Here is the annual report (animals) for Marwell 2017 https://www.marwell.org.uk/media/other/ANNUAL_RPT_2017.pdf
Well that's an interesting/depressing read, especially when looking at the bird and reptile lists. No species of snake and only one species of waterfowl? I know certain members (looking at you @sooty mangabey and @pipaluk )decry the reduction of mammals but only one duck? Really? I'm not as bothered about the reptiles because the tropical house should remedy that but Marwell needs some birds!
Oops; I should have read that more thoroughly! In my defence they are in the middle of a list of lizards...
Species gained in 2017: Asian brown tortoise, crocodile monitor, crested wood partridge, green peafowl, common sharma thrush, white-naped pheasant-pigeon, Nicobar pigeon, superb fruit dove, Sclater's crowned pigeon, common squirrel monkey, pygmy marmoset, cusimanse, blesbok, Kirk's dik-dik. Species lost in 2017: Greater rhea, Schalow's turaco, emperor tamarin, western black-and-white colobus, ocelot.
Slight improvement which doesn't make up for 10 years of decline! The only reason the mammals made a net gain is because they haven’t got many left to lose! 3 of the 'gains are just 3 returning that were lost over the last few years! Species to be lost by February 2018- Fossa and Sulawesi Crested Macaque....... serval next?
I know that Marwell-knocking is not difficult, but what strikes me, looking at this list, is how small some of the groups of animals have now become: visiting Marwell was once an opportunity to see really big groups, of ungulates in particular. Now, lots of relatively small numbers, and lots of single sex groups too.
I remember them having a good pheasant collection, making an important contribution to conservation breeding. They currently have one pheasant, a superannuated Green Peacock from ZSL.
The days of large groups of twenty plus antelope like Waterbuck and Nyala are long gone and species like them and Sable and Sitatunga which are all in non breeding groups will go over time.This is the Marwell of today.
The chevrotain should be added to your "species gained" category too. Incidentally, I particularly like the format of Marwell Zoo's Annual Report; it is very informative, providing details of births, deaths, acquisitions and departures. (I wish the ZSL still produced its annual Animal Inventories in a similar style and supplied the same level of useful detail.)
Nice reading, thanks. Definitely worth acknowledging the success Marwell have had with Partula this year; P. hyalina, P. mooreana and P. taeniata nucleola are considerably up from last year, and P. tohiveana is up a bit as well (though with P. suturalis strigosa down to one individual it's probably on borrowed time).