Marwell Wildlife My Monthly Updates 2009 #2

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shame you won't be attending oryx club, what does it give you that asking zoo staff and observations don't?
 
No, I still go to Oryx Club. I'm just not posting the information I get there.
 
redpanda said:
If you bothered to read MD's post, you will see that, for whatever reason, he does not want to explain "why not".
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Well said,but i suspect i could have a pretty good guess as to the reason,but will not as Marwell Dalek hasn`t said why i will not guess.
 
27/9/09:

As I went within a week of my oryx club meeting, there isn't too much to report. My camera also ran out of battery halfway through, so not as many photos.
- Work on both the tapir and one of the hippo paddock's fencing is still on going.
- Unfortunately only four giraffes were in the valley today (Kismet, Tia, Kwame and one of the cows), but then there's bound to be a few 'bumpy' days.
- Finally, a possible answer to the empty lemur enclosures: In the old black-and-white ruffed's enclosure, they are replacing the netting, likely in response to recent escapes. Nothing going on the adjacent red-ruffed pen, but I assume this will be next.
- Went into Encounter Village for the first time in a while today: I often ignore this, admittedly, rather unexciting part of the park (I think it was actually better in it's previous form as a domestics area). The Tamarin Walkthrough was still closed and the black rat enclosure is still under renovation.
- Kiska has now left Marwell.
- The Arabian Oryx are back in the yard opposite Into Africa.

Other firsts for me was an okapi galloping around the paddock and Turkus the Cheetah being rather vocal; a cross between a yap and a mew.
 
I do agree your comment on the encounter village, it was much more interactive and interesting for children that way, but of course it did need a lot of work, a lot of the buildings were peeling with paint and the area was just a bit run down as I remember. I think if they worked on making the area more interactive (signs, games?) and made the walkthroughs a little more attractive it would work well.

Also, any news on the new cheetah exhibit, shouldn't work have started on it yet?
 
It still needs planning permission, and then they can't start the planning and construction work till they've raised the total amount of cash from the Sprint campaign.
 
Marwell Dalek said:
27/9/09:

As I went within a week of my oryx club meeting, there isn't too much to report. My camera also ran out of battery halfway through, so not as many photos.
- Work on both the tapir and one of the hippo paddock's fencing is still on going.
- Unfortunately only four giraffes were in the valley today (Kismet, Tia, Kwame and one of the cows), but then there's bound to be a few 'bumpy' days.
- Finally, a possible answer to the empty lemur enclosures: In the old black-and-white ruffed's enclosure, they are replacing the netting, likely in response to recent escapes. Nothing going on the adjacent red-ruffed pen, but I assume this will be next.
- Went into Encounter Village for the first time in a while today: I often ignore this, admittedly, rather unexciting part of the park (I think it was actually better in it's previous form as a domestics area). The Tamarin Walkthrough was still closed and the black rat enclosure is still under renovation.
- Kiska has now left Marwell.
- The Arabian Oryx are back in the yard opposite Into Africa.

Other firsts for me was an okapi galloping around the paddock and Turkus the Cheetah being rather vocal; a cross between a yap and a mew.
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I was also at Marwell yesterday, and have the following comments to add:

New arrivals are as follows:

A male scimitar-horned oryx and a male Arabian oryx arrived from Planckendael Zoo on 19th August
The male Grevy's zebra born on 25th August has been named Phoenix
A dorcas gazelle was born on 9th September
A male sitatunga was born on 12th September
A Tokay gecko was born on 13th September
There were baby capybaras in the enclosure, which I assume have been born during the last week

Firsts for me were seeing all three bat-eared foxes lying on the grass sunbathing in the corner of their enclosure rather than being inside their shelter under the heat lamp, and seeing the two otters (adjacent to the fossas) outside as they are usually curled up indoors.

The ring-tailed lemurs were being fed but they kept a very respectable distance from the keeper and a member of the public (not at all like the ones I saw last week at South Lakes Wild Animal Park who aren't afraid to come right up to you).

