New Forest Wildlife Park The New Forest Otter, Owl & Wildlife Park

Zambar said:
They used to have red squirrels when it was Nature Quest, Agree that I'd like to see some (showy) ones there again though. :)
Click to expand...

Althogh Red Squirrels do live and breed in captivity quite successfully, they also seem stressed by being confined and often develop sterotyped behaviour, rather similar to other smaller squirrels e,g. chipmunks which often frantically 'circle' in petshop-type cages due to lack of space.
 
Although the enclosure they were kept in was an aviary-type in their remaining years, I read from an old review of Nature Quest from a zoo paper (lent to me by another member here) that back then the reds were kept in an open top enclosure, which sounds like it was located roughly where the lynx are now; maybe this would work better, but I guess there's the issue of grey squirrels getting in.
 
After popping in today, have some sad news regarding the wolves. There are currently none on display, and though I don't want to disclose too much information, I can say there were problems with the group dynamic which had been present at both HWP and Edinburgh which rose again a few weeks ago. One of the wolves has gone back to the HWP and the Park is searching for new animals, at the moment having hopefully secured two females.
Otherwise, it's pretty quiet at the Park. The mink and two of the polecat enclosures are empty, and the fox cubs have got a lot more settled and are less showy, helped by more equipment in their den. There's construction stuff going on in one corner of the deer meadow which I think is related to the next big new arrival, european bison. One of the owl aviaries has been spruced up and the residents, barn owls, look much better with more perches and a whitewashed backdrop.
 
Not sure, but as it only mentioned they were being refurbished, it's likely. Though personally I'd like to see those pens go back to their original use as a reptilary. ;)
 
Yes they are American Mink just to clarify, given they are the species found in the UK. And zoogiraffe's right, they're one of the most elusive residents but like most mustelids when they show themselves they're bloody everywhere!
 
Zambar said:
they're one of the most elusive residents but like most mustelids when they show themselves they're bloody everywhere!
Click to expand...

Not really relevant, but some years ago now hundreds of Mink were released by animal libbers from a Mink Farm near Ringwood. I drove down Poulner Hill,(the main dual carriageway) the very next day and the road was littered with mink corpses. They recaptured a lot of them, but the Garden Centre at the top of the hill still stocks Mink traps- the only place I've ever seen these on sale publicly so there must still be plenty about. With the river Avon being right there it was no doubt a perfect site for them to establish(or to embellish the existing population)
 
Last edited:
It is a bit mind-boggling on me that a park should maintain American mink (knowing what damage exotics like these have done to the native European mink) ....
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
It is a bit mind-boggling on me that a park should maintain American mink (knowing what damage exotics like these have done to the native European mink) ....
Click to expand...

Gives them an interesting education value though. I especially liked the mink exhibit at Luneberger Heide, where they have American and European next to each other.

Zootierliste lists 20 collections with American Mink (ZootierlisteHomepage - interestingly not including Luneberger Heide, so maybe theirs have gone), compared to 37 with European Mink, so Europeans are definitely the 'preferred' species in European zoos.
 
And they have a special license to keep them, so they've acknowledged the risks.
 
I remember watching Jack Hannah years and years ago, he was in a zoo in Europe or Russia where they had a big group of mink in an exhibit with underwater viewing. The mink were all different colours representing the different colours they are bred on the farms. They had a daily mink feed where they fed them live fish. it was interesting to see them chasing and catching the fish. does anyone know where this might of been?
 
