leopard (Irina) is pregnant with her 2nd litter and expected to give birth towards the end of April....
 
Ah, what lovely news! They were a huge crowd puller last time round, hopefully will bring in some extra income for Marwell and we can see some more changes and additions soon, one can only hope!
 
Good news. Hopefully all will go well & they'll be on show by the time i go again in the summer. I didn't get to see the previous cubs other than via cctv link.
 
0.1 Giant Anteater has now arrived from Warsaw to replace the previous female who died during 2012
 
Snow Leopard, Irina gave birth to 0.0.3 cubs on 21st April... all going well so far :D
 
A new exhibit for the parks existing Brown Nosed Coati is being built near the recently constructed Walk Through aviary... (this area now to be known as "Fur, Feathers and Scales")
 
A new exhibit for the parks existing Brown Nosed Coati is being built near the recently constructed Walk Through aviary... (this area now to be known as "Fur, Feathers and Scales")

Yet another odd development at Marwell! When will they ever build a new enclosure for a NEW species!
 
From the latest E-news letter: The Snow Leopard cubs have been sexed as 2.1
 
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