Does anyone know any other plans for the future , we go here at least 3 times a year and it's ever changing which us good to see , it's nice to have such a good place to go to so close to home
visiting for the first time in a fortnight - looking foward to it from what I've heard and seen on the website
Well there was once a collection plan available with one of the planning applications and it featured rhino (various), orangs, gorillas, bongo, okapi, siamang gibbons (gibbons were always mentioned back in the very early days), cheetah, penguins, snow leopard, mandrill... the sky seems to be the limit, there is loads of space yet to use, I guess it depends partly on what species become available and how the money keeps coming in.
Were Baboons in the original plans? Now they have the Guinea Baboons that might push Mandrills back a bit in the scheme of things, given that for general viewers there are similarities. I still hope they get them though-IMO not enough places keep them.
What species of rhino were planned? It's quite unusual for a relatively new park to acquire black or Indian rhino's but would the owners previous experience at Woburn help in this?
I believe Indian rhinos were mentioned. It would certainly make a change from the ubiquitous Whites which most 'first time Rhino' parks invariably get. West Midlands were able to get a pair, so I see no reason why YWP can't follow suit if a pair become available.
The respect that many people in the zoo world have for the ex-Woburn managers in charge at YWP,is a very big part of why they are getting some of the species that they have!
Maybe the Guinea baboons will fill the role of the Barbary macques in the plan. I'd love Mandrills although if they don't get shut outside like Colchester's and we don't get to see them indoors like most YWP exhibits then judging by the Chester ones we'd not see them very much. The plan had white, black and Indian rhino.
1. I would think the Guinea baboons would almost certainly have replaced planned Macques- otherwise they would form two very similar exhibits. 2. Mandrills- yes, like Gorillas they like 'forest' cover so will hide indoors a lot unless shut out- or provided with decent overhead cover outside perhaps? 3. Rhinos- three species sounds very ambitious. I should have though a single species might be more likely to start with, but no reason why it couldn't be Blacks or Indians- IMO the UK needs more holders of both.
If they were prepared to house a solitary none breeding female Black Rhino,they could more than likely have one as soon as they could build the enclosure!
Thanks for the information everybody! I hope that their collection keeps expanding at this rate, 3 species of rhino would make it a must-see collection for me!
Does anyone know the short/medium term plans for the parks raccoon dogs? There were 4? youngsters turned up and were housed by the education area in the woods. It looked like there were only 2 in the pen today - are these the 2 original (old) ones from up near the entrance or 2 of the newcomers? Thanks
