Marwell News
Autumn 2014
contents Chief Executive’s welcome
4
Flamingo chicks
6
Kanika 10 Triple Delight
14
Meet our new servals
16
BioBlitz 18 Northern curly-tailed lizards
22
Marwell Photographer of the Year
24
In Profile: Laura Pratt
44
Wild Explorers 2015
48
Iguana babies
58
Meet Tano & Jabal
60
Annual membership update
64
Book Christmas at Marwell
66
Opening times
68
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Cover: Š JasonBrown. Issue no:148. Copyright: Marwell Wildlife. Editor: Becky Churcher, email: editor@marwell.org.uk. Design: Mel Hewitt-Cross. Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, SO21 1JH UK 01962 777407 marwell.org.uk. Registered charity number 275433, VAT no. 631 9661 30. Correct at upload 07/2014. ISSN: 1757-3378.
Don’t miss: Curious Coatis Talk at 2pm!
welcome H
ello and welcome to the autumn edition of Marwell News.
It was another fantastic summer here at Marwell Zoo. Our ‘Rise of the Dinosaurs’ event was hugely popular and we hope you enjoyed our dinosaur show, special talks, education outpost and of course the chance to take a T-Rex selfie! So, with the departure of the dinosaurs, we begin work on our biggest exhibit to date - Wild Explorers. Visitors will notice the hoardings have been erected and construction is under way. This work marks the beginning of some very exciting plans for the zoo. In this edition of Marwell News you can find out more about our future investment which includes a new tropical house and anaerobic digester. Our little Amur leopard cub Kanika has been a popular new arrival. With such critically low numbers of these leopards in the wild, we are all proud to be part of this important breeding programme. Kanika has proved to be a lively character and we have been inundated with stunning photographs of the cub. Thanks to all those who have submitted pictures to our Flickr group it’s great to see all those special moments caught on camera. Also in this edition of Marwell News you will find the stunning results of our photography competition. The entries never cease to amaze us all and judges were spoilt for choice. The winner will now enjoy an incredible once in a lifetime trip to Wild Espana. What’s more, in this edition, you can find out all about our meerkat pups, flamingo chicks, iguana hatchlings and the arrival of two big cat species. Looking forward to winter, and once again tickets for our magical Christmas event are selling fast. And don’t forget our Halloween event too. There will be pumpkin carving, story-telling and the chance to see our animals enjoy some seasonal treats. For more details about what’s on, click here! As always, thank you for your wonderful support and we look forward to seeing you here at Marwell again soon. James Cretney James Cretney Chief Executive
Category Marwell Junior Runner up Lauren Noakes
Flamingo chicks T
his month saw our annual greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) health check and keepers were able to get a closer look at our three delightful chicks. The fluffy grey youngsters hatched in July and they are growing up fast. They began life in the flamingo crèche and both mum and dad took it in turns to care for the little ones.
For the first three to four weeks, chicks are fed entirely by the parents who secrete a creamy pink liquid called ‘crop milk’. Young flamingos are easy to spot since they are grey and white and do not turn pink for two years. Anna Ing, Bird section Team Leader said: “The chicks are generally within the group now acting like big birds and taking a swim they are not really in the crèche as before. We’re pleased that they are starting to feed themselves. Their parents will only feed them for a maximum of 3 months so if they are still getting extra supplies from them this will soon be stopped. “During our annual flamingo health check all chicks appeared to be doing really well. They are putting on weight and starting to produce their feathers too. As a team we are extremely happy we have had three chicks this year.”
Halloween Festival 25 October - 2 November Enjoy some devilish fun with gruesome stories from our grisly witch & close encounters with our mini beasts. Create a scary pumpkin design for our team to carve & watch our animals joining in the fun with their pumpkin treats.
All thrill seekers welcome...
Š Paul Rollison
Kanika
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Since announcing the fantastic news of the birth of our Amur leopard cub (Panthera pardus orientalis) in the summer edition of Marwell News, this little lady has been busy exploring her new home and finding her feet.
Š Jason Brown
Amur Cub
© Jason Brown
O
ur keepers selected three potential names for the youngster and asked the general public to vote for their favourite from Odessa (a Russian name meaning ‘Wrathful’), Rayna (a Russian Queen) and Kanika (a mix of the letters the cub’s mum and dad’s names, Kaia and Akin). We were delighted to receive the news that the winning name, with over 1000 votes, was Kanika. Marc Fox, Section Manager of Carnivores said: “We are really pleased with the progress the cub has made so far. Mum Kaia has been extremely attentive and has cared for Kanika brilliantly. It’s fantastic to see her busily exploring her new environment and playing with Kaia.”
