Marwell has had quite a hefty turnover of animal species over the years. If you could theoretically bring back one species-ONLY ONE-I don't want some clever clogs listing every species ever held-what would it be and why? Mine would be the Maned Wolf. I think they are beautiful animals and I used to spend ages watching "the fox on stilts". Over to you.....
Ooh, where can I start? Maned Wolves would be a great returnee, and I'd love to see them fence off part of the South American Paddock and create a mixed enclosure for them with the anteaters like at Edinburgh. Then of course there are the lions, though I think I'd rather see africans in an enclosure within the valley than the Asiatics which Marwell had, so I can count them out. Then there's hunting dogs, sun bears, malayan tapirs, species among many others I'd love to see return. But if it had to be one... Clouded Leopards, definately. Marwell kept them before it even opened fully, in a cage near the hall and later in the stable yard. They were only there for a few years through the 70's, but after watching the group at Howletts last year, I fell in love with the cats and they are now one of my favourite animals. Ideally, I'd love to see them in a sort of hybrid between the Howlett's enclosure for them and Marwell's ocelot enclosure, in the back of the woods behind the old snow leopard site (meaning they'd be in the appropiate South-East Asian biome). I would absolutely love to see these living at Marwell after many years absence.
i would like to see the return of the domestic animals again as encounter village has never been the same since they toke them all away the walk through wallaby and tamarin enclosers do nothing for me
Domestic animals May be wrong but was the reason of domestic animals removal something 2 do with the risk of ecoli ? and b4 anyone comments i am not saying the animals on show there in the past had ecoli.Being honest i liked the old chidrens farm back in the early 80,s.
ive seen pics of it and it looks nice BUT TO BE HONEST GUYS AND GIRLS, PART OF THE REBRANDING OF MARWELL TO MARWELL WILDLIFE WAS TO ENGULF THE SOUND OF THE PLACE INTO A MORE CONSERVATION WEARY ESTABISHMENT. DOMESTIC ANIMALS DOES NOT REALLY PROMOTE THIS. AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE SMILE I SEE ON A YOUNG CHILDS FACE WHEN THE INTERACT WITH A FARM ANIMAL, I THINK THIS CAN BE RE-CREATED WITH INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS SUCH AS A WALLIBY WALK-THROUGH AND WILD RELATIVES OF OUR IN-FAMOUS DOMESTIC ANIMALS THAT ARE ENDANGERED, SUCH AS VICUNA OR WILD BACTRIAN CAMELS (OR THOUGHT IN THE LATTERS INSTANCE, DOMESTIC CAN PROVE TO EDUCATE FOR THE REALLY SERIOUS NEEDS OF THEIR WILD RELATIVES
Yeah, no need. Marwell just wanted to focus on exotics, though I wish EV had remained domestic with a couple of exotic displays, as the rebranding proved to be a bit of a failure apart from the Bush Walk and Reptile House. It was probably at one of it's best times during 2006 just before the renovation IMO.
Was gd in the early 90,s,at the time parts were still under constuction, that was in the days wen we did camel every afternoon for 2 hrs cost 50p real value for money, unlike something that runs nearby! the MWR was know in those days by most of the keeping staff as Marwells Woubderful Rip- OFF,
Cat man, do you deliberately try to push people's buttons? You seem very good at it. Anyway, I too have some qualms that Marwell is not as good as it once was-there seem far fewer species and many empty paddocks these days. I know the recession probably has some bearing on it, but in the "old days" the houses were functional and the money went on the animals. I find it a little disquieting that nowadays the houses seem somewhat gimmicky and overly landscaped, and the animals little more than window-dressing. And having read John Knowles' book, the fact that the founder now feels that he cannot visit his own creation due to the current leadership is indicative that they have moved the goalposts, so to speak. He is an old man-whatever the truth, surely it would be better to have some sort of re-approachement before the inevitable happens? I will always remain loyal for many personal reasons, but I do feel that the current management may have lost their way.
Yeah, I remember Wacker and Tabitha giving rides, one of the most exciting things for my three year-old self to do at the zoo! And LMAO, it still costs £2 per person, or was it even worse? Gary, I see what you mean. Money has had a big part to play in it, for example there was a emu/kangaroo enclosure planned in 2007 that has since been dropped two or three times, along with many other new enclosures and buildings. The Animal Collection is also undergoing review at the moment, so there are a lot of empty enclosures from time to time. But now the recession has ended, given time for the money, and once the animal collection has completed the review, I'm staying hopefull that a firmer foothold will be gained. There are already some good plans for the future still going, so don't give up hope just yet.
Not sure of cost but was a pound or more i think. Is a great shame that Mr or should that be Dr. Knowles cannot or will not visit lets remember this person founded the place and has put, time,effort and his money in to Marwell, with out him we would not be on topic,i know places need 2 move on but do wounder if all is needed.
He doesn't visit by his own will. James Cretney recentley announced that he's welcome back and will be happy to show him round, and they'll sell his book in the shop, but we'll have to see whether it has an outcome. The closest he came since leaving in 2006 was signing copies of his book in Marwell Hotel last year.
OK, did get a strange look back in October when i asked in the shop if they had his book, you would of throught i had asked 2 join Born Free or CAPS !!!
I feel that the rot sort of set in with the penguins-Marwell up til then was always a place of paddocks and large enclosures for the "big beasts"-the hoofstock and big cats. Since then-the first of these specialised cages-the zoo seems to have concentrated on a number of small-scale species that would be better suited to a city zoo type setting-Fruit bats, Reptile Houses, Tropical Houses, etc-quite frankly, ALL of these would fit within the old giraffe house! The "small brown jobs" as Durrell used to call them, were never what Marwell was about-what is the point of rolling parkland with nothing on it? My worst recent case-the old lion house being used for Amphibians In Action, or whatever it's called-important but hardly suitable!? As I say, I love the old place, but it doesn't mean I won't criticise what I feel are wrong moves. Open up the African Valley, get in some Blue Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Hippo, Cape Buffalo, and move in the Warthog and Rhino. Put African Lions (surely now a threatened species?), Spotted Hyena, Jackal, Cheetah, Serval on the periphery-now that would be an exhibit! Get in some pure-bred Indian Tigers, bring back Sumatrans, get in some Chinese-become a world-class Tiger Breeding centre-wouldn't that be a jewel? Bring back some of the beautiful deer and antelope herds that used to run across the paddocks that now look so empty. Sorry-rant over!
John Knowles, does not visit the zoo he created, i find this incredible, is the place that bad in his eyes. Come on Marwell regulars what is going on down there?
Per his book, he had a number of disagreements with the board, culminating in an argument about returning some Roan Antelope to Africa which was stopped, and he felt he was being pushed out. Obviously, that is his side of it-I do not know the Board's side. Durrell went through a similar thing after he turned Jersey over to a charitable trust, but he fought back and ousted the majority of them. But then he was a younger man with a well known stubborn streak, and was bloody-minded enough to sort it all out. Knowles is now in his 80s and I feel the whole situation is very unfortunate.
The actress? Not that I recall...why? Kiang, btw, I presume you meant the OTHER John as sadly Mr Aspinall has been gone for a few years now.
