Rare Species Conservation Centre RSCC, The rare species conservation centre & zoological garden, Sandwich, Kent

kiang

kiang

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
I have just read an article on the new RSCC zoo in Kent, this place looks like the most exciting new zoo in Britain since the opening of living coasts in Torquay.
The zoo holds many rare and unusual animals with the promise of more. Highlights of the collection at the moment include breeding clouded leopard a pair of Malayan tapir, jaguarondi, ocelot, tamandua, potto, fat tailed dwarf lemur, Owston's palm civet and fly river turtle.
A new walk through lemur enclosure holds crowned and red ruffed lemur and a separate island for western grey gentle lemur.
According to the article in the IZES autumn 2007 newsletter a pair of sun bear will be arriving from a rescue centre in Cambodia. Other S.E asian animals due to arrive soon are pileated gibbon, smooth coated otter, Palawan binturong and fishing cats. Also expected are a variety of Asian hornbills.
But for me the highlight would be the planned for arrival of Goodfellow's tree kangaroo for which an area has been prepared in the tropical house.
I think this small zoo covers a few acres but it seems to be crammed full of unusual and rare animals, hopefully a small zoo with a big future.
 
For the benefit of Hornbill the species are Philippines Rufous Hornbill, Great Indian Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill and Wrinkled Hornbill.
 
A little gem to cherish :D I just love zoos with tapirs, pileated gibbons and clouded leopards. Great to learn that an UK zoo is going into tree kangaroos - they are a forgotten group I am afraid and yet so fascinating creatures -.

I reminisce fondly the days Rotterdam Zoo used to hold pairs of both Matschie's and Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Hopefully, when the new Australasian area comes up - I am afraid that is 2012 or so - they will bring them back in along with echidnas, wombats, koalas, wallabies and casuaris. :cool:
 
I've only seen them at Parc Paradisio, in 2003. They need to breed soon or the species will become extinct in European zoos!
Jurong had the first success when they had a chick, but little breeding activity has occurred since.
 
They are specifically coming from Birds International which is the facility in Manilla. Apparently it is being dispersed. I wonder where the Spix Macaws will be going?
 
Paradoxurus said:
They are specifically coming from Birds International Apparently it is being dispersed. I wonder where the Spix Macaws will be going?
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The Spix Macaws left Birds International some long time ago. They all went to the Sheik....(name?) who owns the Al Wabra Breeding Station in Quatar.

I believe this very modern facility currently holds 51 birds now- this is over two thirds of the World Spix Macaw population. They have bred about a dozen chicks from them...
 
Birds international is no zoo or bird park, it`s the name of a company which is breeding and dealing with birds. The owner/founder is Antonio de Dios. I think they have mainly parrots (not sure though), breed them in thousands and sell the hand-raised birds all over in Europe and I guess in the USA too. This company is probably one of the largest suppliers for the bird pet market in the world. Thankfully the spix macaws were all sold to that sheik and it seems he is more interested in conservation then making profit with one of the rarest bird species of the world then Antonio de Dios.
 
wonder where they will get there tree kangaroos from, and with the arrival of the sun bear, Palawan binturong (a new one to me) and smooth coated otter is this a sign of zoos in the west taking animals from rescue centres as monkey world has in the past, i personally think this is a good thing as it will alleviate the pressure on these centres and free up much needed space.
 
Yassa said:
Thankfully the spix macaws were all sold to that sheik and it seems he is more interested in conservation then making profit with one of the rarest bird species of the world then Antonio de Dios.
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There is a Spix Macaw thread on the general forum somewhere. I haven't updated it recently as I haven't heard any fresh news...
 
bongorob said:
I saw Rufous hornbills at London in 1991.
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I've seen them at Avifauna (NL), Liberec Zoo and Dvur Kralové (CZ). Beautiful animals! For such a small new zoo they hold a very nice and very rare collection allready! Considering i love the exotic and rare (in zoos) species, this is starting to sound a more interesting place by the minute...

The Spix have indeed allready been moved to Al-Wabra, who are doing very well with breeding them. The only other holders of Spix are a german breeder, Loro Parque (one pair off exhibit) and Sao Paulo Zoo in Brazil...
 
ISIS are showing that there is a pair of Malayan sun bear now at RSCC
 
The Rare Species Conservation Centre was set up by a bit of a maverick business entrepeneur in London, Todd Dalton. He runs an online business selling crocodile curry, reindeer pate, and many invertebrate foodstuffs for human consumption:
Edible
He is also known as the 'Leopard man of Peckham', having taken southark council to court for the right to house clouded leopards and lemurs in the back garden of his home. The RSCC may have come out of the difficulty he experienced with the local authority in London. He was on good terms with Howletts and Port Lypmne, recieving clouded leopards and many other species including the two Howlett's Malayan tapirs, while loaning them the giant anteaters currently at Howletts, but press reports have suggested he is now suing them too, for holding onto the anteaters and some clouded leopards which he wants back.
Despite all the salacious gossip, it seems he is serious about creating a really good conservation-focused facility, but with the relationship with Damian Aspinall turned sour, the centre does need to be successful in breeding many of the species it has acquired, else such an incredible collection may be difficult to assemble in future if animals die out without breeding and the zoo gets known for a one-way flow of rare species in this respect. However, early signs are promising. I really hope to visit later this year, do any zoobeat members have the same plans?

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Gibbon enclosure, with flamingo pool and madagascan area in background held White-cheeked gibbon, now pileated gibbons.

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King vulture flight

Strangely, though, the centre claims to have 'Brazilian' ocelots, but their ocelots originate from howletts and Amazon zoo world which, like all UK ocelot stock, are 'generic' animals and not of clear subspecies.
 
johnstoni said:
. He was on good terms with Howletts and Port Lypmne, , but press reports have suggested he is now suing them too, for holding onto the anteaters and some clouded leopards which he wants back.
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I guess that's the end of any more exchanges between them then...;)
 
I do hope to get over there in the next couple of weeks to catch up with the place. I was last there in December (closed to the public during the week at that time of year) and they were in the process of constructing raised walk ways over a couple of soon-to-be cassowary paddocks.
 
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