West Midland Safari and Leisure Park News 2012

In other news, the park has also recieved female Grevy's Zebra for the first time having previously just held batchelors until now. At least one has recently arrived from Edinburgh
 
There were two dhole at Port Lympne for many years, which didn't breed. It sounds as if these two have left leaving Port Lympne without this species.
 
johnstoni. said:
There were two dhole at Port Lympne for many years, which didn't breed. It sounds as if these two have left leaving Port Lympne without this species.
Click to expand...

I wonder how easy it will be to integrate a pair(?) of long established animals like these with strange ones. Also a pity if the PL ones are too old to breed now, though if one of them is male he could well breed with younger females from the Swedish trio.
 
Nisha said:
Rhino swap has taken place with Blair Drummond. Lucy has left and Aisla will arrive today

The Press Association: Crane lowers rhino into new home
Click to expand...

Very interesting move, it maybe a good one as Lucy hasn't bred at West Mid's and with Aisla only being two (Three in December) West Mid's also have another young female Keyah who arrived late last year (October?) so with West Mid's male Sharka having two new potiental breeding females it might be the first birth since 2005/06 successfully.
 
Jordan-Jaguar97 said:
Very interesting move, it maybe a good one as Lucy hasn't bred at West Mid's and with Aisla only being two (Three in December) West Mid's also have another young female Keyah who arrived late last year (October?) so with West Mid's male Sharka having two new potiental breeding females it might be the first birth since 2005/06 successfully.
Click to expand...

Shaka (or Sharka) is no longer at West Mids. The EEP has recommended that they hold onto the last calf they bred from him, this is Barney (aka Barnhold) who was born in 2005 and make him the breeding male. Hence Barney's mother (who went to Whipsnade in 2011) and half sister, Lucy (who's just left) needed to be relocated to avoid inbreeding and unrelated cows bought in.
 
Nisha said:
Shaka (or Sharka) is no longer at West Mids. The EEP has recommended that they hold onto the last calf they bred from him, this is Barney (aka Barnhold) who was born in 2005 and make him the breeding male. Hence Barney's mother (who went to Whipsnade in 2011) and half sister, Lucy (who's just left) needed to be relocated to avoid inbreeding and unrelated cows bought in.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clearing that up they only have two females then of breeding age has Barney and the other two females ever bred before? I got Barney and Sharka mixed up, apologies:p
 
Elephants 'salute' Olympic torch

The Olympic torch has been “saluted” by two flag-waving elephants at a safari park after the flame was transported aboard a train for the first time.

On the sixth day of its national tour, the torch was hailed by the African elephants as it was held aloft on the footplate of a Severn Valley Railway locomotive passing their enclosure.

Carrying local schoolchildren, the eight-carriage steam train paused for about five minutes at the perimeter of West Midland Safari Park as the torch was transported from Bewdley to Kidderminster.

The elephants’ unusual “trunk tribute” – which followed a fortnight of intensive training – was organised by Bob Lawrence, director of wildlife at the 195-acre park.

One of the elephants, named Five, used her trunk to wave a Union flag as the train, hauled by the Erlestoke Manor locomotive, came to a halt.

Mr Lawrence said: “The trains go by all the time but we have never really co-ordinated anything like this and it seemed a good way of breaking our duck.”

Five and fellow elephant Latabe, aged 20 and 19 respectively, had practised for the event for the past two weeks when trains stopped alongside the park.

Asked if the training had been difficult, Mr Lawrence replied: “The elephants do seem to enjoy learning new tricks – at the end of the day if a three-and-a-half-tonne elephant doesn’t want to do something, you would have a job to make it.”

Before letting the train take the strain, the relay had passed through Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer, after setting off from Gloucester.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers again welcomed the flame, including an estimated crowd of 15,000 in Hereford.

Read more: Elephants ‘salute’ Olympic torch « Express & Star
Click to expand...
 
A second female Grevy's Zebra has now arrived, this time from Mulhouse. Her name is Akuna
 
oh this is terrible news. I saw the headlines earlier but didn't open them, so I didn't realise it was Mark O'Shea! I hope he turns out all right.
 
Chlidonias said:
oh this is terrible news. I saw the headlines earlier but didn't open them, so I didn't realise it was Mark O'Shea! I hope he turns out all right.
Click to expand...

Ditto Obviously

Ironically the local teletext news article for the story claims that the Cobra only gave him a 'nip' and not a proper bite - Oh that's fine then!!! :D
 
Second recent incident in UK with king cobras , the first one fatal , both with 'snake experts' , very sad .
 
Latest update from the park was that 'he was home from hospital and expected to make a full recovery' so it appears he's been very lucky on this occassion
 
there wasn't much info in the linked articles. Perhaps it was a "dry" bite?
 
It seems there is quite a few moves in the West Midlands with some of the - now - only all male hybrid giraffe going. Are these the moves towards going out of the species alltogether or starting with a pure-bred breeding group soon?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top