Amur leopards are the most critically endangered of all the leopards and as such are at risk of extinction. Our new female Amur leopard is an important addition to the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP), where the goal is to maintain a healthy captive population in support of the global conservation strategy for the species. Heidi Mitchell, Marwell’s Research and Higher Education Manager said: “Kanika will hopefully go on to contribute to the cooperative breeding programme, which consists of more than 100 Amur leopards living in zoos, all across Europe. The breeding programme carefully manages this whole population to pair genetically compatible Amur leopards, whose cubs then carry important and diverse bloodlines into the next generation.”
A recent survey of wild Amur leopards in the Russian Far East reported that numbers may have increased slightly on previous estimates, from around 25 to 50 individuals. However, 50 is still a critically small number for long term persistence of population. Heidi Mitchell added: “Preserving genetic diversity of Amur leopards provides a last line of defence against extinction and the opportunity to draw upon this managed population to add to those remaining in the wild”. “Amur leopards are the only big cat for which coordinated reintroduction plans are in place. This is an extremely challenging endeavour, and has been very long in the planning. While still very much in its initial stages, we are excited to see all the Amur leopard reintroduction planning beginning to turn into reality.”
Triple Delight
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ur meerkat triplets have been delighting guests with their playful and inquisitive nature! The healthy youngsters were born to first time mum, Macbeth, and dad, Choggy on 11th July. The new arrivals stayed in their underground burrow for four weeks where they were ‘babysat’ by the parents. After this time Macbeth and Choggy began taking the pups out so that they could teach them to forage. A recent health check has confirmed that the triplets comprise one boy and two girls and keepers have named them Jasper, Bella and Rosalie. Now, at three months old, the pups spend much of their time out of their burrow exploring their new home under the watchful guidance of their parents. Jody Geary, Senior Keeper for Carnivores, said: “The birth of three healthy meerkat pups is fantastic news and we are all very excited by this arrival. First time mum, Macbeth, is doing a great job looking after them and the caring duties are being shared with dad, Choggy.” Mum, Macbeth is three years old and dad, Choggy is four- this is their first litter together.
The meerkat pups are on public view but in their own den behind Marwell Hall, away from the main enclosure.
Meet our new servals Regular guests may have spotted that we have a new pair of servals (Leptailurus serval) at the zoo.
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adly we lost our male serval earlier this year and the female was moved to another collection. The new servals came from ZSL and arrived at Marwell Zoo in August.
Did you know? Servals have the longest legs relative to body size of any cat species. They can pounce up to three metres into the air sometimes catching birds and insects in flight.
‘Kenya’ is a male serval and ‘Tanzi’ is female. They are both 12 years old. They can be found next to the ocelots near Tiger playground. The population of wild servals in Africa is fairly widespread and healthy and they are classified as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List. However, they do face problems in the wild with habitat degradation and hunting, which has meant numbers have declined. The population north of the Sahara is recognised as being Critically Endangered.
BioBlitz Wildlife rangers get involved in the zoo’s first ever BioBlitz The zoo may be better known for its exotic residents but a BioBlitz in September recorded a staggering 267 native species living wild in the park.
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BioBlitz is a large scale event that engages people with biodiversity, inviting them to get directly involved in surveying and monitoring their local wildlife and green spaces. It’s a chance for everyone from amateurs to budding specialists to come together and share knowledge about native species and gain an understanding of their habitats. The survey sessions featured 3 key areas around the park – the wildflower garden by Marwell Hall, the Formal Garden area and an unused enclosure. Species found included centipedes, frogs, butterflies, mammals and an array of birds. In addition to the ranger activities, there was plenty to see and do around the zoo’s Science and Learning Centre with a craft table plus fun games and quizzes. Grainne Hartigan, Education Co-ordinator at Marwell Wildlife said: “The Science and Learning Centre was a hub of activity throughout the day. Guests and members enjoyed the opportunity to discuss native species with experts who were posted at the identification table and native species table.”
With help from freshwater ecologist Dr. Naomi Ewald an abundance of life was found in Marwell’s ponds. Guests could examine the freshwater under the microscope and learn about the wildlife that lives there. Grainne added: “Guests and members were invited to take home their very own bug hotel so that they could view native species at home and continue their experience. Overall it was a great day and we achieved our aims of promoting native species with the general public and gaining a greater idea of the Biodiversity of Marwell Zoo’s grounds… and of course having fun whilst doing it.”
