Four new species of Partula snail have arrived at the park. BBC News - Breeding hopes for Partula tree snail at Hampshire zoo
A giraffe calf was born today to mum Ursula and dad Kizmet. I don't know the sex yet or if it's pure (Is it pure? I know Kizmet is).
Ursula didn't arrive at Marwell until 8th June 2011, so she must have already been pregnant when she left Woburn (gestation period is 15 months). That said, I believe the calf would be a Rothschild's giraffe as the Woburn herd are pure.
Whats their plan for the hybrids? Are they going to accept duty of care for them and keep them until they die or will they be sent to holding collections? Could they not just sterilise them and mingle them with the pure herd, or is that a bit too brutal?
I believe the current adult male at Woburn is called Casper - I presume he is the father. You are correct that Doto is now at Longleat. Also, he is Ursula's own father.
The herd comprises of 5 x hybrids (Isabella (f), Makeda (f), Christa (f), Tiye (f) and Kwame (m)) and 6 x Rothschild's (Kismet (m), Matilda (f), Ursula (f), Jade (f), Nsia (f) and the newborn calf).
This was the article I got the information from: A Beautiful Baby Giraffe Bounced into the World Last Week ~ Woburn News
Casper is the current breeding male at Woburn and the father of the latest Marwell calf following Doto's departure in Spring 2009. Well done to Marwell and Woburn on this fantastic news
Are any new animals/exhibits planned for 2012? The collection does seem to have stagnated for the last couple of years and I'm sure some new animals, even in existing exhibits, could bring much needed publicity, visitors and cash! I'd really like to see Lions (even African ones as the population has deceased so much now) back in the collection. They could go in the cage next to the elderly tigers. Some of the rapidly breeding Red River Hogs from other collections would be a great and colourful exhibit. I've also advocated Hippo and Cape buffalo for the African Valley, as well as some gazelle species, Thompsons or Grants. All of these are fairly easily obtainable but not are not hugely common in UK zoos. Possibly some new monkey species would be good-they are always crowd-pullers. A baboon colony would be great. I've always wanted to see the once-promised but never arrived Red Kangaroos-a bit more interesting than the Greys. And I'd love to see some more big predators added to the collection-maybe wolves or bears which have not been kept before-there are some nice tree'd areas that could be turned over to a massive 'European Forest' exhibit with Wisent and deer as well.
Siamangs are among the large monkeys, that'll upset the ape-like siamangs Sorry, you're on zoochat - that was always going to get picked up on
This year Marwell is celebrating it's 40th anniversary. the website is a mine of shallow information, so I can't ascertain whether anything is actually happening to mark this event, beyond a rather nasty-looking mosaic consisting of children's pictures of animals being "unveiled". Is there an exhibition or even a publication of some sort? I fear there won't be, but I'd be interested to learn if there is. I have (rightly) been picked up by a Zoochatter for having a bit of a downer on Marwell, but I can't help but feel that, as has been said above, it really is stagnating. I'd be interested to hear the counter-argument - that since the current director took over (I'm guessing about five years ago) the zoo has been moving in a healthy direction, and getting better. I see a nice new logo (I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically), some very half-hearted new exhibits, a lot of shabbiness, and lots of problems unresolved. And a very nice cafe (which is far, far too small). Do others see it differently?
Ive only been a couple of times, but I went round the whole lot in less than 2 hours (I'm usually an opening till closing person).
How old is the Afrucan Valley exhibit now? I can't believe there are still only the four original species in the exhibit.
I managed a whole day last June and didn't think that was necessarily long enough - I missed the takins for which I'm still kicking myself since for me seeing that species is by no means simple [Highlands, Marwell and Paignton, none of which are day trips from good ol' Cheshire]. There were bits that needed improving, but I think it's easy enough to spend a full day there [or maybe that's because it was a first visit].
I have never managed to do Marwell in anything less than a full day,to do it all in 2 hours did you only look at the primates
I visited Marwell very soon after it opened. I remember being excited by the herds of Grevy's zebras and scimitar horned oryx, and I am delighted that they are still flourishing. Likewise the nyala, sable, roan and ellipsen waterbuck. They also had some unusual species like goral (hybrids I think) for which the current equivalents are the takin. Likewise they have always had a nice collection of cats and their records with Przewalski horses and okapi are splendid. My criticism would be that the other species seem fairly incidental alongside the cats and ungulates: just a few birds, some lemurs, marmosets and monkeys (and the siamangs), a few reptiles and a few small carnivores. Unfortunately even the nicest species can be very hard to see, it's quite possible to find the snow leopards lying doggo, the lemurs and fossas asleep, the ocelots and sand cats invisible and the okapi in their stalls. On my last visit, the Australian walkthrough - a few wallabies and an aviary with kookaburras - was just boring. The Somali wild asses never disappoint me, but I suppose many visitors just see them as donkeys. I agree that some of the buildings need attention. A lick of paint would help some, but a few need to go - particularly the bat shack. I think that the entrance area and the 'Australian' area need spicing up with alternative species, preferably active ones, and more imaginative displays. How about Himalayan black bears in the woods behind the shop? Or European bison if a simpler enclosure is needed. If that is too ambitious at least add a few more small mammals, perhaps bushdogs or tree porcupines. Then move the kookaburras and net the whole Australian walkthrough, dig a pool and add some smaller parakeets, perhaps Bourkes and barrabands, with diamond sparrows, wandering whistling ducks and magpie geese (preferably full-winged). Alan