Lots of news today from my first zoo visit of the year:

- Sadly Humbug, the Park's elderly and only remaining badger died a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they will have to wait for any rescue badgers that can't be released to be donated to the park, but as it's been a bad year for badgers with many rescue centres taking in more than usual this could be sooner rather than later.
- The mink enclosure is still empty, but when it is renovated it will not be re-occupied by mink, rather the Park will replace them with water voles which they hope to start breeding for reintroductions to the meon valley.
- I could only see the male wild boar nestled under a rhododendron today, so presumably all or most of the young have gone to other collections and/or boar farms as they tend to do.
- And finally, five young wolves will be arriving in a matter of weeks hopefully from Colchester to populate the empty enclosure. :)
 
Pertinax said:
Not really relevant, but some years ago now hundreds of Mink were released by animal libbers from a Mink Farm near Ringwood. I drove down Poulner Hill,(the main dual carriageway) the very next day and the road was littered with mink corpses. They recaptured a lot of them, but the Garden Centre at the top of the hill still stocks Mink traps- the only place I've ever seen these on sale publicly so there must still be plenty about. With the river Avon being right there it was no doubt a perfect site for them to establish(or to embellish the existing population)
Click to expand...

Yes , they managed to kill a large percentage of the once excellent waterfowl collection at Paultons Park , even going as far as attacking a Pelican! (Brave Mink!! )
 
I got to see the Mink At NFWP on my kast visit, absolutely beautiful creature. Possibly the highlight of my visit. I have seen them in the wild, but on both occassions Someone was trying to harm them. (And quite rightly so in my opinion how ever much i like them.)
 
Few updates from today:

- Colchester's five young wolves as many people now know arrived several weeks ago, and like any new animal take time to settle in. Today I only one grey and one black together peeking out of the house at the back of the enclosure, too shy to come much further.
- Lots of empty enclosures during the Park's 'quiet' season: The larger house mouse enclosure, the hedgehog enclosure has been completely uplifted and is now mounds of soil, the badger setts are still empty following the death of Humbug (the outdoor enclosure holds a few muntjac temporarily while their enclosure is chicken wired), the mink enclosures are still being developed into water vole pens, and all the fallow, red and sika deer have gone off show as all the fences have been removed from the meadow, presumably to be replaced by bison-proof ones.
- There are ten wild boar piglets, bringing a bit more life to the enclosure as ever at this time of year.
 
Absolutely excellent visit, definitely feeling the way the Park's progressing. :)

- First piece of news is about the 4 new species at or coming to the Park. The water voles I mentioned are now on show in a very well furnished enclosure (one of the two old mink pens), and despite their elusive nature, I saw one cheeky fella being very active and got some great photos.
I was suprised to find out that the other mink enclosure has been converted for adders (which is what it was originally built for years ago), which is complete in every way except for the adders which are arriving on Tuesday. And the new bison-proof electric fencing is erect all around the deer meadow and a bit of adjacent woodland (with the red deer back in residence) with the big beasties due to arrive at the end of May when their house and yard is done.
But the news that will really excite zoo nerds is that the old hedgehog pen (the hedgehogs are currently offshow), which is very lavishly planted up, will be welcoming european sousliks from Edinburgh by the end of next week! :)
So once the other three have arrived, that'll be all the new animals for 2011: But apparently there's still a long list, and next year it's planned to bring Beavers and Wolverines into the Park! :D One to watch!
- Along with the new arrivals the Park's had a proper spring clean with resurfaced pathways all the way round and fresh paint licks in the indoor displays: And the frog pond refurbishment is complete and looking a lot fresher there.
- A group of rescued badger cubs from Secret World Wildlife Rescue are due to arrive very soon to the empty enclosure since Humbug's death, and will grow up at the Park to a point where they can be released to the wild.
- There's a brilliant new bit of signage in the old stoat enclosure detailing the progress of rehabilitating an orphaned otter cub on one side and the conservation projects the Park's involved in on the other, with lots of visitors stopping to read.
- The young wolves from Colchester are still very shy since arriving three months ago, with the two dark males Rocky and Cyril and one of the three females the bravest to emerge for feeding time. The relocation to the peace and quiet of the NFWP compared to Colchester and the sudden busyness at Easter is quite bewildering to them, but they're getting better each day.
- And on a final note, there's another wee joey sticking out of one of the wallaby's pouches. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top