Rare Species Conservation Centre RSCC Open Dates & 2011 News

zootiger said:
Are Srey-Ya and Jo-Jo at Colchester (YES) than do RSCC have new sun bears???
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A young female arrived called Schlotti and she came from Cologne Zoo earlier this year, a second Bear arrived recently a male this time named Indera and he arrived from Singapore Zoo.

Hope this helps.
 
RSCC Visit - Aug 2011

Visited RSCC last week. The lay-out has/ is being changed somewhat and they are now focusing on carnivores (mammals), although one or two primates remain.

Species on display:
Palawan Binturong
Bengal Loris
Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur
Red Ruffed Lemur
Emperor Tamarin
Aardwolf
Sun Bear
Puma
Clouded Leopard (not seen)
Pallas Cat
Black-footed Cat
Arabian Sand Cat
Jaguarundi
Madagascar Ring-tailed Mongoose (Vontsira)
Madagascar Narrow-striped Mongoose (Boky-Boky)
Fanaloka (not seen)
Smooth-coated Otter
Snow Leopard
Fosa
Rusty-spotted Cat
Tayra
Fishing Cat

Lesser Grison were not, in the end, obtained. Owston's Palm Civet no longer on show (not sure what happened to them - enclosure occupied by Ring-tailed Mongoose).

The Flamingo Pond has been filled in and turfed.

I spent a good few hours at the centre, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I think the changes are for the best but was disappointed I missed some of the choice species they have held in the past (this was my first visit) - although I did manage to see the pileated gibbons and rufous hornbills at Colchester the day after. I stood by the Fanaloka enclosure for a very long time (I was told by the keeper that it might make an appearance) but sadly no show before we had to go.

A big thank you to the keeper and owner (Todd) who answered all my geeky questions, alerted me to the Fanaloka (there was no sign) and put some peanut butter on the bear climbing apparatus so I could get a good picture. From talking to Todd it seems the future of this collection is still in the balance (at least as a public attraction) but it may evolve into something private, potentially with open days (along the lines of Heythrop I guess).

I took hundreds of pictures but (and esp. since I didnt get a picture of the Fanaloka) I don't think I have anything that hasn't already been posted (except maybe some of the new lay-out) so will post only by request.
 
Are they open this weekend, to coincide with the open golf being played at royal st George?
 
Bonxie said:
Does anyone know where the Fanaloka came from ? Has anyone actually seen them ?
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from their facebook (and there's a photo of a fanaloka on there too):
Madagascar Carnivore Conservation Program: RSCC is proud to announce a new groundbreaking project which sees us working directly to conserve the little known and seldom seen Endangered Carnivores of Madagascar, with unique creatures known as the Fanaloka, Fanalouc, Vontsira mena and Boky-boky. This new project sees us setting up a captive breeding and release project at Parc Zoologique Tsimbazaza in Madagascar funded and overseen by RSCC, wild population and habitat study and ex-situ captive breeding for the small Carnivores of Madagascar at RSCC and eventually at other European and US Zoological Institutions. More details we be listed on our website soon!

RSCC has also started to initiate a breeding program onsite for Fossa fossana, Galidia elegans and Mungotictis decemlineata, some of these animals are currently on show, but others are currently undergoing quarantine and health checks. We will announce when they will be on view in the near future.
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According to ISIS ( not necessarily accurate ) they have 1.1 fanaloka , 0.2 boky-boky ( narrow-striped ) and 0.1 vontsira ( ring-tailed ) . If , as seems the case , all are wild-caught , this will bring some valuable new blood-lines into the small captive population for the last 2 species .
 
Currently only one fanaloka is on show.

Also there are two vontsira, held in separate enclosures. The 2 boky-boky are being held together.
 
It now seems as if the RSCC is going to close for good now.

From Facebook:
"Dear RSCC supporters, It is with regret that we have to inform you that the facility is now closed to the public. We have or are in the process of relocating the majority of our collection to other facilities and the site will eventually be closed. The charity will remain in a Conservation based form without a visitor Centre, so we can continue the overseas work we do.
Thanks for your past support - With best wishes to you all -
Todd Dalton - FOUNDER Rare Species Conservation Trust"
 
This place has been much-maligned by many people, but I'm still surprised that it is closing down for good. What on earth happened?
 
I just wish they'd make their mind up - one minute they're only open by arrangement, then they're back open to the public, then they're closed altogether. Most frustrating.
 
Looks like they're gone for good now - indefinately this time. The website has been shut down. I pressume most of the animals went to colchester in the end? where did the sun bears go?
 
The female Sun Bear that came from Koln Zoo returned to Koln,as for the male has or will be moving to another collection that currently,have a pair that haven't bred!
 
leiclad20 said:
Looks like they're gone for good now - indefinately this time. The website has been shut down. I pressume most of the animals went to colchester in the end? where did the sun bears go?
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Colchester got alot of species from the first time they closed,they got very little if anything this time around,as a fair bit has been kept by the owner in what will be a private collection not open to the public,the rest has been moved to other collections around Europe nad to some private keepers in this country,
 
Yes the male is at Belfast and doing well! Our old male passed away earlier this year!
 
so even if the rscc is still existing as a private collection, it can't have many animals there now! the site was very small, i believe and its amazing they held some much there to begin with!
 
leiclad20 said:
so even if the rscc is still existing as a private collection, it can't have many animals there now! the site was very small, i believe and its amazing they held some much there to begin with!
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I don't pretend to know the background, but it was NEVER an ideal site, apart from being close to the owner's business interests in London. It was too small, the car park was shared with the adjacent garden centre, and this combined with the limited size of the cafe must have led to the centre always making a loss.

Add on the less-than-ideal location sitting on a corner of a roundabout with both Aspinall parks and two decent smaller collections (Wingham and Wild Woods) nearby the eventual outcome was sadly not too much of a surprise.

It's a very sad loss to the UK. I'd like to think that Todd Dalton will re-appear somewhere - his get-up-and-go determination to source new species and new bloodlines puts some more "establishment" figures within the UK zoo scene to shame.
 
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