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

Second to Marwell, this is my other most frequently visited wildlife attraction, and I generally go once every three months to see the effects of the different seasons on the park. Not surprisingly there are only a few photos and no discussions of this fascinating place on the sight, so I thought I'd do it some justice.

The New Forest Otter, Owl & Wildlife Park near Marchwood originally opened as the New Forest Butterfly Farm, before later on spreading it's wings to British Wildlife as NatureQuest. In 1998, the park came under new management from the Heap Family, and whilst nearly all of the Park's current collection remained, particular emphasis was put on two species of interest to the family; owls, in which species from all over the World were kept, and otters. Asian Short-Clawed & American River Otters were added to the already present Eurasian otters, and special pre-release otter pens were built which cater for dozens of sick, injured or orphaned otters each year, rehabilitating them until they can be released to the wild. Along with otters, the centre rescues & releases hundreds of other wild animals in need of help each year, most being handed in by the public.

Upon entry through the Gift Shop, the first animals you see are three small owl species in an aviary row; White-Faced Scops, Burrowing & Boobook Owls. Turn left after these and you come to the outdoor enclosure for a pair of North American River Otters, and you follow this pen into the animal buildings.
The first exhibit you come to is the most recent, yet is a nod to the park's very beginnings. The Butterfly House (not open Winter) is a walk-through tropical garden home to many free-flying butterfly species; from delicate Postman Butterflies to huge Atlas Moths. After visiting this area, you walk back out into the Animal Greenhouse. Planted and laid out as naturally as possible, this section has three indoor otter enclosures of the three species kept at the park, with the American & Eurasian pools fitted with underwater viewing. Between two of the otter enclosures is the small mammal shed. Mostly it exhibits the tiny harvest mice, but also Skomer Voles, Weasels, and until recently, Edible Dormice. Once you have seen these, there are two enclosures opposite one another; the one on the left features domestic ferrets, and the one on the right Hedgehogs. These are only on show if there are currently rescued ones at the centre, and if this is the case or they are hibernating, guinea pigs from sister park Battersea Children's Zoo use it as a 'holiday home'.
The next part to enter is the dimly lit and aptly named Night Barn. The first enclosure you see are the badger setts, and to see the two animals snoozing happily in a natural setting is a very pleasant sight. Opposite these are two linked polecat enclosures, set up like a farmyard barn. Next up is the red foxes. Like the polecats, their indoor enclosure is set up like a barn with hay racks, and the outdoor enclosure is visible through a viewing window. For foxes they can be surprisingly active during the day, and these beautiful animals can make stunning viewing.

Turning left to leave the buildings, you come out into an open 'garden' area. Upon stepping out you immediately come to two enclosures for American mink, and opposite this is an attractively laid-out flower garden to attract wild butterflies, with signage demonstrating their lifecycle. After this is a wild bird garden with feeders and demonstration boards, and there are almost always birds feeding.
Continue down and there are three grassy enclosures for all of the animal house otters except the Americans (whose outdoor pen is on the other side).The first contains an asian-short clawed pair, the next a pair of Eurasian otters, and finally a stretched-out exhibit for the parks amusing 17-strong short-clawed otter group. These are a delight to watch, and feeding time is a must, with their squeaking calls and stone juggling.
Leaving the garden, you enter the woods. Turn right to see a rather algae-ridden, yet suitable, wildlife pond. Frog populations had dwindled in there recently due to an illegally released unwanted-pet terrapin, so last year I kindly donated two batches of tadpoles from our pond to there's in order to reestablish the population. Continue forward, and there is a shelter which in the past has been an education area, a tawny owl aviary and most recently a stoat enclosure: It is currently being renovated, presumably for the stoats.
Carry on and you get to a junction. Take the left first, which leads past a snowy owl aviary into the owlery. This beech wood is populated by relatively tame free-ranging sika deer (including a particularly overweight individual called Sammy) and dotted with ten large owl aviaries which gives it it's name. These aviaries hold Barn Owls, Great Horned Owls, Bengal Eagle Owls, European Eagle Owls, Ural Owls, Tawny Owls, Spectacled Owls, Brown Wood Owls, Aharoni Owls & Milky Eagle Owls.
Just past the barn owls there is a sharp left turn and walk up here to see five other otter pens, this time in a woodland setting. One has American otters, two have Short-clawed otters, and two have Eurasian otters. Take a right after viewing these to find exhibits for two rare Scottish mammals: Pine Martens & Scottish Wildcats. There are two pine marten enclosures to you're left, and two wildcat enclosures to you're right. The wildcats in particular have kittens almost annually, so visit in the late spring or early summer for a chance to see some recent borns. Continuing forward, you can see several pre-release otter pens further away from the path to you're left, and directly ahead are another two pine marten enclosures.
Carrying on past three more owl aviaries (two of which used to house buzzards & red squirrels), you come to the deer meadow. Red & Fallow deer inhabit this scenic open paddock, and in the autumn you may even hear the stag's rutting bellow. There are also pens for rescued otter cubs along one side of the paddock.
Walk back to the fork in the path, and take a right past more eagle owls to a boardwalk. This runs alongside a large, recently dug wildlife pond, which in the future is hoped to house beavers or a family of giant otters, of which there sister park the Chestnut Centre in Derbyshire has one (soon to be two; on my last visit I saw one here at the New Forest that was being quarantined before leaving for Deberyshire).
The next bit of wood you come to is contrasting to the owlery; Wallaby Wood exhibits extinct or introduced species to the British isles, and the conifer woods reflect this primeval theme. As the name suggests, wallabies hop freely through the visitor's space, along with several very tame fallow deer, one of which, Dotty, is insanely driven on a mission to eat clothes and shoelaces! There used to be a path that linked off to the enclosure of Oden the Northern Lynx; however Oden was very old and died in November. The park is looking at obtaining more lynx, and I have even heard of wolves as a possibility. As you continue around Wallaby Wood, you come to two huge pinewood enclosures for wild boar, several acres in size. The family currently consists of a boar, three sows and litters of piglets which are born annually. When they are old enough, many are sent to boar farms.
As you leave Wallaby Wood, you walk alongside a muntjac deer enclosure with a large group inhabiting it, the animals originally having come from Marwell. You leave the woods to walk past two education buildings for school groups, as well as a great grey owl aviary. You will come up to the outdoor badger enclosure, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll see them there; the head keeper told me he’s only seen them outside four times, at night. Beside the enclosure is a barn containing an enrichment filled ferret enclosure, dubbed the ‘Ferret Fun Factory’. There is also a board containing clippings of the park in the press.
The final enclosure you come up to is an aviary for little owls, and you find yourself back at the beginning. That’s the end unless you want to have something in the fantastic Woodland Bakehouse Tearoom, browse the gift shop or go round again to see the good feeding talks (which I find myself doing!).

