The latest ZSWA newsletter reports the sad death in March of male Californian Sealion "Cousteau" at the age of 27 (he was born at the zoo in July 1986 and fathered eight pups). He was a very impressive animal - a WMZ icon.
1.1 Snow Leopards have been born - The zoos first successful litter since the loss of the 2009 cubs to cowpox Snow Leopard Cubs! | Welsh Mountain Zoo
Brilliant news. Really pleased for everyone at WMZ. I've not been up there for ages, are the Snow Leopards housed in the enclosure that used to house a melanistic leopard a fair few years ago?
Visit/update Sept 2014 Paid a visit to WMZ yesterday in this spell of glorious weather we are having and thoroughly enjoyed my visit as per usual. This zoo goes from strength to strength in my book with the improvements they make year on year never mind the friendly, helpful and knowledgeable keepers I'll add some photos in the gallery. Since my last visit the Himalaya Terrace is now fully open completed thanks to a trust fund of Mr Peter Neumark LVO, generously donated the monies to enable the Zoo Charity to develop The Prytherch Himalayan Terraces – a project to further the conservation of the wildlife of the Himalayas and housing the red panda pair on one side and the short clawed otters on the other, whilst the pandas seem more than happy with their home the otters have studiously redesigned there side of the enclosure making a nice deep den under the slate by the top pool The lemur lookout was also open, I missed out last time, it's open between 11am to 3pm and has at least one member of staff manning the gate instructing visitors not to touch or feed the Lemurs - in the free roaming part are 8 Ring Tailed Lemur males (thinned down from the 16 last year that had begun to squabble) in the none free roaming part are a couple of brown lemurs, they would be overwhelmed by the more boistrous ring-tailed if also free roaming so for their own comfort they are not. The snow leopard cubs and indeed their parents were all flaked out in the shade as expected, what is nice to see are a number of notices explaining that the Zoo agree that the enclosure is looking 'tired' and have launched a fund to build a new one including a full size glass viewing window. Sealions were in good voice, very playful and energtic, enjoying the training sessions and educational displays that they take part in, the current male is only 5 years old and whilst a little too young to be fully sexually mature he has certainly been seen mating with the females so flippers crossed for more offspring in the future. The sealion pool is a salt water pool negating the need for salt tablets and eye drops that many collections need to administer whilst keeping sealions in fresh water, whilst harder to maintain from a keeping perspective it is so much better for the animals and I admire WMZ for going down this route. There is work currently underway to build a new Gibbon enclosure and for me that is great as I really didn't like the current one - the gibbons were singing their heart out as I arrived and whilst digressing I am a real fan of a zoo with lots of animal noise, so a combination of singing gibbons, squawking parrots and calling peacocks on arrival certainly lets you know that you are now entering the zoo The free flying bird display is always great fun to watch and educational to boot. Yesterday the birds flying were 'Storm' the Barn Owl male, 'Rocky' the Harris Hawk and a pair of Military Macaws 'Sarge' and 'The Major' it really is unique seeing two colourful Macaws against the backdrop of the Welsh mountains. There are several new kids play areas and adventure trails that look great if I'm honest (really wanted a go on the ropes course!) and nicely situated in the trees to not too in your face. The tigers - Sumatran tigress sisters KEISHA & KINNARA (born Krefeld Zoo March 2012) moved to WMZ to join FLYNN (BRYN) their 16 year old hybrid male (vasectomised) - the plan is to hold them for the breeding program and accept a new Sumatran male once Flynn has passed away. It seems the young females have given the old guy a new lease of life and they are currently only being given access to the enclosure in pairs to stop the ladies fighting over him yesterday it was Keisha & Flynn together and watching her behaviour she couldn't have been more obvious in her intentions - she really wants to mate and whilst understandably a little wary of a much larger male she was calling, chuffling and scenting all of his favourite areas - get the message Flynn the lady likes you!! Whilst I obviosuly wish Flynn many more happy years it would be great to see tiger cubs at WMZ in the future. The rest of the collection is in fine fettle, the Pzwalski's Horses and Fallow Deer all loose on the bottom paddock down the hill. I didn't see the Margay - again - I'm taking it personally now!! any questions please just ask!
