Sad news concerning the female Anteater and also Gamin. Great to hear the gentle lemurs have bred again, they are great to watch, I remember my last visit (last summer) they were very active and hilarious to watch.
Yes, it is sad news about Inti and Yenna. The twin gentle lemurs were clinging onto mum's back (they are only 3 weeks old) - they are so cute. This is the first set of twins I have seen at Marwell for this species.
Is it? Oh okay, I think when I saw them in the summer there was one little one and then another slightly bigger youngster. How many are actually in the group now? Would suspect that some of them will move on soon.
AFAIK, they are 3.2.2. The parents Lova and Lelafo still have several youngsters with them - Novo (m) b. 2008, Manga (m) b. 2010, last year's female and last month's twins.
Interesting news - I believe it's Bella not Bela Bella is the mother of the female at Banham (Sveta) due to Bella's age I think she's a companion for Gamin rather than a 'breeding mate'.
Nope, official name is Bela (not Bella) Gamin had a vasectomy some years ago. Hence no cubs even if they wanted them
Oops - sorry! Bela was born at Ostrava about ten years ago and at about a year old (Maybe year and a half) was moved to Lisbon, she's bred twice (Afaik) rearing two females from her last litter and a male (Maybe more cubs) from the litter before. Her last litter was Sveta and another female who's name I don't know. Sveta is at Banham, her son mated with Bela and Sveta and her sister are his cubs meaning they are inbred. This move makes sense as; 1. One of the HWP females went to Lisbon recently (Last week or two?) 2. Gamin's mate Yenna, died recently so Bela has come in for a companion for Gamin. Maybe a new pair will arrive this/next year as I know a new pair are on the agenda.
Thanks, I'm passing anyway tomorrow so I'll pop in at opening time and report back if others are interested.
Quick requests; 1. Could you find out if/when the Amur Leopards are next mixing? 2. What the name of the male Hartmann's Zebra is, so I can trace his parentage in the studbook? Thanks in advance.
Think you will fine Bela is being held at Marwell, for around 2 months untill her accomandation at her final detination is completed, in orther words Marwell just holding her for anorther park.
Think you will find Bela is being held at Marwell, for around 2 months untill her accomandation at her final detination is completed, in orther words Marwell just holding her for anorther park.
Interesting move, I assumed wrong then I thought due to her age she'd be a companion for Marwell's lone male 'Gamin'.
Visited during the week in awful weather, which restricted my visit to seeing hardly anything beyond the hall. The new female tiger was i assume indoors (window blacked out) & has the smaller enclosure. The male side okapi house was closed & only saw 2 females inside. Only saw one snow leopard asleep under a ledge in the right hand enclosure, can anyone tell me which side the mother & cubs are in please? Highlight of the visit was the gentle lemur twins which were climbing in the indoor area & seemingly becoming fairly independent. Given the lack of effort on the 40th anniversary in Marwell News most recent edition,i was pleasantly surprised by the history of Marwel exhibition in the hall, which included wall displays for every year(almost anyway) old posters & most issues of Marwell News from the start were on display to read. Was not very impressed by Penguin Cove, how much did they waste on this? Hardly any different apart from some wooden fencing and other cosmetic changes & a pointless'play area' behind. For me this is just typical Marwell, i'd much rather have seen a new species enclosure elsewhere in the zoo.
Amur Tiger 'Bela' will move on to Blair Drummond SP when they are ready for her towards the end of 'Summer' (!) and then Marwell will be receiving a young female from Czech Republic (not sure which collection) later this year and hoping to acquire a young male next year. Snow Leopard female & cubs are in side nearest to education centre. Amur Leopard enclosure seems to be getting a bit of a revamp. In response to pipaluk, firstly they didn't really waste money on Penguin Cove as it was legacy money from a lady who had asked for it to be spent on that in particular, and also the cosmetic changes that the visitors can see are actually a tiny part of it as there is a whole new filtration system improving water quality and two isolation/quarantine rooms built out the back which will vastly improve husbandry and management of new or sick birds. I think that the raised path and rock effect frontage vastly improves the viewing of the pool as before the path went downhill along a high wall so you could only view the pool from a small area. I do however agree that the 'play area' behind isn't really a play area at all and they shouldn't really have bothered with it. As I understand it the large grass area behind the play area that used to inhabit Mara might be opened up for visitors to use which would be a nice new perspective over the Buffalo paddock.
Thanks for confirming that it was the male snow leopard that i saw, a bit odd that he has the larger side of the enclosure. If the money was donated & non-visible improvements have been made then i guess my criticism is slightly unfounded, but as we have agreed they really shouldn't have bothered with that 'non-play area'! I still think many people will be disappointed with what they find, as the re-naming & hype hint at something better!
Interesting move regarding Bela's final destination. Blair Drummond SP currently have 2.0 and one is hybrid. The pure bred male is 'Mischa' he is fourteen/fifteen and is Banham's ex male, also the father of Kuzma at Banham. I wonder if they'll try and breed from him and Bela. It would be like two single parents coming together with Kuzma's father and Sveta's mother becoming mates. I maybe wrong and they'll just be 'companions'.
