Wingham Wildlife Park Wingham Wildlife Park News 2025

Rainbowfrog2 said:
The answer is simply shockingly poor management from the top of the chain, micro management is rife, keepers are not trusted, even to the point of not being allowed their phones on them which I have never seen in any other zoo before and their opinions doesn’t matter even if they have the relevant experience or knowledge. Moral was very low and probably still is, a very negative environment, this wasn’t too long ago either. The one and only win was they paid slightly more than most other collections.
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This is a comment from a brand-new user which the moderators could take a look at...?
 
Tbf sounds like the comment from a ex keeper

I’ve read similar stuff else where about Wingham and would probably explain there really high keeper turnover
 
Visited for the first time in a while today:


. Common Cusimanse not seen and removed from ZTL. Separate group of Meerkats in old enclosure.

. Brazilian Rainbow Boas have replaced the Western Black Rat Snakes in reptile house.

. There was a baby Stenodactylus sp. in the reptile nursery area, as well as recently hatched Hermann’s Tortoise and False Tomato Frog. There was also a variety of fish on display that were unsigned.

. Panther Chameleons in two enclosures, one replacing the old Speckled Kingsnake.

. Black Marsh Turtle in with the Tokay Geckos and Spiny Hill Turtles.

. New lighting in the nocturnal house makes viewing much clearer, this is arguably the best place in the country to see Clouded Leopards up close.

. Tropical House is unfortunately a shadow of its former self - overrun with Rainbow Lorikeets with a singular Golden and Vietnamese Pheasant each - the days of Turacos, Mousebirds, Finches etc are long gone.

. Amur Leopard has gone and been replaced by Serval as mentioned earlier on.

. The new Tiger(?) enclosure is progressing nicely with climbing structures and planting in already.

For anyone interested, the Giant Geckos are listed as Rhacodactylus leachianus henkeli (the only ZTL listing worldwide) and the Blue-tongued Skinks are listed as Tiliqua multifasciata (Only 2 ZTL listings outside of Australia). The zoo however has removed the subspecific name on the former and lists Tiliqua scincoides on the latter.
 
Invertebrate House Species List:


White Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes)

Giant Crab Spider (Heterapoda venatoria)

Blue Death Feigning Beetle (Asbolus verrucosus)

Trinidad Bat Cave Cockroach (Eublaberus distanti)

Macleay’s Spectre Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum)

Tyrant Ground Beetle (Anthia maxilosa)

Sunny Stick Insect (Sungaya inexpectata)

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)

Lime Green Stick Insect (Diapherodes gigantea)

Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula membranacea)

Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

Two-spotted Assassin Bug (Platymeris biguttatus)

Vietnamese Spiny Stick Insect (Neohirasea maerens)

Purple Earth Tiger (Cyriopagopus sp. “hati hati”)

Israeli Gold Scorpion (Scorpio maurus)

Italian Wood Scorpion (Euscorpius italicus)

Gooty Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)

Brazilian White-knee Tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata)

Chilean Rose tarantula (Grammostola porteri)

Giant Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)

Giant Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus)

Unicorn Snail (Sebulina octona) and Variable Isopod (Porcellio incanus)

Indian Domino Cockroach (Therea petivereana)

Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes)

Florida Whip Spider (Phrynus marginemaculatus)

Rear-horned Baboon Spider (Ceratogyrus darlingi)

Assassin Snail (Anentome helena) and Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

African Train Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas)

Red-clawed Crab (Perisesarma bidens)

Giant African Land Snail (Lissachatina reticulata

European Medicinal Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

Dairy Cow Isopod (Porcellio laevis) and Barbados Blue Snail (Pleurodonte isabella)

Caribbean Hermit Crab (Coenobita clypeatus)

Red-legged Millipede (Epibolus pulchripes)

Pancake Slug (Veronicella sloanii)

Woodland Red Ant (Myrmica ruginodis)

Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus spinifer)

Hermit Orbweaver (Nephilingis cruentata)

Sun Beetle (Pachnoda marginata) and Four-spot Flower beetle (Jumnos ruckeri)

Salmon Pink Bird-eating Spider (Lasiodora parahybana)
 
Typhlonectes said:
Invertebrate House Species List:


White Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes)

Giant Crab Spider (Heterapoda venatoria)

Blue Death Feigning Beetle (Asbolus verrucosus)

Trinidad Bat Cave Cockroach (Eublaberus distanti)

Macleay’s Spectre Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum)

Tyrant Ground Beetle (Anthia maxilosa)

Sunny Stick Insect (Sungaya inexpectata)

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)

Lime Green Stick Insect (Diapherodes gigantea)

Giant Asian Mantis (Hierodula membranacea)

Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

Two-spotted Assassin Bug (Platymeris biguttatus)

Vietnamese Spiny Stick Insect (Neohirasea maerens)

Purple Earth Tiger (Cyriopagopus sp. “hati hati”)

Israeli Gold Scorpion (Scorpio maurus)

Italian Wood Scorpion (Euscorpius italicus)

Gooty Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)

Brazilian White-knee Tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata)

Chilean Rose tarantula (Grammostola porteri)

Giant Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)

Giant Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus)

Unicorn Snail (Sebulina octona) and Variable Isopod (Porcellio incanus)

Indian Domino Cockroach (Therea petivereana)

Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes)

Florida Whip Spider (Phrynus marginemaculatus)

Rear-horned Baboon Spider (Ceratogyrus darlingi)

Assassin Snail (Anentome helena) and Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

African Train Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas)

Red-clawed Crab (Perisesarma bidens)

Giant African Land Snail (Lissachatina reticulata

European Medicinal Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

Dairy Cow Isopod (Porcellio laevis) and Barbados Blue Snail (Pleurodonte isabella)

Caribbean Hermit Crab (Coenobita clypeatus)

Red-legged Millipede (Epibolus pulchripes)

Pancake Slug (Veronicella sloanii)

Woodland Red Ant (Myrmica ruginodis)

Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus spinifer)

Hermit Orbweaver (Nephilingis cruentata)

Sun Beetle (Pachnoda marginata) and Four-spot Flower beetle (Jumnos ruckeri)

Salmon Pink Bird-eating Spider (Lasiodora parahybana)
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If BIAZA zoos are not allowed to acquire animals from animal dealers or private collections, where would all of these have come from?
 
ZooNews2024 said:
If BIAZA zoos are not allowed to acquire animals from animal dealers or private collections, where would all of these have come from?
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From the BIAZA Animal Transfer policy:

Ensure that animals acquired are, wherever possible and appropriate, born in captivity. This is best achieved by working with other accredited zoos and aquariums but does not preclude the receipt of animals resulting from confiscation, private breeders, trade or rescues, if thorough due diligence is carried out (See Appendices I-V).

sounds like there’s quite a bit of wiggle room. I know the zoo got their Aldabra Tortoises from a reptile shop
 
Just a little thing of note, Wingham go live alot on tiktok, it's a lovely way to get your zoo fix also the owner goes live daily flying parrots and chatting.
 
I'm surprised to hear them looking to get Pygmy hippos, it certainly would be nice to have another UK collection having the species considering how rare they are.

That said, weren't there plans for them to add Rhinoceros as well? (Unless of course the plans have changed slightly)
 
Wingham announced the other day that they will be getting Asiatic lions, as well as tigers. Chessington pair?
 
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