Northern curlytailed lizard
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new species of lizard has arrived at the zoo and can be found in our Aridlands exhibit. The northern curly-tailed lizards (Leiocephalus carinatus) are a group of reptiles commonly found across the Caribbean.
Š David Rees
There are many theories as to why these lizards curl their tails. It is documented as a courtship display in males to attract a mate, a territorial display and as a response to predators.
Judges were once again spoilt for choice in Marwell Wildlife’s prestigious Photographer of the Year competition.
This year’s judges included Laura Barwick, Image Consultant for BBC Natural History Unit, Amy Squibb, Editor of Digital Photographer Magazine and Paul Collins, Picture Editor of the Daily Echo in Southampton, to name a few.
From diving dolphins off the Pembrokeshire coast to an Amur leopard cub taking its first steps and an endangered tiger stepping into a pool, this year’s entries didn’t disappoint.
The competition had four categories, Native Wildlife, Cute and Funny, Marwell Wildlife Residents and Marwell Wildlife Endangered. The Overall winner’s prize included a 9 day Wild Espana trip supplied by the competition’s sponsors Wildlife Worldwide worth £1,395.
‘Leopard cub in the light’ beat off fierce competition to be the ‘Overall Winner’. The fantastic photograph of our Amur leopard cub ‘Kanika’ was taken by George Wheelhouse of Flitwick in Bedfordshire. This year’s ‘Junior Overall Winner’ was 15-year-old Max Battle from St. Albans in Hertfordshire. He impressed judges with his stunning portrait of a large red damselfly laying eggs - a moment rarely caught on camera.
As well as providing some fantastic prizes, Wildlife Worldwide have collaborated with Beyond Carbon to sponsor this year’s competition to the tune of £1,000 to help Marwell’s conservation work with Grevy’s zebra in Africa.
Suzie Tanser from Winchester, who captured a Japanese macaque ‘Making a call’ with a smart phone, was the winner of the ‘Cute and Funny’ category. The animals were bathing in the Jigokudari thermal pool in Japan and managed to grab an iPhone off an unsuspecting tourist.
Category Native Winner Ian Wade
Category Junior Native & Overall Winner Max Battle
Category Junior Cute & Funny Winner Eloise Mott
Category Cute & Funny Winner Suzie Tanser
Category Junior Marwell Winner Hayleigh Wheeler
Category Marwell Winner Daniel Bull
Category Junior Endangered Winner Katie Millar
Category Endangered & Overall Winner George Wheelhouse
Category Peoples’ Choice Winner Adam RIvers
View the runners up & commended here!
Adoption Certificate
Photo + fact sheet
Car sticker
Adopters’ Zone
Go Wild! Milla the Amur Tiger Gunzo the Hartmann’s Zebra Isabella the Giraffe Chico the Meerkat Eva the Penguin Wendy the Pygmy Hippo Indeever the Snow Leopard
For the puuuuurfect gift, click here or call 01962 777988 Monday to Friday 1 FREE child ticket
Recognition at your animals enclosure
Š Mike Angel
or Kaia the Amur Leopard
Laura Pratt MRes Student
Laura has just finished studying our MRes Wildlife Conservation, a research masters degree, jointly designed and delivered by Marwell and the University of Southampton. We and the University believe this is the only programme of its kind in the UK to offer this degree of collaborative teaching and research between a University and an action-oriented conservation organisation. Laura’s research sought to understand more about whether Grevy’s zebra populations on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy are being limited, and if so to try to identifiy some of the factors responsible. To investigate this question Laura travelled to the Conservancy for 10 weeks to work with our Field Biologist in Kenya, Dr. Zeke Davidson. Living in Kenya, Zeke can be found fitting radio collars to Grevy’s zebra, surveying wildlife from light aircraft or implementing camera trapping surveys with night vision cameras.
What made you decide to study Wildlife Conservation? From a young age I have been fascinated by nature. I decided to read Zoology at University, taking modules that focused on conservation. I was keen to study conservation further by completing a master’s degree. This course stood out from any others that I had seen before and I was lucky enough to secure a place in its inaugural year.
