Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo news 2025

Rajang-GOAT said:
I will be making my first visit to Marwell soon. Is there anything I should know/look out for?
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I've never been so can't help with that sadly but if you see a hoofstock keeper can you ask if they have any female giraffe lined up to arrive please :)
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
I will be making my first visit to Marwell soon. Is there anything I should know/look out for?
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This was my reply to the same question at the beginning of the year. The majority of it still stands.

NMM said:
Here are some suggestions.

Five species where they are the only UK holder.
  • Arabian Oryx - On your left as you take the path towards Cafe Graze. If you are heading from the direction of the clouded leopards they will be on your left before you get to that path.
  • Beisa Oryx - The paddock next to the tropical house entrance.
  • Lesser Kudu - On the map they are between the lemur and clouded leopard symbols.
  • Dorcas Gazelle - On your right as you take the path towards Cafe Graze. They share their enclosure with addax.
  • Crocodile Monitor - In the tropical house. They are the last enclosure you come to before exiting the house.
Other highlights.
  • Okapi calf.
  • Mountain zebra foal.
  • Chacoan mara - A new arrival and only 4 UK zoos have them. They are in with the cotton-topped tamarins in Life Among the Trees.
Other tips
  • I have found the clouded leopards to be easier to see than you might expect. Still not a guarantee though. I find the best place to see one is the viewing window closest to the entrance to Wild Explorers. One does seem to walk past the window every now and then.
  • If the okapis are outside and you can't see them well it is worth following the paths around their paddocks. The outdoor viewing isn't great, but there are a few spots around the paddocks where you might get a better view.
  • The lowland anoa enclosure continues down the hill from the tigers further than it looks. If you can't see them try further down the hill.
  • There is a small invertebrate exhibit (only 4 vivariums) that isn't signposted and very easy to miss. There is a covered walkway between to buildings linking the picnic area next to the wallaby walkthrough with the courtyard area outside Cold Blooded Corner. The entrance comes off that walkway.
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Changes since then.
  • They have started work on a new entrance. The main temporary entrance is just before you get to the penguin enclosure. If it is busy there is a second temporary entrance which will probably be less so. Instead of going through the main entrance, turn right, go past the gift shop and then turn left. I would recommend doing so as you will the go round the zoo in the opposite direction to most people.
  • The penguins are in a temporary enclosure whilst their exhibit is being renovated. If they haven’t moved back by the time you go they are about where the ice cream symbol on the map near the science and learning centre is.
  • The clouded leopards have gone so the comment about them no longer applies. In the above response I gave some directions with regards to their symbol on the map. On the online map it has been replaced by a red panda symbol. It is the one next to wild explorers.
  • If you are interested in looking out for young animals, new births since then include sitatunga, banteng, coppery titi monkey and cotton topped tamarins. Of those only the banteng are shown directly on the map. The sitatunga are in the paddock behind the gift shop. Both primate species are in Life Among the Trees.

One other point I didn’t mention in my initial post. It is very likely the Przewalski’s horses will be in the former African valley. This is only visible from the outdoor eating area for Cafe Graze. If you want to see them it is worth popping over there even if you aren’t planning on buying anything.
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
I will be making my first visit to Marwell soon. Is there anything I should know/look out for?
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Our regulars will be able to provide up to date information, but the layout of the park means that should you pay close attention to the map and ensure you cover all possible ground, it’s very difficult to miss anything.

Make sure you spend plenty of time in the Okapi houses. In my experience you’ll always find at least one in either of the houses. It’s one of the quietest parts of Marwell, and is an incredibly intimate experience being so close to the animals. It’s always the highlight of any visit.

Marwell is a really charming zoo. You’ll have a great time!
 
This week I had a fantastic 2 and a half days at Marwell Zoo this week (A half day on Monday and 2 full days Tuesday and Wednesday).

It was great to return after a year and loved the hot weather, meaning I managed to see next to all of the animals being active (No shows included Bush Dogs, Marmosets, Swift Parrots and other species of Birds).

My favourite areas of the zoo have to be the “Aridlands” house. It is always a highlight to see the Addax and Saharan Dorcas Gazelle together as well as the top part of the zoo featuring the Beisa Oryx, one lone Somali Wild Ass (the other 3 are housed next door to the Arid paddock) and the impressive herd of Javan Banteng.

