Highland Wildlife Park New arrivals at the HWP

zoogiraffe said:
But are they pure Scottish Wildcat or European Wildcat,as they also have some at The Chestnut Centre which is owned by the same people and i believe these are European not Scottish.
Click to expand...

Firstly you are splitting hairs as there is no genetic difference between them. Unfortunately everybody stills refers to them as 'Scottish' and gives them the outdated subspecies grampia. Secondly I would be surprised that anybody has bothered to import 'European' animals, given how easily they breed. Most zoos who do cannot get rid of the surplus. As has been mentioned the big problem is purity and how do prevent domestic intergression in the wild population. Very similar problem to the wild dingo in Australia.
 
tetrapod said:
Firstly you are splitting hairs as there is no genetic difference between them. Unfortunately everybody stills refers to them as 'Scottish' and gives them the outdated subspecies grampia. Secondly I would be surprised that anybody has bothered to import 'European' animals, given how easily they breed. Most zoos who do cannot get rid of the surplus. As has been mentioned the big problem is purity and how do prevent domestic intergression in the wild population. Very similar problem to the wild dingo in Australia.
Click to expand...
I like to split hairs every now and again,as for purity of Wildcats in the U.K i believe the ones at Highland to be the purist,and possible the 3 males at Drayton Manor but i think these have had the snip so useless to any breeding programe.
 
zoogiraffe said:
I like to split hairs every now and again,as for purity of Wildcats in the U.K i believe the ones at Highland to be the purist,and possible the 3 males at Drayton Manor but i think these have had the snip so useless to any breeding programe.
Click to expand...

Having seen quite a few 'pure' wild cats in UK zoos, including the HWP ones, what is your basis for them being the purest? I have heard numerous people claim that they could tell just by looking at the body, tail shape and coat pattern. To my mind there is no basis to it. You would have difficulty confirming the purity of a wild-caught individual these days.

On a side note, I know that the British Wildlife Centre has sent captive-bred wild cats to a private landowner in Scotland. There has been no following IUCN reintroduction guidelines, no genetic testing and probably no vet testing (apart from general checks). The consequences of even a small percentage of domestic blood in this population would not help the situation. It wouldn't even have to be the BWC who was at fault - an animal sourced from another collection could be the problem.
 
tetrapod said:
Having seen quite a few 'pure' wild cats in UK zoos, including the HWP ones, what is your basis for them being the purest? I have heard numerous people claim that they could tell just by looking at the body, tail shape and coat pattern. To my mind there is no basis to it. You would have difficulty confirming the purity of a wild-caught individual these days.
Click to expand...

I`m basing this on what i have been told by a member of staff on one of my visits to Highland Wildlife and from the collection manager at Drayton Manor,i can only go by what tyhey have said if thats wrong then,maybe i should stop believing what people tell me when i ask them questins when visiting zoos.
 
Musk Ox ?????

Does anyone know whether the pair of musk ox are at the HWP yet? My wife and I are going up to Scotland next week, for our annual pilgrimage to Edinburgh, and are going to try to get to the HWP, as we've never been before.
 
Doug Richardson has joined the HWP as collection manager, you will probably know Doug from his time at London, Rome and Singapore zoos.
A wealth of experience there.
 
zoogiraffe said:
I`m basing this on what i have been told by a member of staff on one of my visits to Highland Wildlife and from the collection manager at Drayton Manor,i can only go by what tyhey have said if thats wrong then,maybe i should stop believing what people tell me when i ask them questins when visiting zoos.
Click to expand...

Staff will often tell the public half the story (what ever suits company policy). I am not saying that HWP or Drayton have or not pure-bred wild cats, but the fact is there is no current method for determining purity. This goes for all the captive and wild Scottish cats. They should say 'as far as we know...'.
 
Bwassa said:
Does anyone know whether the pair of musk ox are at the HWP yet? My wife and I are going up to Scotland next week, for our annual pilgrimage to Edinburgh, and are going to try to get to the HWP, as we've never been before.
Click to expand...

I would think with all the current work on new exhibits that musk ox are on the back boiler until they can solve the problem of calves dropping in the middle of a wet Scottish winter. Musk oxen do better in cold dry conditions.
 
tetrapod said:
I would think with all the current work on new exhibits that musk ox are on the back boiler until they can solve the problem of calves dropping in the middle of a wet Scottish winter. Musk oxen do better in cold dry conditions.
Click to expand...

Then of course I read the next thread and see they are on their way...
 
tetrapod said:
there is no current method for determining purity. This goes for all the captive and wild Scottish cats. They should say 'as far as we know...'.
Click to expand...

Yes, it may be impossible to prove whether even the remaining wild population in the remotest parts of Scotland are totally free of hybrid/dometic genes anymore, however diluted these are and however strongly in their physical features they resemble the true 'ideal' of the Scottish Wildcat. The length of the gut is another indicator too but of course the cat has to be dead to measure that, and like all other characteristics, its an indicator rather than 'proof.'
 
I visited the park yesterday and got the chance to see the tiger exhibit (the tigers were due to arrive today, although they won't be on public view for another week or so). The exhibit is a 100x52 m and is the biggest tiger exhibit in this country I think. The exhibit is covered with existing trees, running water, platforms and feeding poles. I can't wait to see the tigers in the exhibit.
 
Bongo said:
The exhibit is covered with existing trees, running water, platforms and feeding poles. I can't wait to see the tigers in the exhibit.
Click to expand...

What sort of trees are they- birch or pine(or both) and mostly young or mature? How much tree cover(ratio) approximately in the enclosure?
 
The new exhibit looks fantastic, with a lot of cover too and great viewing potential, from beside the house, which i think will look right down the full length of the enclosure and a second covered viewing area, from the photos i didn't see a pool, is there one?
Great photos in the gallery.
 
kiang said:
The new exhibit looks fantastic, with a lot of cover too and great viewing potential, from beside the house, which i think will look right down the full length of the enclosure and a second covered viewing area, from the photos i didn't see a pool, is there one?
Great photos in the gallery.
Click to expand...

I'll second that, really great exhibit esp. using the using foliage in the area.
 
Will be great to see the tiger pair in the mid winter in the new enclosure, Kincraig being up in the Cairngorm mountains gets some of the highest snowfall in Britain, and every winter there is always snow up there!
Now that should be spectacular!
 
kiang said:
Will be great to see the tiger pair in the mid winter in the new enclosure, Kincraig being up in the Cairngorm mountains gets some of the highest snowfall in Britain, and every winter there is always snow up there!
Now that should be spectacular!
Click to expand...

Yeah it will, just need a few eagle eyed zoo beaters up there to take some photos :p
 
Believe me guys, a trip up north take in Edinburgh and the zoo on the way up or down, and the HWP itself with all it rarities and unusual species in the most mind blowing location in a remote Scottish glen would be worth the journey, guaranteed!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top