Why did you undertake this particular research project? As with all research projects within the MRes Wildlife Conservation, my project was based on scientific needs identified by the Marwell Conservation Biologists. This ensures that our studies are directed toward elements of Marwell’s conservation work where answers to important questions are required, helping to support their evidencebased approach. For me, the prospect of undertaking my own research project in the field in Kenya held huge appeal. The project was based on important questions raised by Dr. Zeke Davidson and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy research team, regarding the relationship between Grevy’s Zebra and lions. The effects that predators have on their prey are complex and fascinating to study and this research project enabled me to explore this dynamic to some extent by looking at the relationship between the lion and Grevy’s zebra on Lewa. A wonderful experience!
What did you do whilst in Kenya? Living and working at Lewa for 10 weeks, I used signals from lions on Lewa wearing radio collars to track down spots where the prides had successfully made a kill and settled down to eat. Using information gathered at these sites, I analysed the diet of the lion population on Lewa. I also studied the day-to-day behaviour of herds of Grevy’s zebras at Lewa to understand more about the aspects of their environment that may be particularly important to them. We were especially interested to understand more about whether their behavior changes when lions are nearby. As a part of this work, I was able to spend a large proportion of time with Lewa’s own research team and scouts.
One of the most rewarding experiences was teaching my research methods to the team working with me, so that they are now able to continue to collect this fascinating information, even though I am back in the UK.
What were the most memorable experiences from the course? There have been many wonderful experiences on this course which have left me with some treasured memories. A few highlights include the 10-day field trip to Kenya, delivered as a part of the taught component of the course, where we really bonded as a student-group; being involved in captive breeding and release of sand lizards; carrying out a short study on tiger feeding behavior at Marwell Zoo; the chance to hear about my fellow student’s research projects during our final assessment day of research presentations and academic vivas at the University, and of course, my field work in Kenya where I worked with fantastic people and saw the most incredible wildlife!
What are your next steps now you have completed the course? I am currently looking for a job in conservation. I would like to carry on being involved in management orientated research. It has been so exciting this year to carry out research that gets fed into management processes straight away.
Would you recommend the course to other students? Absolutely! This course is amazing. The variety of skills, knowledge and experience you gain through the year is incredible.
We are delighted to share that work has now begun on our brand new exhibit ‘Wild Explorers’. Wild Explorers marks the start of a £17m investment programme for Marwell Zoo over the next 10 years, creating improved habitats for our animals and more immersive experiences for our visitors. As soon as Wild Explorers opens in summer 2015, we’ll start work on a new tropical house that will be heated by our own anaerobic digester, powered by our animals’ waste and designed to hold an array of current and new species! Home to rhinos, Grevy’s zebra and scimitar-horned oryx, Wild Explorers will be our biggest exhibit to date.
Guests will be able to experience the African wilderness first hand and enjoy a range of entertaining activities, both indoors and out, focussed on discovery, learning and the natural history and conservation of these magnificent creatures. Marwell is actively involved in conserving its three iconic species so Wild Explorer’s setting and design will reveal how we study and observe these animals in the wild. Visitors will be immersed in the animals’ environment as they take in some incredible views.
What’s more, the exhibit will offer covered areas for exhibitions & education sessions plus a new, themed play area for our younger guests.
Zebras Zebras might be heavy bodied animals but their long, slender legs and narrow hooves enable them to run up to 25mph! The black and white stripes are unique to each animal, helping them to identify each other when in the herd.
Grevy’s zebra conservation Here and elsewhere in the world, we help protect and maintain important habitats for the benefit of wildlife and people. In northern Kenya, we support communities who have set aside over 2 million acres of land for wildlife. As a result, vegetation in these areas has recovered and the fortunes of animals such as Grevy’s zebras and elephants are improving. From an estimated 15,000 Grevy’s zebra in the late 1970s, there are now only around 2,000 animals left in the wild, living in small, fragmented populations. As with the scimitar-horned oryx, this decline stems from unsustainable hunting and habitat loss.
The animals are notoriously difficult to count as they are highly mobile, travel long distances and are thinly spread out in a vast and diverse landscape. In order to overcome this we are working closely with our partners in Northern Kenya to fit them with radio collars. The radio collars transmit data to our conservation team via GPS technology and give the exact locations of the zebra. This information, coupled with feedback from local nomadic herdsmen, will give us insights into the ecology, behaviour and co-existence of the zebra with local communities – all of which will guide us in improving their future.
Scimitar-horned oryx The long curved horns of the scimitarhorned oryx are highly distinctive and instantly recognisable. They can extend to 1.5m and may be used as a defence against predators, such as jackals, or to fight for dominance within the herd.
