Yorkshire Wildlife Park Yorkshire Wildlife Park News 2014

Big Rob said:
Whoops,thats a bit of a major c#ck up on my part. Never realised that all penguins were south of the Equator only. That's my grammar school education for you.:o

And I didn't know that,must be the possibility of cross breeding and messing up the gene pool I assume.:(

Thanks for putting me straight sooty,i feel like a right berk now.
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Plenty of zoos do keep penguins and polar bears in attached areas - either by contriving an extraordinary story (as at Hanover) or by simply having them as polar animals (as at Munich) - so it's not such a daft suggestion! But don't YWP have a vaguely zoogeographic layout?

As for the lions - I think it was mentioned recently that one place does have both kinds, but I can't think where it was. But yes - it is to preserve the genetic purity of the Asians.
 
Big Rob said:
Whoops,thats a bit of a major c#ck up on my part. Never realised that all penguins were south of the Equator only. That's my grammar school education for you.:o
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Very, very nearly, but not quite - the Galapagos Penguin is found north of the Equator but only by a couple of dozen miles! :)

(still no Polar Bear overlap, though! :D )
 
sooty mangabey said:
As for the lions - I think it was mentioned recently that one place does have both kinds, but I can't think where it was. But yes - it is to preserve the genetic purity of the Asians.
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Parc des Felins, I believe.
 
I was told recently that they've decided not to put the giraffes onto the African Plains which was always supposed to be the intention but to create a new mixed exhibit with them and other animals the species of which I have forgotten.
 
OrangePerson said:
I was told recently that they've decided not to put the giraffes onto the African Plains which was always supposed to be the intention but to create a new mixed exhibit with them and other animals the species of which I have forgotten.
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Antelope and gazelle, I suppose. Gnu and zebra are not a good mix (as usually more antagonistic towards one-another and risk to - eventuality - giraffe calves (should they - eventually - decide / be allowed to hold a breeding herd).
 
OrangePerson said:
I was told recently that they've decided not to put the giraffes onto the African Plains which was always supposed to be the intention but to create a new mixed exhibit with them and other animals the species of which I have forgotten.
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Any ideas where abouts this enclosure/paddock would be Orangeperson,as the Giraffe "house" has got woodland 1 side and a water treatment works on 2 other sides. The only other possibility I could see is to use the access road between the Leopards and the Tigers and convert the Camels enclosure. Cant see that being very practical,but I suppose it would only be once a day in each direction and in good weather conditions too.:cool:
 
Big Rob said:
Cant see that being very practical,but I suppose it would only be once a day in each direction and in good weather conditions too.:cool:
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I don't know the layout at YWP, but some years ago I went to Fota in Ireland and noticed their Giraffes crossed a tarmac path/road between their House/hardstand and their Paddock, via 'level crossing' gates. It seemed to work fine.
 
How about wolves in the wooded area adjacent to the polar bear development?
 
max said:
How about wolves in the wooded area adjacent to the polar bear development?
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I like the idea,but lots of places seam to be getting wolves lately. Much prefer to see Lynx or something bit rarer.
Then again,the wolves tend to be bit more active. There is always the woodland area at the corner of the Tigers and Giraffes to put the Lynx?
How about wolverines?:D
 
I visited Y.W.P. again on Sunday,supposedly for an hour. I ended up staying 3 as the Tigers were in exceptionally active mood,with Sayan doing large laps of her enclosure spray marking all the time and going for a wallow in the wet area below the walk-way and then going for the occasional swim in the lake with the waterfall in it. Every time she came close to the fence that splits the 2 enclosures she would be stalked and pounced at by Tschuna (the other female):)

I spoke to one of the rangers who informed me that the Polar bear enclosure is close to being finished but no word yet on a suitable animal to occupy any of it. He didn't know any further plans either I'm afraid. He did inform me that there would be large uninterrupted views of the bears from raised walkways,and a "massive pool" was in each of the 4 enclosures.

I was hoping the Giant anteater's were actually going to be active in the 20 degree heat but just continued to sleep. I'm afraid these seam to be a massive fail as far as viewing pleasure goes. Only having seen 1 of them ever outside since they arrived,and I usually go about every 6-8 weeks:(

There was a sign saying that the Skunks and Racoon dogs are both having new enclosures constructed,but didn't see where they were or were going to be.
 
I'm afraid anteaters like to sleep. My recent record of seeing them outside is about 1 in last 10 visits to Marwell, 1 in 5 at London, 1 in 4 Hamerton. Colchester's always seem to be active though & i usually see them outside at Howletts too. Also a 100% record at Longleat & Cotswold (from 1 visit each !!).
 
pipaluk said:
I'm afraid anteaters like to sleep. My recent record of seeing them outside is about 1 in last 10 visits to Marwell, 1 in 5 at London, 1 in 4 Hamerton. Colchester's always seem to be active though & i usually see them outside at Howletts too. Also a 100% record at Longleat & Cotswold (from 1 visit each !!).
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Blackpool's pair are the most active pair I've ever seen, they tend to go out in the paddock a lot in the afternoon.
 
The anteaters at Howletts (despite being indoors the whole time) were very active on my visit a couple of months ago, even enjoying a nice soak in their indoor pool. Seeing that definitely taught me something I didn't know before!
 
Big Rob said:
Any ideas where abouts this enclosure/paddock would be Orangeperson,as the Giraffe "house" has got woodland 1 side and a water treatment works on 2 other sides.
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A good question which I didn't think to ask at the time!

Time for some apes next!
 
Big Rob said:
There was a sign saying that the Skunks and Racoon dogs are both having new enclosures constructed,but didn't see where they were or were going to be.
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I'm surprised because the raccoon dog enclosure is not very old at all, some time last year at a guess.
 
Well there has been major developments on the female Amur leopard (Freya) coming to Y.W.P.
I put a speculative enquirey about Freya on the Tallin zoo (Estonia) thread and got an immediate reply from a couple of helpful people saying she would be coming soon. They then posted a youtube video montage of her growing up,then near the end it showed her leaving Tallin zoo on her way to Yorkshire leaving on Tuesday 17th June. So she is either there already or in transit/quarantine somewhere. Sorry I cant figure out how to post the link on here,but if anyone is interested just go onto Estonian zoos.( There is only 1!) :D
I did try and get over there today but went on a bird-watching twitch at 4am instead. Wish I hadn't bothered as I didn't see it :(
 
Pertinax said:
What was it?......
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I don't know,i didn't see it ;)

Seriously though,it was a Woodchat Shrike at Spurn Point. Got there at 5-30am and gave up at 9-30 and came home.:( Hasn't been seen since Saturday evening,so atleast it looks like its moved on and not just me being a rubbish birder.
Wish I had gone to the zoo,at least they are always where they are supposed to be...:D
 
First Visit

Made my first visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Tuesday and really enjoyed my day there. I was very impressed by the way they had used the space and incorporated the natural contours and mature trees into the design of the enclosures.

I'm not an expert on tiger markings but am reasonably confident that I saw the lovely Tschuna in the first tiger enclosure - a much more natural environment for her than the tecton at Dudley where I saw her previously. I saw one leopard which was sat right by the fence next to the internal dens, possibly looking at the new arrival?

I didn't see the raccoon dogs or skunks, neither of which were marked on the map - whereabouts are they normally?

Best bit of the day has to be seeing the giant anteaters - a first for me. They were both asleep indoors when we arrived but, by the time we had been round the enclosure with the capybara etc., one of the anteaters was outside walking round. :):)

I'm looking forward to making a return visit, probably after the polar bears have arrived.
 
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