Marwell Wildlife My Monthly Updates 2010 #1
- Thread starter Zambar
- Start date
- Status
Some news from today:
- There are three cheetahs in the main enclosure, and while I couldn't get anymore details, I know one was definately Turkus, so I'm assuming the other two are the sisters Suki and Juba and Paka is off-show.
- The monkey and porcupine's indoor quaters have had a layer of hay added, making it look refreshed.
- A more permanant aviary grille has been added to the weaverbird enclosure, so hopefully it won't be long till the birds move in.
- Nsia the new giraffe calf was being a right fashion model, posing in front of admiring crowds meaning I got some good shots.
Matilda and Isabella were with her in the house, whilst the rest of the herd stayed in the African Valley.
- It was entertaining to watch one of the beaded lizards in Aridlands trying to scale the wall; twice he got halfway up before falling down again! Kept going though.
- Two ocelots were also getting very frisky, but don't get your hopes up as they are neutured!
- There's a new przewalksi foal, and the camels have also moved back in with the horses.
- The Life in the Trees otters are off-show whilst maintenance is carried out.
- The vivariums in the amphibian ark have been moved back a bit from the window, meaning they aren't steamed up anymore and 100% visible.
- There are three cheetahs in the main enclosure, and while I couldn't get anymore details, I know one was definately Turkus, so I'm assuming the other two are the sisters Suki and Juba and Paka is off-show.
- The monkey and porcupine's indoor quaters have had a layer of hay added, making it look refreshed.
- A more permanant aviary grille has been added to the weaverbird enclosure, so hopefully it won't be long till the birds move in.
- Nsia the new giraffe calf was being a right fashion model, posing in front of admiring crowds meaning I got some good shots.
Matilda and Isabella were with her in the house, whilst the rest of the herd stayed in the African Valley.- It was entertaining to watch one of the beaded lizards in Aridlands trying to scale the wall; twice he got halfway up before falling down again! Kept going though.
- Two ocelots were also getting very frisky, but don't get your hopes up as they are neutured!
- There's a new przewalksi foal, and the camels have also moved back in with the horses.
- The Life in the Trees otters are off-show whilst maintenance is carried out.
- The vivariums in the amphibian ark have been moved back a bit from the window, meaning they aren't steamed up anymore and 100% visible.
mhale
Well-Known Member
Key points of today's visit to Marwell were:
1) The cheetahs all seem to be getting along fine
2) Makeda the giraffe gave birth to a male calf yesterday
3) The new serval enclosure is still incomplete
4) Work is progressing on the new marquee area
5) Work is also progressing on the new formal gardens (which are due to open in July)
6) The larger otter enclosure is still empty due to maintenance work
7) The little egrets are no longer in the free-flying bird aviary; there are only Madagascan teals and hamerkops in there
8) The wildebeests will not be allowed access to the paddock adjoining their yard until a dividing fence has been erected between their half of the paddock and that of the Chapman's zebras
9) There is now a single red-crowned crane in the enclosure adjoined to the okapi enclosure (between the tigers and the new serval enclosure)
New arrivals are as follows:
06/05/10 - Male Somali wild ass arrived from Usti Zoo, Czech Republic
09/05/10 - 85 Partula rosea snails arrived from Whipsnade
New births are as follows:
16/03/10 - 13 Seychelles giant millipedes
19/04/10 - Male Przewalski horse
19/04/10 - Female Rothschild giraffe 'Nsia'
22/04/10 - Female Dorcas gazelle
23/04/10 - 15 Malaysian giant stick insects
26/04/10 - Male sitatunga
27/04/10 - Male sitatunga
28/04/10 - 10 Malaysian giant stick insects
09/05/10 - 2 sable antelope
1) The cheetahs all seem to be getting along fine
2) Makeda the giraffe gave birth to a male calf yesterday
3) The new serval enclosure is still incomplete
4) Work is progressing on the new marquee area
5) Work is also progressing on the new formal gardens (which are due to open in July)
6) The larger otter enclosure is still empty due to maintenance work
7) The little egrets are no longer in the free-flying bird aviary; there are only Madagascan teals and hamerkops in there
8) The wildebeests will not be allowed access to the paddock adjoining their yard until a dividing fence has been erected between their half of the paddock and that of the Chapman's zebras
9) There is now a single red-crowned crane in the enclosure adjoined to the okapi enclosure (between the tigers and the new serval enclosure)
New arrivals are as follows:
06/05/10 - Male Somali wild ass arrived from Usti Zoo, Czech Republic
09/05/10 - 85 Partula rosea snails arrived from Whipsnade
New births are as follows:
16/03/10 - 13 Seychelles giant millipedes
19/04/10 - Male Przewalski horse
19/04/10 - Female Rothschild giraffe 'Nsia'
22/04/10 - Female Dorcas gazelle
23/04/10 - 15 Malaysian giant stick insects
26/04/10 - Male sitatunga
27/04/10 - Male sitatunga
28/04/10 - 10 Malaysian giant stick insects
09/05/10 - 2 sable antelope
Last edited:
lechweoryx
Well-Known Member
Nice to hear that the sable antelope have bred again.
4/6/10:
As you'd know, today was blazingly hot and sunny, so lots of tired beasties at the Park today.
- Unfortunately, Makeda's four-day old calf died this morning.
- Tropical World has had all it's signage replaced, including the banner at the front, as well as a general tidy-up. While it's much nicer looking, I'm upset to see they took down the brilliant mural at the entrance, which I see as almost disrespectful to the artist.
- Interesting behaviour with the siamangs today, they've learn't that by leaning on the mesh and swinging it back and forth, then throwing out their arm they can grab bamboo on the other side of the enclosure. Infact, it was unusual (for Marwell's at least) in that the gibbons rarely stayed on the ground.
