Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park News 2011

Ugh! Worst! Its not even enrichment in those photos....

 

They look very much to me as if they've been staged..

Generally speaking though, Cotswold Wildlife Park has a definite element of 'style' and its (IMO)certainly one of the most pleasant UK collections to walk around. The walled garden/Madagascar and courtyard areas are real delights but everything else too is neatly and well presented( though I'm not a big fan of the wolf enclosure really) Large hordes of urban visitor types seem entirely lacking too, as its situated in a rural/affluent area though that must work against them quite a bit visitor-wise.

I thought the article about the long-lived White Rhino 'Bull' was actually very interesting, more so since I last saw him just a few months before he died. I hadn't realised one of the two females came from Whipsnade's herd. I'm not surprised they featured his passing in their Newsletter like that, as the original trio of White rhinos, of which he was the last survivor, were very much an emblem of the Park.

 

News At Cotswold Wildlife Park.

The male Great Indian Hornbill is now on display.The great blue toracos make an impressive display in the tropical house.Crested porcupines now occupy the "second" meercat enclosure by the zebra stables.This has been enhanced with new rock sculpure as has the Morelets enclosure -which looks a little theatrical?Sadly the two female mara have died.One elderly female with a malformed foetus and the younger female of non-specific causes.Arabian rock hyrax making use of their rock wall in their enclosure in the restaurant-however young not visible yet.Two giant anteaters very active at last visit.

 

Not sure when you were there but the young were certainly visible on Saturday:

 

New births include a Purple Faced Langur and RT Lemur twins
Wildlife park?s new babies (From Witney Gazette)

 

Its good this pair are breeding successfully(2nd birth) but they really need this one to be a female if there's to be any long term hope of building a group. Unless they can add a couple more females from somewhere.

 

Cotswold New Arrivals,June 2011

Visited Cotswold Wildlife Park 06/06/11 -a large number of new arrivals ! -

1/Two V warty piglets born this week-end.Very active!
2/1 scimitar-horned oryx born 06/06 to add to the 3 already arrived
this year.
3/2 new male hybrid giraffe to join the other twne 1 yr old and 1 four
year old.Not able to see as just arrived and giraffe house closed for
them to settle in. New aerial walk-way started to enable viewing inside
house at "giraffe height".
4/Two bactrian camels born last week.
5/One zebra born this week-end.(male?)
6/3 litters of praire marmots born this week.

 

Any idea where the new Giraffe have come from?

 

The are called Icarus and J and came from Woburn

 

Any matings with the Wolverine?

 

Icarus does not ring a bell with me. Care to divulge?
J is probably short for Jambo (b. 4/2009).

Incidentally, these are not hybrid / cross-breed giraffe, pure-bred rothschildi.

 

i took this from their website but, like you, i too have never really heard that name before...

 

Icarus was born in june 2008. His mother is Danica and his father is Doto

 

Three Bactrian Camel's were born on the 3,4 and 5 June

Visayan Warty Pigs 'Fred' and 'Wilma' have become first time parents to Pebbles and BamBam.

 

Xena and Spongebob the Chapman's Zebra are now proud parents to a male foal named Rodney he was born on 03/06/11 and has been named after one of the keepers who has just retired.

 

Well done annoucing news before it happens,nice to see the crystal ball is working well!!!

 

A pair of Swinhoes Striped Squirrels can now be seen in the pheasant aviaries behind the train station.

 

Visited today (along with about a thousand or so schools who decided today was a good day for a school trip).

Sifaka are now mixed in the Madagascar walk through, with the black lemurs and two ring tails in their old house. (Though this isn't a permenant swap yet)
Mangrove Snakes are now on show in the reptile house, along with some young Utilian spiny Iguana.
A pair of Red Titi Monkeys are now mixed with the Emperor Tamarins and Pygmy Marmosets.

Plus, there were some new arrivals today, I watched them being released, but I do not feel that it is my place to announce what they are before the Park does, so stay alert for news!

 

Sound intriguing - especially as you see it as something the park is likely to announce