Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2020

Kifaru Bwana said:
I wonder what husbandry expertise - with the anoa's demise - is left with hoof stock at Marwell Wildlife?
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I don"t think Marwell have ever been bothered about breeding Anoa,its easy to criticize Marwell and I do at times,they still have around 12 species of antelope,the problem is some are so low in number they will go over time like the Congo Buffalo.Marwell has 1 Cheetah and 1 Amur Leopard now both are old animals now,I wonder about the future of both species at Marwell,the leopard area needs a rebuild.At its height around 15 years ago Marwell had near on 900 mammals,the figure today is just over 200.
 
okapis said:
I don"t think Marwell have ever been bothered about breeding Anoa,its easy to criticize Marwell and I do at times,they still have around 12 species of antelope,the problem is some are so low in number they will go over time like the Congo Buffalo.Marwell has 1 Cheetah and 1 Amur Leopard now both are old animals now,I wonder about the future of both species at Marwell,the leopard area needs a rebuild.At its height around 15 years ago Marwell had near on 900 mammals,the figure today is just over 200.
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The dive in numbers is probably the reason why the visiting public seem to value it less. True, zoos are centers of excellence in conservation breeding essentially and part and parcel can also be a phase out and/or birth control vis a vis demand/supply policy, but I am convinced that to the day part of Marwell management is taking it to an extreme.

Aside, if - as you state and assume that is correct for convenience sake - that MW / Marwell Zoo has never been serious about breeding anoa (or takin or ... Amur leopard) than why exhibit the species in the first place? That is something management needs to get to general public to know and appreciate. Is it happening???
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Aside, if - as you state and assume that is correct for convenience sake - that MW / Marwell Zoo has never been serious about breeding anoa (or takin or ... Amur leopard)
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They have bred Amur leopards in the past - 3 cubs from the most recent pair and I'm sure I recall at least one cub from a previous pairing. As far as I remember they have held the same male Akin for many many years. This is their post regarding the most recent female Kaia leaving the zoo at the end of last year. Makes me think Akin may have been retired by the breeding programme. He is 19 now I believe:

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Zia said:
They have bred Amur leopards in the past - 3 cubs from the most recent pair and I'm sure I recall at least one cub from a previous pairing. As far as I remember they have held the same male Akin for many many years. This is their post regarding the most recent female Kaia leaving the zoo at the end of last year. Makes me think Akin may have been retired by the breeding programme. He is 19 now I believe:

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You are right he is retired,but it was two male cubs the last births,which I think went to Combe Martin.
 
okapis said:
You are right he is retired,but it was two male cubs the last births,which I think went to Combe Martin.
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Yes - the cubs were male. Their mother Kaia is the female I am talking about - she moved to Sandwich WL Park at the end of last year.
 
Zia said:
Yes - the cubs were male. Their mother Kaia is the female I am talking about - she moved to Sandwich WL Park at the end of last year.
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As I questioned at the time, why was the retired male not sent to Sandwich, which unless they have spent a lot of money will have an enclosure far worse than Marwell!! If Marwell had any intention of continuing with the species surely the female would have stayed?!
 
pipaluk said:
As I questioned at the time, why was the retired male not sent to Sandwich, which unless they have spent a lot of money will have an enclosure far worse than Marwell!! If Marwell had any intention of continuing with the species surely the female would have stayed?!
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I've no idea - I am not privy to the decisions of either collection or the EEP. Just from my casual observations (I'm sure someone will prove me wrong) Marwell do seem to end up with single animals quite often though.
 
Willem gorman said:
Is Marwell Zoo worth a visit at the moment. Is there a lot of things to see and is it a good zoo.
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I think you need to read back to decide!!
A few years ago I visited, 3 plus times a year but I have not visited in 4 years in disgust at the amount wasted on the tropical house!
It isn't a bad zoo just a shadow of its former self.
Personally I prefer YWP any day which I have visited at least annually over the last 5 years
 
pipaluk said:
I think you need to read back to decide!!
A few years ago I visited, 3 plus times a year but I have not visited in 4 years in disgust at the amount wasted on the tropical house!
It isn't a bad zoo just a shadow of its former self.
Personally I prefer YWP any day which I have visited at least annually over the last 5 years
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What is wrong with it in your opinion ?

From what I've seen in the gallery it doesn't look too bad, the only thing that I think is a bit ridiculous is the size of the pygmy marmoset enclosure (I know it is one of the smallest primates but that little island is absurdly small).
 
pipaluk said:
I think you need to read back to decide!!
A few years ago I visited, 3 plus times a year but I have not visited in 4 years in disgust at the amount wasted on the tropical house!
It isn't a bad zoo just a shadow of its former self.
Personally I prefer YWP any day which I have visited at least annually over the last 5 years
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Ok I also visit YWP around 3 times a year but I have booked a campsite around a 12 minute walk to marwell zoo so I'm going visit the zoo whilst there
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
What is wrong with it in your opinion ?

From what I've seen in the gallery it doesn't look too bad, the only thing that I think is a bit ridiculous is the size of the pygmy marmoset enclosure (I know it is one of the smallest primates but that little island is absurdly small).
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Has Marwell zoo still got enough attractions to spend 5 or 6 hours there ?
 
Willem gorman said:
Has Marwell zoo still got enough attractions to spend 5 or 6 hours there ?
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You could probably spend 5 or 6 hours at a lot of zoos on a first visit. I don't think many places in the UK need a whole day these days. Marwell is probably a 3-4 hour zoo in reality now, but yes you COULD spend 5 or 6 hours if you want to see things more than once.
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
What is wrong with it in your opinion ?

From what I've seen in the gallery it doesn't look too bad, the only thing that I think is a bit ridiculous is the size of the pygmy marmoset enclosure (I know it is one of the smallest primates but that little island is absurdly small).
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It isn't that it is bad, just that too much money was spent on adding very little to the animal collection, at a time when it was declining rapidly.
 
pipaluk said:
It isn't that it is bad, just that too much money was spent on adding very little to the animal collection, at a time when it was declining rapidly.
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At the risk of resurrecting the old debate about Marwell’s decline, I have to disagree - there are things that I wish the tropical house did better for sure, but it added a decent amount to the animal collection. There is a nice collection of free flying birds that the zoo had no capacity for beforehand, many of which are now breeding in there, for instance. Of course there is the sloth as well, which I know from witnessing on my visits that the public enjoy. And the crocodile monitor exhibit is excellent too. Yes it was a lot of money but the old tropical house was looking very tired, and from what I understand extremely energy inefficient, in contrast to the knew one which has the ability to turn the zoo’s animal dung into energy as well. Overall it definitely upgraded the visitor experience.
 
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