Marwell Zoo News » Marwell Wildlife

Marwell Zoo News
05-02-2008

Hi

Here is some of the latest news:

1 Amur cub was born at the end of last year. Hopefully it will be out and about for Easter. I am not sure of the sex yet.

The male Snow Leopard (son of current pair) has left for Germany.

The new Restaurant has been started and should be open by the end of the year. It will over look the Valley Field (currently unused) and some of the current animals will be introduced into there.

The second phase of the Australia Zone should also be completed this year - it will house Emu and Kangaroos.

The old Lion House will be converted into an 'Amphibian Ark'.

If there are any specific questions you have on Marwell - free free to ask (I am a regular visitor)

05-02-2008

[quote=SWA;36669]
Hi.

Have the Diana monkey pair in the Giraffe House bred at all?

Diana Monkeys
05-02-2008

Hi

The Diana Monkeys have near breed at Marwell (to my knowledge)

05-02-2008

Thanks. Do you know if its true they are thinking of getting Gorillas?

Gorillas
05-02-2008

Yes I believe the plan is to get gorillas within the next 2-3 years.

I think the current plan is that they will be a group of young males rather than a breeding group.

I guess it depends on how quickly they can get the funding.

My feeling is that will be the next 'major' project after the current developments have been completed.

05-02-2008

That's very interesting....

05-02-2008

[quote=SWA;36669]The new Restaurant has been started and should be open by the end of the year. It will over look the Valley Field (currently unused) and some of the current animals will be introduced into there.[quote]

The Valley Field is fallow land? On which side of the Marwell Zoo plan is this?

Which animal species are to be introduced there? Do they plan to create a new themed exhibit there too?

05-02-2008

I guess they have no other possibility then to take an all male group if they want to exhibit gorillas; it`s the policy of the EEP that new holders will only get males for at least a couple of years. There is an exeption from time to time (Gaiaprk Kerkrade got a small family right from the beginning - propbably due to their affiliation with Apenheul, and now the Bioparc Valencia has also gotten females right away - my guess because they offered to take a problem = non breeding male too).

05-02-2008

I have pulled out a copy of the ten year strategic vision and in it they say the valley will be a drive through exhibit with old army trucks in which will be.
Giraffe (hybrid)
Chapman's zebra
Waterbuck
Roan antelope
"Black" lechwe
hippo?
lion

05-02-2008

I thought it was Bonobos they were going to get not Gorillas at least thats what i was told about 3 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re Valley field
05-02-2008

The Valley field is currently owned by Marwell and is about a 1/4 of the size of the current zoo. The site is behind the current fields running from the Giraffe to the Grevy Zebra (on the side of the Amur Leopard) to where the Sable Antelope are currently housed.

I think to start with zebra & antelope will be introduced there (not sure which species).

05-02-2008

Part of the 'valley field' has been used for a very long time (wild horse, camel and currently Roan) but it is the much larger half to the north of the current gemsbok/ sable paddock that will be opened up for the first time. I saw the building work for the new restuarant on Sat.....very early days!! The old 10 year plan cited may not now be acccurate.
I was told that 'something' (probably exisiting stock) would be in the field when the restaurant opens but that full development of the exhibit will take place over a longer timeframe. Intention is (or was) to move much of the African stock from Southern part of zoo up there and develop exisiting rhino house for asian rhinos, etc to fit in with asian part of zoo (siamangs, roof of the world, etc). All probably 'in the mix' at the moment.

Re: Gorillas (or bonobos); always thought the 'south american' paddock near the entrance would be perfect for a great ape enclosure and is currently a bit of a waste of space (rheas, capybaras). Sadly, with the anteaters being moved to that area (now the SA 'biome', seems we are stuck with it.....

Finally, anyone know what happened to the Squirrel Monkeys on the island in Black Swan Pond??

Re Gorillas
05-02-2008

On the 10 year plan the potential site of the Gorillas is where the Chapman Zebra are currently kept. This will mean that they will be near the Okapi and form a new zone

I hadn't noticed that the squirrel monkeys had disappeared - I will have a look next time I am there

05-02-2008

More musings on Marwell....

Given that Marwell has always been the place to see large herds of African hoofstock, wouldn't it be nice if the new 'African Plains' exhibit contained a mix of species actually found on African Plains....I dream of wildebeest, eland, thompsons gazelle + existing zebra, ostrich, rhino.

Also, that little mongoose enclosure in the madagascar area (houses yellow mongoose) was originally built for madagascarn ring-tailed mongoose. Are they ever likely to materialize? (I doubt it!).

05-02-2008

The only ring-tailed mongooses on ISIS are 1.1 at Heidelberg, but they have quite a few at Berlin, at least 3 pairs on show a few months ago. I assume they have bred them. They are very attractive creatures and highly active in the daytime, and would make a great display at Marwell.