 

Great review. Id quite like to visit this place. you should get some photos up in the gallery! Thanks

 

That's a lot of owls and otters!

Thank you very much for this great text about this park which I haven't heard of before. To me, this park sounds really interesting and I hope I'll get the opportunity to visit it sometime in the future. How big is it? Does the owls breed often? Do you have more pictures to upload?

 

Vulpes: I've already put up eight pics in the gallery!

Jodea: The park is 25 acres in size, most of it being woodland. Yes, the owls do breed reguarly, and at the moment no, but hopefully upon my next visit.

 

@Marwell Dalek: I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to write up such a comprehensive review. Cheers!

 

Thanks for the review

 

Thanks for your very detailed review of a collection I have not visited , must try to get there .

 

Well, I actually started typing the review on word a few weeks back, and only added the ending yesterday; certainly a bit too long to type in one go! But thanks for all the appreciation.

 

Excellent review, thank you.
You have reminded me that I must visit the Chestnut Centre, their sister park in Derbyshire, to see the giant otters. Do you know when they plan to send the new specimen north?

Alan

 

The giant otter male they were quarantining in December apparentley arrived that very month, so given current restrictions he'll probably stay till March and head up in April, but I could be wrong. Even if he hasn't arrived when you visit, they still have their female Manoki at the Chestnut Centre.

 

Great review, two questions:

1. have you ever seen the american mink out becuase they never seem to be up when i go?

2. is there any new enclosures/exhibits due to open in the next few years

And to add to md, i have been here twice and the exhibits are very good the best part to me is the glasshouse, the kids love it seeing the otters so up close!

 

1. Yes, I have seen the mink quite active on occasions, but like the weasels they're either all over the place or nowhere to be seen.

2. The weasel and stoat enclosures are currently being renovated, but nothing major at the mo. Though they'll be more lynxes and I believe they are looking into hazel dormice, and there's a chance of water voles, wolves, beavers and giant otters in the future.

 

^ that will be fantastic, i was very sad to hear that oden died he was my favourite there! the enclosure is pretty big and i would say it suitable for wolves, what do you think md?

 

It's certainly hope it's big enough for wolves, though I'd hope they'd keep that for lynxes and build a wolf enclosure between the lynx and boar paddock.

 

Yes that sounds a great idea, it would defintely boost publicity for the park.

 

Glad to see someone doing a review of the owl and otter park, well done Marwell Dalek. My partner and I were very impressed when we went, it had a lovely peaceful atmosphere (and a very reasonable tea room too!!). We were charmed by the otter kits offering us pinecones as we walked past.

Sorry to hear that Oden died, he was a stunning animal and an asset to the park. His enclosure looked beautiful with lots of trees and climbing opportunities, I hope they do manage to get more Eurasian lynx - it is EAZA year of the European carnivore after all.

 

^ I almost forgot! I think the enclosure is actually bigger than you realise, if they were to get any new animals they would have to build proper housing as what they have now is only accesible by the keepers walking through the paddock which was okay because oden was pretty tame!

 

Visited again today, with a couple of points:

- The Giant Otter male is still in quarantine, and he was very noisy today, making almost cartoonish calls. He was certainly stirring up the pond, and even though the pen was far from the path and obscured slightly by a netted fence, you were still certainly impressed when he emerged from the pool.
- I asked the keeper about the future now that Oden's gone, and she says the enclosure is being prepared for a new female lynx who'll arrive in the next few weeks, with plans for a male after she's settled.

Personal observations include Rusty the fox killing a rat that was unlucky enough to get stuck in his enclosure, some very ravenous short-clawed otters and a red deer showing his dominance to the fallow deer herd.

 

Glad you had a good trip,

Im not sure but i dont actually know of many other lynx in the uk, especially down south but it is good news and baby lynx would be even better!

 

There are quite a few lynx (European) in captivity in the UK. They do suffer from an image problem - not a spectacular coat nor endangered (at least enough to warrant BIAZA/EAZA attention). Seems a real pity when they were the largest native cat in this country. You will find individuals in a number of the smaller collections - Shrepeth, Galloway and Wildwood off the top of my head. Two bigger collections with lynx are Howletts and Highland WPs.The old Norfolk wildlife park (now restricted to mostly domestics as Animal Ark) once possessed a superb breeding group of lynx in an exhibit big enough for a pair of tigers. Not sure where they were dispersed to.