Marwell Zoo News Spring 2015

Marwell News

Spring 2015

contents Welcome 1 Marwell’s Zany Zebras

3

Welcome Varus the fossa

9

Ostrich field conservation

11

Triple meerkat delight

15

Cheeky monkeys

19

Wild Explorers Update

23

2015 Events

25

In Profile: Gordon Campbell

29

Tortoise rescue

33

Education Success

39

Behind the scenes with bugs

43

Photography competition returns

47

South Downs Conservation

49

Kid’s pages

55

Annual Member Update

59

Follow us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Upload to our Flickr group

Watch us on Youtube

Cover & contents © JasonBrown. Issue no:149. Copyright: Marwell Wildlife.

Editor: Becky Churcher, email: editor@marwell.org.uk. Design: Mel Hewitt. 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 30/03/2015. ISSN: 1757-3378.

Don’t miss: Curious Coatis Talk at 2pm!

H

ello and welcome to the spring edition of Marwell News.

So we begin this edition of Marwell News will the exciting details of Marwell’s Zany Zebras which has now officially launched. After the huge success of Go! Rhinos in 2013, we are doing it all again but this time with a Grevy’s zebra sculpture. The trail will go live in 2016, where a dazzling array of zebras will take over the streets and parks of Southampton to create a fun, free, family activity for the summer, with all eventual proceeds going to zebra conservation. Interest is rising and we anticipate this to be bigger and better than before.

In the last edition of Marwell News we mentioned our plans for our biggest exhibit to date - Wild Explorers.

We are delighted to say that work is well underway with all three building frames now in place and the whole project is really beginning to take shape. Once the exhibit is completed we will begin to move our animals to their new home, ready for the summer opening.

Our conservation work takes us all over the world and Marie, who is one of our conservation biologists working in the field, has great news from Tunisia. As well as releasing red-necked ostriches back into the wild, Marie and her team have created a rehabilitation centre and a life-line for illegally smuggled tortoises.

We hope you will join us over the Easter holidays to take part in our popular egg trail and meet the Easter Bunny.

In addition, you will be able to listen to fascinating animal talks and watch our new arrivals find their feet. You can read all about our young meerkat pups, cotton-top tamarins and the arrival of a new fossa in this edition.

As always, thank you for your wonderful support and we look forward to seeing you here at Marwell again soon.

James Cretney Chief Executive

A

fter much anticipation we can now reveal our exciting plans for another spectacular event in the city of Southampton!

In 2013, Marwell Wildlife brought the hugely successful Go! Rhinos public art trail to the city, which was enjoyed by more than 250,000 visitors and residents.

The project saw a herd of small and large rhino sculptures stampede through the streets and parks of Southampton in a riot of colour and vibrancy.

Go! Rhinos ignited community spirit, showcased the city and put smiles on hundreds of thousands of faces.

Kirstie Mathieson, Project Manager of Marwell’s Zany Zebras said: “Following on from this huge success and after much demand for the return of a public art trail, Marwell Wildlife has been inspired to do it all again, but this time with Grevy’s zebras!”

“Marwell’s Zany Zebras will hit the streets of Southampton in 2016 and it promises to be even bigger and better than before.”

Marwell has chosen a Grevy’s zebra sculpture to highlight the plight of the species and the fact that there are fewer than 3,000 Grevy’s zebra left in the wild.

For two decades Marwell Wildlife has been working with partners in northern Kenya to conserve wildlife in the area.

James Cretney, Marwell Wildlife’s Chief Executive said: “Marwell is always looking at ways to strengthen our links with the community and a public art trail that can be enjoyed by thousands of people, as we know, really works well.

“All proceeds from the Marwell’s Zany Zebras charity fundraising auction will help support our long-term work with Grevy’s zebra in Africa.

This large and striking animal shares the landscape with many other species including elephant and large carnivores; all living alongside economically marginalised farming communities another area of interest for Marwell.”

“Grevy’s zebra are in crisis and represent a flagship species for us. Marwell Wildlife works with partners in northern Kenya to conserve nature and support people who depend on the environment.”