As a hoofstock photographer and lover, Marwell is a gem. I love the variety of Antelope species they keep (11 species currently)- amazing views of the Arabian Oryx, Dik Dik, Bongo and others. The Southern Lesser Kudu were out Monday afternoon and Wednesday all day, however they were indoors all day Tuesday. I did ask a keeper about the male but they didn’t go into details, they sadly only have the 2 females left.

I also saw Tashi (Red Panda) briefly resting in the tree and saw Santos (Sloth) in the tropical house. It was my first time seeing Marwell’s Rock Hyraxes, Chacoan Maras and Crocodile Monitors too.

The Roan Antelope were being active however confined to the hard standing and the view of the “Valley” from the cafe graze was stunning, the Przewalski's Horses were close up which was a bonus.

The Red River Hogs being mixed with the Western Sitatunga is a nice touch, I haven’t seen anywhere else do this. The Sitatunga was the very last animal for me to see and photograph on Wednesday as they were giving me the run around, first being on one side of the paddock and then moving to the other when I was on the other side of the zoo and finally on Wednesday morning I saw the Snow Leopards..

For me Marwell is a zoo I can keep going to and never get bored, even after 2 and a half days I still felt like I should have had the whole week there.
 
dillotest0 said:
They are now? Somehow I always remember the hogs being sectioned off in their own area...
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Not anymore! They were definitely together and making a brilliant display when I visited two weeks ago, from the start of the visit (and I assume throughout the whole day), with the baby Sitatunga being coaxed out of the main paddock when I left the zoo. The two species had their own sectioned off areas by their houses (which I assume work well to separate the groups if necessary).
This exhibit was one of the highlights of my (great) first visit and as a sidenote I have intended to do a review/summary post and put some of my good photos in the gallery but have not got round to it yet
 
For some time they have occasionally let the red river hogs into the sitatunga paddock. I don’t know if it has become more frequent or if it was just coincidence that it happened on both of these visits.

Have the penguins moved back yet or are they still in the temporary enclosure?
 
From what colleagues told me at the time, not between the animals. The issues were related to the substrate, which was far too dry for the sitatunga, causing lameness. Upon movement to a more marshy and wet section of the zoo, the lameness reduced. They have since been moved to the old flamingo enclosure, known as the "dell".
 
- Was great to see two snow leopards and two tigers out and all looking happy
- the Visayan Warty Pigs looked very happy and active in their new home by the Giraffe house and I hope they thrive there
- We were so fortunate to see one of the red pandas active and eating right in front of us. They are truly beautiful animals.
- We were looking at the Siamang enclosure when one came right up, put their feet against the glass and just looked at us for a while. It was brilliant.
- All hopes and prayers go to the rabbit we saw that had found their way into the Siamang enclosure - the keeper politely informed us that a painful end to the rabbit's life was likely
 
Sad news about the Bush Dogs, it's been a rough two years with animal deaths for Marwell.

I now realise I assumed they have died and not left. If this is wrong I apologise
 
okapis said:
Yes sadly the Bush Dogs are no more.
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Not as much as a shock to me given I didn't see them on my visit last month, but an unfortunate loss if they have passed away as they wouldn't have been more than 8 years old. On the bright side, it is a nice little well vegetated enclosure that would be suitable for a range of small carnivore species if they choose not to/can't source another group of Bush dog siblings (in the way that they did in 2023 and Belfast have done recently with a group of 5 from Colchester).
 
Cat-Man said:
I visited three or four times and was never lucky enough to get a glimpse of them! I agree with others their acquisition symbolised a new era of optimism at Marwell.
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I too never saw them despite many visits, which struck me as odd because, when Marwell previously kept them, they were very active and almost always to be seen. Possibly a reflection on a different social group and different enclosure.
 
Sad loss.

I rarely saw them. It was very easy for them to hide in their enclosure. When I did see them it was almost as if they were appearing and disappearing at will.

I agree with Catman, their arrival, along with the caracara and the opening of Thriving Through Nature marked the beginning of the upturn.

As Rajang-Goart says, sourcing a replacement shouldn't be too difficult as the enclosure would suit quite a range of species.
 
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