From my YWP experience the brown lemurs can more than hold their own against the ringtails, they even boss the black and whites now it's just males
Many thanks for the report karoocheetah (the weather has not been glorious on this coast this week!). I wish I could make it to the WMZ this year. I seem to be in a minority as I really like the current Gibbon exhibit! I agree about a zoo with animal noises. One thing I particularly loved about winter visits to Flamingo Land around 15 years ago was that I could hear Lions roaring and Gibbons calling as I walked across the car park (of course the rides were closed). Minutes before my walk from the bus stop in the village had been serenaded (sort of) by the parrots on the Bird Walk. Bliss. Anyway I am pleased you enjoyed your visit to the WMZ, especially the flying display (was there only one? I suppose I am unusual in that I'd go to both if there were two such is my desire to see the free-flying macaws. I think the Blue and Yellow Macaws are usually in the later one when there are two. Last year the zoo was hoping the hybrid macaws would breed so that some spectacular red birds could join the display - even if they did breed I suppose the youngsters would still be in training anyway). Did you see which macaws were on the stand please? When I visited for four days last year there was one of the hybrid Green-winged x Scarlet Macaws and a Blue and Yellow. The latter had just been accepted from the RSPCA and I think the first day I saw it was only its second day on the stand. Another question if I may please; you did not notice how many Red-fronted Macaws were in the aviary by the car park did you? I believe the zoo has six altogether, at least that was the case last year when three were on display. Thank-you.
Ah Parrots' I'm sorry I can't help you with the numbers I just didn't count them sorry There were certainly a number of noisy red fronted in the aviary by the car park as they welcomed the visitors in very vocally. There are indeed two shows I was down in the lemur walkthrough for the first one so missed it. it was the second one I went to where they flew the Military Macaws (Sarge & The Major) they do still fly the blue & yellow guys too (Taco & Bell) maybe they flew in the morning? Didn't get around to chatting about the macaws with the staff, I discussed the Sealions, the Snow Leopards and the Tigers mostly with some general collection stuff thrown in there. I know you like your parrots so sorry it's not of much used to you. The handler didn't mention anything about breeding in the display but that doesn't really point to anything either.
Thank-you. I presume the Blue and Yellows must have flown in the first show. I'm probably one of the few people who would count the Red-fronted Macaws - I counted all of the Amazons too last year. Did you not wander round by the stand? Oh, and is there still a pair of hybrids in the aviary on the drive in please? They were sharing with Azara's Agoutis last year. The hen was "Jazzy" who used to be on the stand with "Frosty" who had sadly died. It was this pair it was hoped would breed, and I saw plenty of courtship behaviour.
A new Snow Leopard enclosure is due to be completed by the end of the Summer. A new Gibbon exhibit has also been built recently Welsh Mountain Zoo sets ambitious £6m fundraising target - Daily Post
"And their most ambitious fundraising plan is for £6m to create a natural history visitor experience and science discovery hub called the '‘Here Be Dragons Project". The centre would include a learning and skills base, a touch screen promoting nature tourism and outdoor activities in North Wales, and a themed education area. The project is in partnership with Bangor University and Conwy Council." My fear is, like Twycross' Visitor Centre, they'll have to tick so many boxes to secure the funding that only a fraction of the funds have much impact on the animal side of the zoo (the key reason people visit). The cynical side of me wonders if spending £6m on a zoo which receives less than 150,000 visitors (in it's best year) can really be justified as a good investment beyond "blind faith".
"Here Be Dragons Project" seems to be part of this nebulous New Zoo concept,that Im not fully clear on...and yes,it does need to place living animals at the core of this vagiarism as far as im concerned,BUT, its chicken and egg isn't it? Unless the zoo thinks a little bigger it will forever be cutting its cloth according to 150,000 visitors.
Absolutely true, I'm just unconvinced a zoo in that location could ever become big-enough (visitor-wise) to justify/reward that that level of cash injection -especially with Chester on the "doorstep". I think location (and closeness to local populations/holiday makers) is essential to a zoos success and explains a lot about why Yorkshire Wildlife Park flourishes, Twycross survives and Howletts/Port Lympne struggle. That said, I'm damned if I know why visitors to Dudley have been pretty low in historically recent times .
Yes..location,location,location, very true ,I noticed many years ago that both the Lake District and South/West Yorkshire were prime places for a zoo and look what happened.Its really only the geordies now..I know there have been bits of things over the years including the present time ,but I wonder if we will ever hear the clarion cry "why aye now..just take a gander at them moontain nyalaaas!"