“So not only will Marwell’s Zany Zebras bring joy to the city of Southampton but will also support Marwell’s overarching charitable work.”

Businesses are being invited to take part in this exclusive event, with a chance to sponsor a large zebra which will go on display in the city. In addition, a miniature replica will be on display in Marwell Zoo.

A number of businesses have already pledged their support including Southampton City Council, Coffin Mew, Lorica Insurance, Southampton Solent University, Pickwell Farm, WestQuay and The Marlands Shopping Centre.

Councillor Satvir Kaur, Cabinet Member for Communities at Southampton City Council, said: “We were delighted with the public’s response to the Go! Rhinos trail in 2013. Residents and visitors to the city loved these colourful and creative additions to our public spaces, with tens of thousands of people having their photo taken next to one of these fabulous pieces of art.

“We’re really excited to be working with Marwell on next year’s trail, as it will once again provide an opportunity to showcase Southampton and take people to places in the city which they wouldn’t ordinarily visit.”

Sally Thompson, CEO of Business South, said: “After the massive success of Go! Rhinos, Business South is delighted to be supporting this new project. Businesses did take a leap of faith with the Go! Rhinos project but their courage was rewarded and the rhino charge brought thousands of people to Southampton.

“I feel certain this latest project will also get the support of businesses that are keen to support such an important cause.”

The zebra sculptures will be decorated in a varied range of colourful designs by local artists. Once the sculptures have been decorated, they will form a 10 week trail across Southampton, before being sold off at a grand charity fundraising auction.

Local schools will be encouraged to get involved too. They will have the chance to adopt a smaller sculpture which children can decorate whilst learning about Marwell’s conservation work with Grevy’s zebra in the wild.

FAQs

How many sculptures will be in Southampton?

It depends on how many sponsors come on board! Each large sculpture is sponsored by a business or organisation – the more sponsors we have, the more sculptures there will be! We have already had 12 businesses join the herd and after the success of Go! Rhinos we are expecting many more. Sponsorship provides a great opportunity for businesses to raise their profile to the region and really stand out from their competitors.

The small sculptures will be decorated by schools and positioned in the shops and businesses across the city. The schools who take part also receive a fantastic Outreach visit from our Education Ranger and a Marwell’s Zany Zebras Education Toolkit.

In addition to the trail in Southampton, miniature sculptures, which are replicas of the large sculptures, will be positioned around Marwell Zoo for keen explorers to find!

With the region’s businesses, schools and artists working together we can create an extraordinary experience for the city, attracting hundreds and thousands of trail explorers to Southampton and the surrounding region that will have a huge impact on the local visitor economy.

What happens to the sculptures after the trail?

The large sculptures will be sold in October 2016 at a charity fundraising auction. The funds raised will go to Marwell’s conservation work with endangered Grevy’s zebras and other wildlife, and to support communities living in the arid rangelands of northern Kenya.

The small sculptures are returned to the schools for them to treasure forever!

When does it all begin?

The trail will be in place for summer 2016 but we will have lots of exciting news and special surprises along the way!

Preparation has begun early so we have plenty of time to make sure everybody has the chance to be part of the South’s ‘MANE’ event for 2016!

When can businesses sign up?

Now! The branding and marketing benefits start as soon as you sign up! For further information please visit zanyzebras.org.uk How do schools get involved?

Details of the Marwell’s Zany Zebras Education Programme are available on the website.

I would love to decorate a sculpture.

How do I submit my designs?

We will be releasing an Artist’s Pack later this year and asking artists to submit their designs. These will then be showcased to sponsors in early 2016 for them to choose the design for their sculpture. The successful artists will be then be commissioned.

Join the herd...

Get in touch today!

It’s going to be Wild! zanyzebras.org.uk

MarwellsZanyZebras

@zanyzebras2016

MarwellsZanyZebras

Welcome Varus A new male fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) has arrived at Marwell Zoo. Varus, who is nearly five years old, arrived from Parken Zoo in Sweden as part of the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP). The EEP aims to maintain the genetic diversity of the species and safeguard against possible extinction in the wild.

