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

Dear gandmas

Thanks for your constructive comments on RSCC, just to point out that we are in fact working on the very points you have raised, we currently are awaiting a shipment of a great deal of FSC certified timber for climbing for the animals, notably, sun bears, clouded leopard, fossa and Pallas Cat. (As im sure you saw we don't have any large natural trees onsite so we have to bring in timber - as we are ethical about what we source all must be FSC or Recycled timber, we occasionally have delays - at present our timber container is 6 weeks late in arriving!) Most of our enclosures outside are new and still have some decoration to carry out, the Pallas cat enclosure has only just been planted and as im sure you saw the Pallas cat only just arrived about 7 days or so ago. Tapir pond and further shade areas are being implemented you probably saw the pond has been dug already - just needs finishing. Due to the new arrival of the pheasants, the civet has been kept indoors for a few weeks so that the pheasants can get used to the space then they will be mixed, with the pheasants coming out by day and the civets by night. please be patient with us, we have made significant changes and the facilities are improving all the time, but things take time to grow and the improvements to our enclosures we have made recently are significant and for a small place pretty rapid!, and things do not always work exactly to plan. We don't plan on receiving any more major species now and are working on the facilities and enrichment, come back in a few months Im sure you will see more improvements. I don't think we are doing badly considering all the improvements are made by private money and we don't even cover the running costs on the door yet!

In answer to the question on the Rufous Hornbill, we have decided not to go ahead with the species due to the lack of availability of females.

If you want any other info on RSCC please feel free to ask.
 
We already keep a pair of Malayan Rhinoceros Hornbill - brighter colored and a bit more interesting to look at than the javan subspecies at chester which has a maily yellowish and straight bill, Great Indian, Wrinkled and Black in the future.

We actually just hatched out 3 Toco Toucans, so fingers crossed they should all do well, they are currently 2 weeks old.

BTW Clouded Leopard ought to be paired when youngsters under 12 months old then they can bond without aggression, however ours were paired when young and it just goes to show it does not guarantee anything. Once a male has killed his mate it is highly unwise to introduce another female. Our male is quite a distance from public gaze and his houses are off show, yet he is still a highly strung animal and always has been and only ventures out at night. We plan to start with a new pair in the future once we enlarge the centre in the next few years.
 
Hi Neofelis,
Is there is any news on when (if?) the tree kangaroo is arriving. the last bit of information I had, in March, was that the plans had not been finalised. they are a particular interest of mine and I would love to know if we are getting any in this country.

Many thanks,
Chieflx
 
Lifelines Article

Very interesting article in latest edition of BIAZA magazine Lifelines about the RSCC . I visited in July 2007 when a lot of building work was on-going but a lot of very nice rarities were on show . Sounds like much has been achieved since - I like the sound of the Indochina Walkway .

I would be interested to know more about the jaguarundi breeding - numbers reared . And wonder if the pair of smooth-coated otters in quarantine are at the Centre - I seem to remember Twycross having a pair many years ago - good to have the species back in Europe again after 20 years .
 
Twycross were i believe the first zoo outside of Asia to breed smooth-coated otter
 
Cotswold Wildlife Park, Belle Vue, Norfolk Wildlife Park and the Otter Trust all had them in the 1970s/80s
 
those pictures are really interesting, i've never really looked at the zoo much but that gallery makes me really want to go their. And puma babies! maybe a reprise of this beautiful species in uk zoos (i know its wishful thinking)
 
I liked the pics of the new smooth coated otters, a wonderful looking species
 
Thanks for posting the link ashley-h . The smooth-coated otters look great , they also appear to have bred small-clawed otters . Also appear to have at least 3 white-cheeked gibbons , but no pictures of pileated gibbons . The sun bears look very lively , enclosure not bad either . I visited summer 2007 and a lot seems to have developed since then , they only have a very small space , amazing how much is in it .

At least when I last looked their ISIS records do not appear at all up-to-date , which is a shame . Howletts no longer listed as having giant anteater and tamandua , wonedr if these are now at RSCC .
 
That's ok. I'm going there in March, looking forward to it :)
 
I must be in the minority here, I visited the park in May and thought most of the enclosures were either inadequate for the species living in them and / or bland and boring.

I understand its a work in progress and the stock list is incredible given the size of the place, and the owner has money to invest in it, but I was disappointed with what I saw overall
 
wow, the website said they are gooing to get new guini sining dogs!
hoping to visit this year if i do i shall do a review
 
I thought that about the dogs... Never seen them before, I would assume there are none in the UK?
 
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