A new zoological collection at Wiltshire College, Lackham, has been officially opened by Simon Garrett, head of learning at Bristol Zoo. The large greenhouse is filled with plants from South Africa and Asia and features a rare purple throated fruit crow (Querula purpurata) and a range of reptiles including tortoises, lizards and terrapins. Lackham College, near Chippenham opens new zoological garden | Chippenham People
the fruit crow is a nice bird to have, especially given how thin on the ground cotingas are in the UK. Are there any other fruit crows in the country? EDIT: just checked Zootierliste to answer my own question and only four European public collections have purple-throated fruit-crows (two in Germany, one in Italy, and one in the Netherlands). This one isn't listed yet. EDIT EDIT: in fact the only other cotingas at all listed for the UK are the Andean cock-of-the-rock at Edinburgh and spangled cotinga for Amazon World. Even thinner on the ground than I thought!!
Have visited, as my wife works at the college. It is a revamped greenhouse with a variety of birds (fruit-crow, gouldian finches, bobwhite quail) and reptiles (a terrapin species in the pond, leopard and red-foot tortoises, a free-ranging Jacksons chamaeleon and green water dragon). It isn't huge (5-10 minutes viewing, unless you are obsessed with seeing unusual cotingas!), but they are talking about moving meerkats, prairie dogs (both already in the collection) and obtaining tapir to round off the 'zoological garden'. A bit over the top namewise for what it is, but the greenhouse will look better in a few years when the plants grow up. Imagine that the building will lose alot of heat during winter though. Animal Collection Manager was not aware of any other fruit-crows in the country. I think he has previously worked at Bird World, and hand-raised some of the new penguins for Longleat. Note: head of the animal studies when outlining the new exhibit repeatedly referred to the ubiquitous ground squirrel as 'Perry' dogs. Insert - facepalm. Not sure what the procedure is for visiting, not sure the staff know. Most disorganised place we have ever been involved in!
Yes, Paul Wexler also worked at Chessington too, the late Raymond Sawyer had a Fruit-crow when I visited his superb collection a few years ago.
In 'Cage and Aviary Birds' paper this week, there's a whole page article on the facilities, as well as fact that they recieved the Fruit Crow from Raymond Sawyer's Collection, and a single Yellow-rumped Marshbird (Pseudoleistes guirahuro).
I understand that Colchester has received some of the larger tortoises from the late raymond sawyer . I wonder if any more of his amazing collection will appear in other UK Zoos/Bird collections .
Yes, most of Raymond`s stock was donated to Colchester Zoo`s conservation charity in order for them to allocate it to various collections, Birdworld recieved some birds as did Tropiquaria. I didn`t know that the Fruit-Crow had gone to Lackham College - this bird must be a good age by now ?