The red pandas were both quite active, particularly the one with the full tail (as opposed to the one with no fur on its tail) who was constantly moving from branch to branch.

The black wildebeests are still being kept on the hardstanding.

The ostrich chicks seem to have disappeared from the old pudu house.

Now that Kiska the amur leopard has left Marwell, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new female leopard. Also, a volunteer said that two young snow leopards (a breeding pair) are apparently arriving in December; one from Sweden and the other from Finland.

There were originally four rhea chicks (including the albino chick known as 'Dave') but the last couple of times I have visited, I have only seen one chick in the enclosure. I hope the others are OK.

The outside of the giraffe house appears to be getting a lick of paint and looks much fresher than before. There is quite a bit of maintenance work going on at the moment.
 
I visited Marwell again yesterday even though the weather was not great. The capybaras I spoke of last time were born on 26th September and it looks as though there are five of them. There have been two gemsbok calves born recently as well.

I was told that the new netted roof in World of Lemurs is coming along steadily (the whole lemur house was shut) but apparently the contractors have come from the U.S. as we don't have any specialists in the U.K. :eek:

The tapirs have access to their paddock again as the fence has now been replaced, but the pygmy hippos had to alternate in Antone's paddock as there was maintenance work going on in Wendy and Lola's paddock.

In Aridlands, the enclosure that housed the long-eared hedgehog until fairly recently now houses desert locusts instead.

One of the fossas had a nasty lump under their left eye. I hope it soon heals up as it looked very uncomfortable :(
 
No contractors do netted roofs in the U.K? Then where did all the other zoos get their nets from :confused: Seems a bit extreme to me!
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
No contractors do netted roofs in the U.K? Then where did all the other zoos get their nets from :confused: Seems a bit extreme to me!
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Sometimes they will have a preferred company that they have dealt with before, however most of the time they will go with the lowest quote.
 
Went to Marwell today the Lemur house was closed all day due to work going on. got to see the two Gemsbok calves very cute.
all the giaffes where out in the valley with the Waterbuck Zebra and Ostrich first time i have seen all four in there (waterbuck and zebra where a long way off tho)
i found it very strange that the black wildebeest sign has been put up with a picture off a common wildebeest surely they could of got the right picture
Had a really nice day there tho today:):)
 
Did you see the fossas? I was wondering if one of them still had the horrible lump under their eye? :(
 
Does bringing in new scimitar-horned and Arabian bucks mean that breeding of both endangered species will be resumed at Marwell?

Any indication that the Arabians will get full hard standing in future and no grass ... (I have yet to find a wild habitat that is full of theirs grass ...(LOL)??? :D
 
yes mhale did get to see the Fossa and he/she does still have the lump below the eye does not look as sore tho and he/she was walking around the outside of the encloser seemed very happy the other one was sleeping inside i did take a picture will add it to the gallery
 
they did have some baby Scimitar Horned oryx this year 3 or 4 i think
when i was there yesterday there was some mating going on with the oryx out in the paddock. there was also one lone oryx in the yards facing the oryx herds hardstand wonder if that the new male.
Did not see any Arabian oryx they where all inside would be nice to have some babies of those again
 
There are two arabian oryx in the yard opposite Into Africa that has held Sable Antelope & Gazelles recentley. ISIS says there are now three females and one male, so I'll have to check when I go to Oryx Club this Sunday. It would be great to have some calves from them though, as it's been a very long time since any have been born at Marwell. And as hardy desert antelope, Arabian Oryx don't particuarly need grass, though I agree they need more space: I'd love to see them in the gemsbok yard near Cafe Graze.

And as has been said, Marwell had a boom of scimitar calves this year, I even saw one only a day old.
 
Just once last month I saw all four Arabian Oryx in their yard, but I didn't turn on my camera in time and they all went indoors again before I could take a photo! I am attaching a photo I took last Sunday of the Scimitar-horned Oryx herd, which shows five calves in amongst the adults :)
 
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