Once Varus has settled in to his new home, he will be mixed with our female Fossa, Fiana.

Fossas are endemic to Madagascar and are the island’s largest carnivore. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and it is believed that less than 2,500 individuals remain on the island.

Madagascar’s reserves are currently too small to support a viable population (which requires more than 500 individuals). However, there is a plan to increase its protected habitats from 1.7 to 6 million hectares.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to fossa numbers as well as hunting and conflict with local farmers who regard fossas as serious predators of poultry.

Fossas are one of the largest members of the mongoose family The fossa’s long tail provides balance for pursuing prey through tree branches

Amur Desert Cub giants

Did you know?

The ostrich is the largest living bird. It cannot fly but its legs are strong and powerful, allowing running speeds of up to a maximum speed of 40 mph (65 km/h).

orth African ostriches (Struthio camelus camelus) are the largest of four African subspecies of ostrich.

Also named red-necked ostriches for the characteristic bright colour of their skin, the birds were once abundant in the south of Tunisia and occupied the entire Sahara.

Following overexploitation, S. c. camelus is now restricted to only a few fragmented populations in the Sahel, with none recorded in Tunisia since 1887. This alarming situation gave rise to a national plan for the reintroduction of the subspecies to Tunisia.

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Conserving and reintroducing North-African ostriches is not only vital to retaining the diversity of ostrich but also to filling the gap left in the Sahara’s ecosystems.

In 2008 chicks were imported from Souss Massa National Park (Morocco) to several Tunisian protected areas. In Orbata Faunal Reserve and Dghoumes National Park, where Marwell are also monitoring reintroduced Scimitar-horned oryx since 2007, the young birds were raised in large enclosures to adulthood until they were old enough to breed.

During the first phase, local staff were trained in how to care for the ostrich.

Following this, the second phase - namely enhancing the genetic diversity of the population - could start. In 2012, the Saudi Wildlife Research Centre very kindly donated chicks that were unrelated to the Moroccon birds to Tunisia so that the country could be repopulated with a more diverse, and potentially more viable group.

Over the last three years, Marwell’s Tunisia team have monitored each group very closely to ensure they were able to forage

for food, form balanced social groups and protect themselves against predators. It took 22 months before the newcomers were ready for release.

On the 13th October 2014, the doors of the holding pen were propped open to allow the birds to walk out under their own steam. It took three days for the five males and four females to venture into the Park.

Although the area is fenced, these 8,000 hectares of sub-desertic steppe are a new world for the animals where they no longer receive human assistance. These ostriches will become the founders of a semi-wild red-necked ostrich group in Dghoumes.

Two months later, Sidi Toui National Park received the young Saudi ostriches that will constitute the second semi-wild group.

These juveniles, however, were accustomed to humans and needed to be taught how to survive in their natural habitat. We accompanied them during an 8-hour road trip and the first weeks of acclimatisation.

Gradually, the well trained personnel are helping the birds to cope with the challenges of their new environment, particularly the cold nights and new types of forage. Initially, the ostriches were locked in at night and fed with the commercially available food (pellets) they were accustomed to; once used to staff and routine activities around them, they were let into in a larger enclosure with local pasture, where they learnt to forage. The pelleted feed was gradually reduced.

Today, the ostriches in Dghoumes have already given birth to 20 chicks and the young adults in Sidi Toui are starting to show courtship behaviour. Almost 130 years after its extinction, North-African ostrich seems to have won chance to recolonise its homeland.

Photos by Š Marie Petretto & TIm Woodfine

Both the male and the female take turns in incubating up to 28 eggs for approximately six weeks (38-42 days). The eggs are laid by more than one hen, in the same nest, the dominating hen incites the other females to lay down their eggs in the same nest, but only 20-28 of them will incubated.

Triplets

L

ucky visitors to the zoo are in for a treat this Easter as they can watch our tiny meerkat pups find their feet and explore their new home!

The three pups were born in February to mum, Macbeth, and dad, Choggy, who have been caring for the pups underground. Now the youngsters are a few weeks old they are ready to venture out of their burrow to explore their new surroundings.

