Hi first post long time watcher for this forum was on the wayback machine looking at some older species lists for Marwell and I was wondering where these species were located in the zoo
Bennetts Wallaby(pre walkthrough)
European Lynx
Babirusa
Arabian Oryx
Blue Throated Conure
Demoiselle Crane
Ellipsen Waterbbuck
Gemsbok
Lesser Malayan Chevrotain(pre tropical house)
Night Heron
Laughing Kookaburra(pre walkthrough)
Parma Wallaby(pre walkthrough)
Reed Voles
Roan Antelope
Sable Antelope
Sarus Crane
3 Speices of Zerba (Pre Wild Explores For Grevy)
Interesting question for a first post, but a good one in Marwell's 50th anniversary year.
The answers depend on how far back you wish to go as most of these species were kept at different places in Marwell, either for long periods or briefly for diverse management reasons. So this is not a full list but some of the first and main places where they had been kept, plus a few of the shorter-term ones:
Bennett's wallaby
Their paddock was not completed when Marwell opened in 1972 but their first enclosure, later that year, was the one behind the (current) gift shop. They have over the years been kept in many places around the zoo, including the old Children's Zoo, a paddock that was situated under where Café Graze now is and, for the longest period, Wallaby Wood, which was located where the Snow leopards now are.
European lynx
They arrived in 1970 so were kept in the Stable Yard (site of the original Tropical House) until their accommodation was built along the South Road on a site almost facing the Stable Yard and, when this enclosure was required for Snow leopards, they were relocated further along South Road near where the Peccary were for most of their years at Marwell.
Babirusa
Were initially in what became the Takin enclosure, then moved further down the South Road just past where the remaining former Asiatic Lion house is.
Arabian oryx
First kept along Hall Road in the stables - that were demolished when Wild Explorers was built - and then in the last (or first, depending on your route around the zoo) house - now used for Red river hogs - behind the Gift Shop prior to moving to their current location.
Blue-throated conure
This species was first kept in 1993; I cannot recall where they were kept then but the probability is that they were in one of the aviaries that ran along the top section of the Hall garden and through the yew tree walk.
Demoiselle crane
A species that was at Marwell in its opening year; I think then they were mixed with Sarus crane, Blackbuck and various species of deer in a paddock that existed on a site that is now mainly taken-over by the Okapi paddocks. They were for some time, I believe, with, or adjacent to, the muntjac on the site last used for the Bat-eared foxes. They were probably last kept in the yew tree walk aviaries.
Ellipsen waterbuck
Initially with the giraffe in the current giraffe paddock, then for many years in the paddock now used for the Banteng before finally moving to the former Przewalski horse accommodation near Café Graze.
Gemsbok
They were housed in the surviving building that is now used for the Arabian oryx.
Lesser Malay chevrotain
They were in the former tropical house from 1996 until 2004. This species returned in 2017 for the opening of the new Tropical House in 2018.
Night heron
Were in what is now the Marabou aviary, but have been housed temporarily at other locations around the park.
Laughing kookaburra
Initially in an aviary in the Children's Zoo then in an aviary close to the original Red panda enclosure (where the Monal pheasant is today), before occupying the walk-through aviary adjacent to the current wallaby enclosure..
Parma wallaby
The first animals were in with muntjac in an enclosure where the Bat-eared foxes were for many years after. They were then with the Bennett's wallabies in Wallaby Wood before the relocation of the wallabies on the present site. The original stock died out but new arrivals are in the wallaby walkthrough this year.
Reed voles
Were with many rodents in the house that is now accommodation for the Visayan warty pigs.
Roan antelope
Where the Lesser kudu are/have been (the house facing the Lemur Walkthrough) before moving to the paddock behind the former Macaque Island.
Sable antelope
Initially in the same house as the Gemsbok, then mixed in the giraffe paddock for many years.
Sarus crane
When Marwell opened these must have been with the Demoiselle cranes but were moved to the paddock(s) housing Formosan sika deer; these paddocks are now occupied by the Banteng. They eventually had their own enclosure alongside the toilets near the tigers..
Zebras: all these three zebra species were initially kept in the Stable Yard prior to moving to permanent housing around the zoo prior to the zoo opening in 1972.
Grévy zebra
Almost continuously the main group has been in their current Wild Explorers paddock, their original stables partly remain, unoccupied, close to their current stables, specimens have quite often been seen in the other zebra housing around the park.
Mountain zebra
In the T-shaped stable block nearest the leopard enclosure for most of the time, but they have also been kept in most of the areas where the Grévy and Chapman's have been too.
Chapman's zebra
They were initially kept mixed with the giraffe and waterbuck in the paddock that is (again) the current giraffe paddock, but have been in many houses and paddocks, but mainly those along the brow of the hill that overlooks the former African Valley (and in the African Valley too).