Scimitar-horned oryx conservation Once there was close to a million scimitar-horned oryx in northern Africa, with vast herds of tens of thousands during the annual migrations. However, the species became extinct in the wild through over hunting and loss of habitat during the late 1980s/early 1990s.
Marwell Wildlife has been contributing to the conservation of scimitar-horned oryx since 1971 when they first arrived at the zoo. We manage the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP) and the international studbook for the species, and have been involved in the reintroduction and post-release monitoring of oryx in four national parks and reserves in Tunisia.
We continue to work with international partners for the conservation of the species and its habitat.
White rhino Rhinos are very agile animals. They can run at speeds of 40-50km per hour and can complete a 180 degree spin in a single jump.
Rhino conservation In 2011 Marwell Wildlife launched the “Help Us Save Rhinos” appeal in response to the increasing threats to rhino populations in Zimbabwe. The success of this campaign allowed us to donate funds to the Dambari Wildlife Trust, which was originally founded by Marwell in 1997.
That money enabled the trust to: • Train and resource park rangers from local communities to monitor and protect rhinos. • Use radio transmitters to track rhinos’ movements. • Translocate rhinos from overstocked or high risk areas to more secure or low population areas. Poaching continues to be a real threat to rhino populations.
Please help us give rhinos a more certain future by donating to our rhino appeal at: marwell.org.uk/supportus
Š Lawrie Brailey
Your memory... ...their future
The natural world is changing rapidly around us and our conservation efforts have never been more urgent. Please help us ensure a better future for endangered wildlife for years to come through leaving us a gift in your will. Every single gift, no matter how large or small, makes a genuine difference to the work we can do. Please contact us now on 01962 777977 or via email for more information on what your gift might support. Registered charity number 275433
please leave us a gift in your will
Iguana babies Our Hertptile Department has welcomed 12 lizard hatchlings to their collection. These casque-headed iguanas (Laemanctus serratus) started life as a small clutch of eggs from Durrell Wildlife Park. After being successfully incubated for several weeks, the keepers were delighted to see the healthy iguanas hatch in October. At just three weeks old, these young iguanas fit snugly in the palm of a hand. However, once they reach maturity they will grow to an impressive 45cm with a tail that is almost 4 times the length of the head and body. In the wild casque-headed iguanas are found in Central America and live in tropical forests. Their diet consists of snails, small frogs and lizards. Guests can view the young hatchlings in the Herptile Department’s Isolation room, next to the Partula snails. Once fully grown, in approximately 12 months, some of the lizards will be part of our Central American mixed species display with the beaded lizards.
Meet Tano & Jabal Brothers Tano and Jabal, who are two years old, arrived at the zoo this summer from Zoo Landau in Germany. They have moved in next door to Juba, our long term resident female cheetah. All our Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are registered on the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP) which carefully manages breeding of zoo animals internationally. Cheetahs are becoming increasingly rare, particularly with the threat of hunting for the fur trade and for sport. Habitat destruction is also reducing numbers.
Š Robert Franklin Photography
Did you know? Siblings stay together for around six months after leaving the mother, and brothers will often remain together for life. The name ‘Cheetah’ is derived from a Hindi word Chita which means ‘the spotted one’.
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Annual member update Thank you for being an annual member. Your support makes a valuable contribution to both our conservation work and the care of our animals in the zoo. We’re on hand to answer any questions you might have so please drop into the membership cabin next time you’re in the zoo. Alternatively call the team on 01962 777960 or email us at membership@marwell.org.uk
One visit a year to a range of zoos* As a Marwell annual member you are welcome to visit the following zoos, subject to their terms and conditions: Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Edinburgh, Highland Wildlife Park, Paignton (inc. Living Coasts), Newquay, Rotterdam & Twycross.
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Keeping you up to date Don’t miss out on exclusive events and special offers. Be sure to register for our monthly email at marwell.org.uk You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter.
Š Mike Angel
Annual membership makes the puuurfect Christmas gift! Click here!
The magic returns... Step into our enchanted woodland & enjoy a warming treat Be spellbound by a classic tale from Mrs Claus Create your own festive cracker with our cheeky elves Receive a special gift from Santa Snuggle up with Rudolph the reindeer our costume character
Christmas at Marwell
© Lawrie Brailey
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Opening times Open 10am until 4pm Open 10am until 5pm Sorry we’re closed October 2014 MON
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