I found this article fascinating. Had to surrender one of my email addresses to the Times for the privilege of reading it! Saving a starving pride of Romanian lions put Yorkshire park on the map It's true too, I remember meeting Cheryl minding the lemur enclosure and Neville cooking the burgers in the very early days.
The rhino have arrived.... https://www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com/critically-endangered-rhino-arrive-yorkshire-wildlife-park/
Been today (24.10.16) Rhino doors are open but the rhinos are too shy/timid to venture out into the outside paddocks. Lots of construction at project polar. Finishing fencing, planting the enclosure up, finished cave. Think they are waiting for more rock to finish the surrounds of the lake.
YWP 24.10.16 Project Polar Enclosure 3 by veeboy31 posted 24 Oct 2016 at 5:35 PM YWP Project Polar Enclosure 3 construction by veeboy31 posted 24 Oct 2016 at 5:32 PM
I visited yesterday, for the first time, as I was in the area, on a VERY busy halloween inspired themed day. On entry I thought I was at a theme park, with the piped music, theatricals and fun-fair food on offer! I may be spoilt from visiting Paignton!! However, once I passed the chaos and madness I could see how this place would be great with less people around. The Baboon exhibit was fine, the Hunting Dog enclosure sound but Project Polar blew me away! WOW!! Kudos to the Park here. Four bears, all active and engaged and it did actually resemble Arctic Tundra from some angles. I could see the nearly finished paddock 3 and its potential and how the fourth 'quarter' will complete an excellent exhibit. Other highlights were the Grevy's Zebra, the Giant Otters (very active - wish Paignton could hold this species), Lion Country and the Wetland area lookout. I will visit again mid-week in term time and appreciate all it has to offer. I read somewhere about plans to add Indian Rhino to the wetland areas? That would be quite something!
I tend to avoid visiting when the kids are on holiday as this has quickly become the areas top attraction and so it can be very busy, especially in the walk-through's. I think that the wetlands area, at least closest to project polar will be one of the next areas to receive a bit of care as they look to encourage people to follow the loop. I seriously doubt it will be Indian Rhino anytime soon though. In fact it's really difficult to say what YWP will do next as they seem to quickly develop for whatever is available.
So it would (surprisingly!) seem! In the area between the old camel area and the Sitatunga paddock, apparently. (it's case ref 16/02539/FUL on https://planning.doncaster.gov.uk )
Well it seems I got the area to be developed right anyway. I'm not sure YWP still hold sitatunga? I certainly didn't see them on my last few visits but I could be wrong. And from the way I understand the plans it seems the okapi will have that paddock as well. With their new enclosure stretching down to the wetlands and having the same wooden walkway as the tigers only offering limited views onto the water. The plans also show that they are building a new bigger lemur house finally.
I know of another Zoo getting Okapis in the future too. They are a lovely species and I cant wait to see more of them!
Well YWP are the only collection in the near future that will be getting Okapi,any others in the UK either didn't respond,fail to get a proposal for the design of the enclosure,or were rejected by the studbook when they requested a proposal of what the collections planned on doing to house them if they were excepted by the studbook,as a result any other places will now have to wait about 3-5 years for the next chance to be able to try again to get the species!
So sad to hear of the passing of Danni, twin brother of Simba. YWP confirmed that he had increasing neurological issues which resulted in them making the extremely difficult decision to put him to sleep. RIP Danni, I am sure Simba will be very sad for some time as they were very close brothers.
Do we have any idea if/when the rhinos will be in display? I was considering stopping by for a quick visit at some point this week.
They've been allowed outside access for several weeks but so far, Hodari is too nervous to go out and Dayo will only come out for few seconds before going back indoors