Tropical Wings Zoo (Closed) Tropical Wings trip report and news

Thank you Chlidonias, when I read this I was sure I had some recollection of encountering this species, but couldn't think where (and I couldn't be bothered going through to try and find it).

 

A new species that has arrived recently at Tropical Wings is a pair of African fire skinks Lepidothyris fernandi.

 

A couple of new species that have arrived at Tropical Wings recently are a pair of frill-necked lizards and a male six-banded armadillo.

 

On 3rd December, Tropical Wings Zoo will close permanently. This is because of the retirement due to ill health of the current owners. Over the next few weeks the animals will be rehomed elsewhere in the zoo community.

Information comes from Tropical Wings' Facebook page.

 

The Facebook-announcement :

**IMPORTANT COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT**

It is with great sadness that we will be closing our wonderful zoo forever on 3rd December. We have been on a fantastic journey with what has become a business to be very proud of, but sadly, due to ill health, the time has come for us to retire. We have not taken this decision lightly but circumstances have dictated this action.

We would like to thank everyone that has helped over the years to make our zoo the wonderful venue it has become and for your continued support during this difficult time. Over the coming months our priority will be working to find all our wonderful animals new and caring homes within the zoo community.

We would like to take this opportunity to assure all of our season ticket holders that reimbursements by post will be processed from 4th December but please bear with us as I’m sure you will all understand there is a large number to process. Please call 01245 425394 to discuss your refund. Our customer service line will remain open for a period of time between 10am-3pm for any queries – 01245 425394.

Dennis and Rona Strong – Zoo Owners

 

Went for a visit to Tropical Wings this morning before it closes down next month. Some interesting species have arrived between this visit and the one preceding it - hopefully all the animals will find good homes. The species I saw or were signed, divided up roughly by location, are:

- Black-cheeked lovebird (in aviary outside the zoo entrance, along the path to the café)

- Hottentot teal, red-crested turaco, speckled mousebird, bronze sunbird, koi carp, goldfish and a large variety of butterfly species (free-roaming in the tropical house)
- Iris lorikeet, frill-necked lizard, chattering lory and Utila spiny-tailed iguana (in four different aviaries around the tropical house)

- Gambian giant pouched rat, tailless tenrec and six-banded armadillo (in the three enclosures in the Rainforest Corner display)

- Phantasmal poison-dart frog, Sabah spiny stick insect, black beauty stick insect, Mexican red-kneed tarantula, salmon pink bird-eating tarantula, New Guinea stick insect, dead leaf mantis, Macleay's spectre stick insect, Atlas beetle grub, jungle nymph, Madagascar hissing cockroach/discoid cockroach and East African giant land snail (in a bank of terraria in the corridor opposite the Jungle Room; could just about see the off-show African fire skink terrarium behind these exhibits)

- African pygmy hedgehog, Central bearded dragon, green-and-black poison-dart frog, royal python, Madagascar giant day gecko and sun beetle (in six separate terraria in the Jungle Room)

- Citron-crested cockatoo, long-nosed potoroo, black-headed caique and zebra finch (in four aviaries by the start of the Bird Garden)
- Domestic goats (in central enclosure of the Bird Garden)
- Blue-and-yellow macaw/long-nosed potoroo, yellow-headed amazon parrot and a second amazon parrot species (in the corner of the Bird Garden nearest the exit)
- Two aviaries for common raven, housing a lone bird and a pair respectively
- Siberian chipmunk and long-billed corella (in standalone aviaries in the Bird Garden)
- Silvery-cheeked hornbill, common raven, blue-winged kookaburra, African pied crow and seven greater vasa parrots (in row of aviaries at the back of the Bird Garden)
- Striped skunks (in former marmoset enclosure in the Bird Garden)
- Domestic-type budgerigars, green-winged macaw and scarlet macaw (in three separate aviaries behind the old walkthrough in the Bird Garden)
- Burrowing owl and three different barn owl aviaries (in the owl corner of the Bird Garden)
- Red-legged seriema and turkey vulture (in two large aviaries near the flight display arena)
- Laughing kookaburra and Eurasian eagle owl (in two smaller aviaries behind the flight display arena)

- Goeldi's monkey and Eastern pygmy marmoset
- Common squirrel monkey and Azara's agouti (both this and the former enclosure are viewable from the Wild Amazon building)

- Domestic ferret (in old kookaburra aviary near to Wild Amazon)

- Ring-tailed lemur and African spurred tortoise

- Slender-tailed meerkat (in new enclosure on site of old giant rabbit exhibits)

- Indian crested porcupine (in old meerkat enclosure)

- Ring-tailed coati

- Red-necked wallaby, capybara and Patagonian mara (in wallaby walk-through)
- Domestic chickens (in second walk-through only accessible via wallabies) and domestic pigs (breed undetermined, in enclosure at far end of walkthrough)

- Orpington chickens
- Helmeted guineafowl
- Common ravens (a second pair)

- Asian small-clawed otter

- Guinea pigs
- Continental giant and French lop rabbits
- African pygmy goat, Cameroon sheep and second goat breed - possibly Boer (in walkthrough livestock area)