I have just noticed that Marwell have added last year's animal inventory to their website now, which is attached below. It is interesting to note that 19 species have left the collection over the last year, but 9 new species have been added to the collection (mostly birds).
Yet another bad year for Marwell and its rapidly vanishing collection then! The only bright events being a few significant births and deciding to call itself a zoo again instead of the irritating Marwell Wildlife! Shall we start guessing what the first species to leave in 2014 will be( if something hasn't gone already!), it will be easier than speculating what might actually arrive.
Most notably, one loss that seems to have slipped under the radar is the Rednecked Dama Gazelle - one individual died in 2013, and two others were sent to another collection. With the loss a year or two ago of the Mhorr Gazelle at Woburn, this renders the species absent from the UK. For those of us who have been keeping an eye on the status of the Arabian Oryx at the collection, it appears things have been more eventful than we realised: On 01/01/2013 a total of 2.2.0 individuals were held. A total of 3 animals were brought into the collection. A total of 3 animals were born in the collection. A total of 2 animals died at the collection. A total of 2 animals were sent out of the collection. On 31/12/2013 a total of 2.4.0 individuals were held. One thing to note is that many (though not all) of the species that *have* left have been elderly individuals dying off as opposed to healthy individuals being sent away - so all is not as bad as the stark numbers sound I feel.
Being a hoof stock man myself, the loss of Mhorr gazelle from the UK is (most) deplorable, in particular so since this subspecies is most critically endangered and so are the more eastern ssp. as ruficollis (being managed to extinction in Europe vis a vis the AZA SSP for red-neckeds in the US/Canada zone). Other than that the Inventory reflects how the collection is re-arranging itself and becoming more or less stable. The influx of more bird species is certainly welcome - an area that Marwell is distinctly lacking in …! Breeding success was uneven … it seemed the waldrapp was a miss this year and the flamingos bred and lost all their chicks … + 0.1 adult (the flock is a good size at 14.15), also curiously the hornbills bred yet again … just did not rear them … and lost a chick from last year too. Nice to see some waders coming in (new development?). (as well as a well stocked new Tropical House and Vivarium/Aquarium … and some other larger indoor facilities to accommodate for bad weather visits … well apart from the mad hatters / natters like us who go visit on a very rainy rainy day. Looking forward to more in 2014! Tigers and leopards? New zebra and smaller antelope? Publication of Masterplan?
Re-arranging? Stable? Sorry mate but you have to be joking!? I know i am negative but those statements are positive in the extreme in the case of Marwell over the last 5 years!
i am bringing this up because i was talking to a zookeeper there last year and i asked if there are going to be any new species in 2014. she replied that there are plans to add lions near the African valley.
That would be a major drawcard! It will probably have to be an African lion subspecies to go with the theme (I wish we get serious in Europe with one of the rarer African lion subspecies and … meaning not the ones with bred from very small founder base - would be nice if we could look at full import for conservation breeding). Aside from my dreaming …, the lions would be a nice addition there.
No, probably unlikely now. It was on the cards at one point when the African Valley was first planned.
For many years Marwell produced an annual report which contained the yearly inventories, but since the last few years no annual report has been produced apart from a brief on-line version, though whether or not there is a proper record (back catalogue) of these on-line I do not know.
New pair of Yellow Mongoose are now on show in the Small Carnivore building (old sand cat house), arrived last week from Antwerp.
Marwell have had planning permission for a new rhino house - out in the African Valley, it is planned to house upto six rhino and breeding plans have also been passed, so expect new stock to come into the collection. They also have plans for a new hippo house with underwater viewing area. No lions will be coming to the collection as the rhino house is relocating. Expect some over due baby news soon, that's all I'm allowed to say. Also expect some movement/change for the cheetahs.
Excellent piece of news. Against all the odds I am still hoping for black rhino. But alas it will probably be whites only given the brief ....
