Marwell Wildlife Marwell Zoo News 2018

Possibly, for a muggle, Marwell is probably a better zoo to visit than most. Such a person might not be so bothered by the reduction in ungulate diversity, nor in the loss of a once-extraordinary rodent collection; instead, some nice parkland, a splendid-looking manor house (sadly not open to the public), and a few (!) decent animal displays make for a pleasant day. The cafe’s better than many, too. But, again, make sure it’s a sunny day!

 

I could not understand the decision behind importing the Black Wildebeest for the second time and then after just a few years removing them again. Possibly they hoped to mix them with the Chapman Zebras and it failed (Black Wildebeest often do not make good mixers) or there was a change of management/policy. But if allowed to expand into a decent sized group they would have made an interesting display even if not as a mixed species exhibit, and they certainly have the space. Takin was similarly an odd decision IMO.

 

What displays - or do you mean the 'Talk & Feed' sessions?

Tbh I'd recommend taking a picnic over visiting the cafe - assuming it is a nice weather day. I've never been very impressed with the selection and it always seems rammed even on non-busy days. It isn't big enough and the acoustics make it very noisy. Not sure if its association with the Valley Field clouds my judgement though - that whole debacle gets on my nerves! There are some lovely spots around the zoo to have a picnic though - much more relaxing

 

Yes, sorry for the ambiguity. I meant ‘displays’ in the most basic sense, as in ‘there’s a rather nice display of White Rhino’, or ‘they display their Nyala rather well’ (both true, incidentally); the actual displays, as in talks and such like, are really poor here, and really half-hearted, in my experience.

 

I concur.

 

I need to check with my copy of his book, but I'm pretty sure Hastings, Duke of Bedford, refers to the difficulty of mixing Black Wildebeest with Black Wildebeest, never mind anything else.

 

The original trio of Black Wildbeest at Marwell, early 1970's afaik the male was rarely, if ever mixed with the females as he was incredibly aggressive, and so they never bred. It was intended to mix them with Zebra but that that never happened either. Must have accomplished it the second time around as they bred them.

 

But they (Black Wildebeest) seem to be managed in a “mixed” exhibit at Newquay (and one which is smaller than the average Marwell paddock, too.....).

 

Just to reply to a few things the male Wildbeest I think blinded one of the females whem mixed he was as you say aggressive I think he came from Belle Vue where he had lived on his own.The female Serval is now on show again.A female Warthog has died and the last Spectacled Owl has left the zoo.I dont think Marwell hold the studbook for Arabian Oryx any more but one female looks pregnant.Another Sloth and Mouse Deer are going to arrive for the tropical house.

 

I believe the Newquay male doesn't get on with one of the females so is only mixed with them when they're in season. On my last visit, the females were in the paddock while the male, the zebras and the nyala were in their yards.

 

Thanks for this; Marwell did hold the Arabian Oryx Studbook for number of years and I was unaware that this had changed,

 

Just out of interest, what book is that?

 

True. The EEP is now with Paris - Jardin des Plantes.

 

It sounds like maybe even the females at Newquay aren't mixed with the other species anymore...

 

One of the two females was certainly old and one-eyed, I think that may have ocurred in her previous place though- I think they originated from Europe. I did not know the male came from BelleVue though- it would probably explain his very aggressive behaviour more if he had lived alone a long time.

 

Again as I understand both females came from S Africa wild caught and could have been mother and daughter,when the male and older female died younger female I think was sent to Rotterdam.

 

I wonder if Belle Vue quarantined the gnu for Marwell. I certainly saw sable antelope when I visited Belle Vue in 1973, and they then went to Marwell. While the white-tailed gnu were already at Marwell when I visited for the first time in June 1972.

 

Quite a few of the original Ungulates, e.g.Giraffes, were indeed quarantined at Belle Vue zoo. The W.T. Gnu were among the animals on view when the Park very first opened.

 

The Years of Transition. Published by (I think) Country Life, early 1950s. Sorry to be so vague, but can't find my copy right now.
It's about a third autobiographical (interesting in parts), a third devoted to his possibly wacky political ideas, and a third (pure gold) about the animals kept at Woburn.