- One of the okapi bulls was showing great interest in one of the cows in the nextdoor paddock, making a weird whistle-click sort of sound I've never heard before.
- Only Kismet, Tia, Christa and Kwame the giraffes went into the valley today whilst Matilda, Makeda, Isabella and Nsia stayed in the bongo paddock. And they've even mixed the bongo with the giraffe, though the bongo remained under the shade where the giraffe can't get to them due to a neck-height electric wire.
- No sign of the diana monkey, and no sign of it's label either...
- Some feisty capybaras in the pool today, with one of the males attempting to further increase the group.
- Two very recent sable antelope calves that don't look more than a few days old.
- Could hear penguin chicks in the nests.
As you'd know, today was blazingly hot and sunny, so lots of tired beasties at the Park today.
- Unfortunately, Makeda's four-day old calf died this morning.
- Tropical World has had all it's signage replaced, including the banner at the front, as well as a general tidy-up. While it's much nicer looking, I'm upset to see they took down the brilliant mural at the entrance, which I see as almost disrespectful to the artist.
- Interesting behaviour with the siamangs today, they've learn't that by leaning on the mesh and swinging it back and forth, then throwing out their arm they can grab bamboo on the other side of the enclosure. Infact, it was unusual (for Marwell's at least) in that the gibbons rarely stayed on the ground.
- One of the okapi bulls was showing great interest in one of the cows in the nextdoor paddock, making a weird whistle-click sort of sound I've never heard before.
- Only Kismet, Tia, Christa and Kwame the giraffes went into the valley today whilst Matilda, Makeda, Isabella and Nsia stayed in the bongo paddock. And they've even mixed the bongo with the giraffe, though the bongo remained under the shade where the giraffe can't get to them due to a neck-height electric wire.
- No sign of the diana monkey, and no sign of it's label either...
- Some feisty capybaras in the pool today, with one of the males attempting to further increase the group.
- Two very recent sable antelope calves that don't look more than a few days old.
- Could hear penguin chicks in the nests.
I hope maybe its gone to join some others. I didn't like to see it sitting there all alone since the other one went.
Maybe you can find out sometime if it has left and where to?
Not exactly an update, but are any AP holders here booked on to the Fundraising Evening tommorow? A talk from James Cretney and other members of staff, with the chance to get close to some of the animals, go round the park after hours and have dinner in the hall, hopefully gonna be fab. 
Was a really brilliant evening last night: Fed the giraffes, got to touch and tickle Hannu the rhino behind the ears and had an evening cheetah feed. Strongly recommend next year's fundraiser to any AP holder.
Newswise, not much, but I've found the Diana Monkey has indeed gone and moved to Poland and the cheetah exhibit will now be built on the current site including the serval pens and part of the buffalo/antelope paddock, work hopefully starting in early Autumn. Also noticed that the arabian oryx had access to the bongo paddock last night, first time I'd seen them on grass at Marwell.
Newswise, not much, but I've found the Diana Monkey has indeed gone and moved to Poland and the cheetah exhibit will now be built on the current site including the serval pens and part of the buffalo/antelope paddock, work hopefully starting in early Autumn. Also noticed that the arabian oryx had access to the bongo paddock last night, first time I'd seen them on grass at Marwell.
I think its just as well the Dianas left as they didn't seem to breed and the shared outdoor enclosure was restrictive too. A pity they went abroad though as I would like to see a few more in some of our other UK zoos, but its no doubt to do with their bloodlines.
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
To be clear - are we referring to the single diana monkey that was listed on ISIS recently as being the individual that has gone to Poland?
Does anyone know what happened to its mate previous to this? I am guessing it died and this was then the reasoning behind the other animal being sent to another institution.
Does anyone know what will become of the remaining 2.0 King Colobus?
Does anyone know what happened to its mate previous to this? I am guessing it died and this was then the reasoning behind the other animal being sent to another institution.
Does anyone know what will become of the remaining 2.0 King Colobus?
I'm hoping to go up for the day Sunday if it's a good day weatherwise.
I've been thinking what would work instead of the monkeys in the shared enclosure (no longer shared).
I thought African Civets would be an interesting species-pretty unusual in zoos I believe and a fairly large animal.
I thought Bushbabies would be a great addition to the African exhibit as well.
I also wondered if the Warthog could be mixed with the other species in a mixed exhibit-it might solve the unwanted breeding problem to let some out in the larger field and others in the smaller enclosure.
I've been thinking what would work instead of the monkeys in the shared enclosure (no longer shared).
I thought African Civets would be an interesting species-pretty unusual in zoos I believe and a fairly large animal.
I thought Bushbabies would be a great addition to the African exhibit as well.
I also wondered if the Warthog could be mixed with the other species in a mixed exhibit-it might solve the unwanted breeding problem to let some out in the larger field and others in the smaller enclosure.
I think Warthog are quite easy to mix with other species, but I wonder if their digging/rooting behaviour could be the reason Marwell haven't done so. Big holes and burrows in paddocks used by Giraffe or Buffalo etc could be hazardous as well as in time becoming unsightly.
I believe both Dianas went seperately, to Polish zoos and at different times.
Do you know where the male Diana London Zoo have now got (according to ISIS), came from?
I actually really like the idea of the Civets in there. There's enough room but the enclosure doesn't have that much privacy, some modifications would have to be made, but yes a small cat species would look great in there.
Are the porcupines still in there too?
Civets aren't cats, they're viverrids. Also, they're usually very nocturnal so not a great display animal (unless they're in a nocturnal house).
Last edited:
My animal knowledge isn't what it used to be, sorry! Well anyway, they could make some use of the enclosure. Its got a nice outdoor area and a good sized inside area. Zambar, do you have any ideas?- Status