I can appreciate that anyone who has known Marwell for a long time and seen the number of species drop would find it sad but I visited earlier this year and loved the place! Still some gems to be seen there, I enjoyed seeing all the ungulates they keep also the lemurs and fossa. The little area around the siamangs was good and I though the wild explorer exhibit very good too. In fact I ran out of time despite being there all day and rushed passed the cheetah and penguins on the way out. In some respect the negativity expressed in the forum put me off visiting some time ago which is a shame as I'd list it amount the uk's better zoos.
I think as a first time visitor it may seem good, but the ungulate collection is a shadow of what it was even 10 years ago! As for being one of the UK's top zoos, I suspect it's fallen a fair way down many people's lists! Not in my top 10, definitely 2nd division now!
The new tropical house is going to be built where the current chapman zebra, oryx enclosure is opposite the stable antelope and the somali wild ass enclosures. There will be a new path bulit towards the new tripical house from the current okapi housing. There will also be a new amphitheater bulit there too which will provide a setting to showcase new animal shows.
By the time they have built the wetlands area which will be the next project after the tropical house will have spent a lot of that money.
This seems a strange choice of project for a Park that has no natural running water or existing swampy areas. It will have to be created artificially from scratch.
Marwell have just posted on Facebook that Amur Leopard Kaia has had 2 beautiful cubs, expected out at the end of August https://www.facebook.com/marwellwil...68060882167/10153188500347168/?type=3&theater
No doubt loads of the remainder will be wasted on a new entrance, playgrounds or other things that won't actually improve the zoo! A few new animals would be more useful!
I don't think a new entrance is that high on the list as it is always being talked about. A new 'big cat' enclosure is in the pipeline for 2020. The Amur Tiger Cubs will be put out on show for the press next week, after that it will be left up to Mila if she wants to let them out.
I am glad they building a new Tropical House … as indoor accommodation for bad weather conditions has been hard to come by previously. And sure enough their tropical species management can thus be improved and hopefully some more interesting species may then arrive as well.
I think the new big cat area will be for the tigers. The rest of the cat enclosures are fairly modern and the tiger enclosure is the oldest of the lot. Although I would rather see a new species at the zoo as there isn't really anything wrong with the tiger enclosure now.
Its over 15 years since Marwell had lions,Asiatic,hybrids,talk in the past of going out of Cheetah to bring in African Lions,The Tiger enclosure has stood the test of time for over 40 years,and has been updated from time to time,would rather see money spent on other areas of Marwell.
I agree, there is nothing wrong with the tiger enclosure, it shouldn't be a priority! Filling some of the empty spaces with new mammals should come first.
It seems there is a compunction here to build expensive brand new enclosures for flagship animals just because they are that. The tiger enclosure has been updated several times over the years but is still perfectly adequate-it doesn't even look 'old'. There are many other improvements that would be more deserving I think.
