Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2014

SnowCat said:
Marwell have had planning permission for a new rhino house - out in the African Valley, it is planned to house upto six rhino and breeding plans have also been passed, so expect new stock to come into the collection.
They also have plans for a new hippo house with underwater viewing area. No lions will be coming to the collection as the rhino house is relocating.
Expect some over due baby news soon, that's all I'm allowed to say.
Also expect some movement/change for the cheetahs.
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The latest edition of the parks news magazine (which is available to read via the website) reveals that the Rhino house will be part of a larger development and will also include new accommodation for the Grevy's Zebra and Scimiter Horned Oryx - Titled Wild Explorers it is planned to be completed in Summer 2015

Did you mean new lions as opposed to "no lions" ? ;)
 
It will be interesting to see where they will site the Wild Explorers development on the African Valley. Now, the Grevy Zebra already had a grassy paddock over the road from …, but still the African Valley has acres of space to fit in a Rhino House and combined stalls for Grevy's and Scimitars. The latter infers that the huge central paddock will no longer be used - and to my mind less than ideal - for Scimitars …, creates and allows for considerable space to develop that part for other species!

I am also pleased to learn from the magazine that some of the bird species have been paired up. It might be worthwhile to augment the bird collection with some more African species (hornbills, starlings ..) and perhaps open up some more bird aviaries along the trail next to Giraffe House.

As for the white rhinos: within the UK there is several younger females now available for breeding. Marwell would definitely require 2-3 immigrants (preferably 1.2) and hopefully added on another male (the competitor bull) which was not possible in the old set up.

If and when the rhino relocate that frees up their exhibit for perhaps the hippo?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Excellent piece of news. Against all the odds I am still hoping for black rhino. But alas it will probably be whites only given the brief ....
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I very much doubt it too..;) .'up to six' indicates a group and that they will just continue with what they have now i.e. the Whites.
 
Pertinax said:
Can't see any mileage in moving the Hippo- they have a decent paddock area already and the rhino house is unnecessarily large for them really.
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Main thing would be to update the inside the hippo house, was built on a very tight buget back in early 80,s.and from memorey..was only half the size of original plans..
 
The new Rhino, Oryx and Zebra houses will NOT be in the African Valley enclosure. They are to be sited where the current "new" oryx house and Oryx house and old Grevy`s Zebra house/bat house is.

White Rhinos will be housed NOT black.
 
Nanook said:
The new Rhino, Oryx and Zebra houses will NOT be in the African Valley enclosure. They are to be sited where the current "new" oryx house and Oryx house and old Grevy`s Zebra house/bat house is.

White Rhinos will be housed NOT black.[/Q From what you are describing the main paddock in front of Marwell Hall will once again have oryx and Grevys zebra and white rhino be added ?.. always throught it was a mistake moving thr Grevys out of this paddock..I remember in my days as a keeper there the New Oryx house housing Dama gazelle ..Arabian. gazelle.lowland Anoa.etc and was also open to the public.
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hantslad said:
Nanook said:
The new Rhino, Oryx and Zebra houses will NOT be in the African Valley enclosure. They are to be sited where the current "new" oryx house and Oryx house and old Grevy`s Zebra house/bat house is.

White Rhinos will be housed NOT black.[/Q From what you are describing the main paddock in front of Marwell Hall will once again have oryx and Grevys zebra and white rhino be added ?.. always throught it was a mistake moving thr Grevys out of this paddock..I remember in my days as a keeper there the New Oryx house housing Dama gazelle ..Arabian. gazelle.lowland Anoa.etc and was also open to the public.
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Yes indeed, ( the new current guidebook shows an artists impression of the new site.)
There will be a house for each ; Rhino, Oryx and Zebras, all with access to same paddock, fence-line will be strengthened to enable rhino to be exhibited there. Its meant to be ready by Summer 2015.
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Thanks for the extra info. The black rhino is merely a wish-list of mine (allthough I would say black rhino more convey the message of the in situ conservation work M.W. does in Kenya than the white rhino would).

So, it is the central paddock opp. Marwell Hall (this is not what the magazine sorta describes ... though) and I suppose along the entire length of it including the present blocked off rhino area ...!!!
BTW: I would love to see the fence-line of a different concept (more a fake rock wall and dry moat filled along its borderline grassy/herb plantings with wiry electric cable. Would look a lot nicer than it is now. Good examples are in Muenster and Magdeburg Zoos .. the electrics are functional and due to plantings and rockwall practically invisible to the public.

The above would infer / mean that both the greater kudu and Hartmann's mountain zebra would have to move elsewhere within M.W. as both occupy part of the central paddocks.

So, one must understand that underwater (pygmy) hippo is off for now completely? (or might this be a future project)
 
Nanook said:
No lions and no underwater hippo house are planned either.
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I know Lions are loosely planned, in that they would like them back again but just when the time, location and budgets are right, and as for the Hippo house with underwater viewing, yes this is very much planned and should happen in the next 3-4 years.
 
I think opening up the central paddock for the rhino is a much better idea than putting them in the valley, as at least they will be more visible there. In the valley they may have been too distant or completely invisible at the far end.
 
I think the Scimitar-horned Oryx grazing in front of the hall is the iconic image of Marwell. If the Park's management messed that around they really would have terminally lost the plot.
 
IanRRobinson said:
I think the Scimitar-horned Oryx grazing in front of the hall is the iconic image of Marwell. If the Park's management messed that around they really would have terminally lost the plot.
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Good point, but i think they lost it about 5 years ago! It wouldn't totally shock me if they got rid of the oryx altogether, but that really would be the end.
 
WookieDog said:
I know Lions are loosely planned, in that they would like them back again but just when the time, location and budgets are right, and as for the Hippo house with underwater viewing, yes this is very much planned and should happen in the next 3-4 years.
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The underwater viewing for hippos may have been discussed but plans for that area of the park have been put on hold for a long time now and have recently been put back again.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Thanks for the extra info. The black rhino is merely a wish-list of mine (allthough I would say black rhino more convey the message of the in situ conservation work M.W. does in Kenya than the white rhino would).

So, it is the central paddock opp. Marwell Hall (this is not what the magazine sorta describes ... though) and I suppose along the entire length of it including the present blocked off rhino area ...!!!
BTW: I would love to see the fence-line of a different concept (more a fake rock wall and dry moat filled along its borderline grassy/herb plantings with wiry electric cable. Would look a lot nicer than it is now. Good examples are in Muenster and Magdeburg Zoos .. the electrics are functional and due to plantings and rockwall practically invisible to the public.

The above would infer / mean that both the greater kudu and Hartmann's mountain zebra would have to move elsewhere within M.W. as both occupy part of the central paddocks.

So, one must understand that underwater (pygmy) hippo is off for now completely? (or might this be a future project)
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The Greater Kudu are leaving the park, some have already gone to Colchester.
 
Surely an opportunity is here to reorganise the mixing of the oryx, zebra and rhino with more appropriate species.
 
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