As they grow in confidence, the playful pups will spend an increasing number of days outside their den learning the ropes from their mob.

The three new arrivals have three siblings, Jaspar, Bella and Rosilee, who were born in July last year.

Meerkats are co-operative breeders, so it’s likely that these older siblings will share ‘babysitting’ duties with their parents as well as teaching them to play and forage.

This family can be found in the Back Lawn enclosure behind Marwell Hall.

Š JasonBrownPhotography.co.uk

NEW Explorers Trail!

Complete your Explorers Trail and collect your FREE Wild Explorer sticker!

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NEW for summer!

Gift Shop

Cheeky Monkeys A

t the end of last year, we celebrated the arrival of critically endangered cotton-top tamarin twins. The infants were born to mum, Inca and dad, Roca.

Cotton-top tamarins are amongst the world’s most endangered primates, so these adorable monkeys are an extremely important addition to the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP).

Wild cotton-top tamarins were once widespread across South America but due to habitat destruction their numbers have declined and the species is now confined to Colombia.

Claire Mound, Senior Keeper for Marwell Zoo’s primates said: “Inca and Roca are first-time parents and they are doing a fantastic job caring for the twins. Dad takes on most of the carrying duties and mum takes over to feed them.

“Cotton-tops are generally a bold species so we are looking forward to the babies becoming more independent and causing trouble.”

Once the twins are more independent, keepers will take a closer look and determine their sex.

The youngsters are now on solid food but they will not be fully weaned until they are approximately 4-6 months old.

Cotton-top tamarins are fascinating to watch as they jump effortlessly through the branches in their enclosure. You can often hear them before you see them, as they communicate with one another by making high pitched squeaks.

They also maintain contact by means of scent marking and facial expressions.

Here at Marwell they are fed fresh fruit and vegetables and a specially formulated supplement. They are also encouraged to catch insects by including a variety of plants in their enclosure.

© Natasha Jefferies

Shopping delights

Visitors to our Gift Shop, Gallery and Coffee Corner can enjoy improved facilities thanks to a major refurbishment.

The whole area has been transformed into a lighter and more contemporary retail experience with a new art gallery and a selection of exciting new products.

In addition, there is a much greater floor space to assist with wheelchair and pushchair access and fantastic photography of Marwell’s stunning residents decorating the walls.

The shop’s art gallery showcases paintings from Marwell’s ‘Artist in Residence’, Pip McGarry. The spectacular art features some of the world’s most beautiful wildlife and joins a collection of British fossils, gems and sculptures in the gallery.

We are proud to announce that Marwell is a member of Hampshire Fare, an organisation working closely with local farmers and producers across the county and we have introduced a new range of delicious local produce. This includes the Hampshire Jam and Chutney Company, which joins our selection of New Forest chocolates and Hill Farm juices.

Guests can look out for even more interesting toys and souvenirs coming soon.

When you visit, don’t forget to take a #rhinoselfie with our rhino ‘crashing in’ through the shop wall!

Gifts from cuddly toys to animal masks give visitors the opportunity to connect with nature and take a fun memory home after a wild day out!

The construction of Wild Explorers marks the start of a £17m investment programme for Marwell Zoo over the next 10 years, creating improved habitats for animals and more immersive experiences for visitors.

This new exhibit will be Marwell’s biggest to date and will offer guests incredible views of three iconic conservation species - white rhino, Grevy’s zebra and scimitar-horned oryx - alongside a range of entertaining activities, both indoors and out, focussed on discovery, learning and the natural history of these magnificent creatures.

What’s more, the exhibit will offer covered areas for exhibitions and education sessions plus a new, themed play area for younger guests.

The development of Wild Explorers is well underway. At the time of publication, three animal building frames have been erected, concrete flooring has been laid and the landscape is starting to take shape.

Once building work is complete, keepers will start the process of moving our animals to their new home ready for the summer.

So how do you move a herd of scimitarhorned oryx, Grevy’s zebra or two 1800kg white rhinos?

Collection Manager Ian Goodwin, who is co-ordinating the big move, said: “Moving our white rhinos is a surprisingly simple procedure. The fence in their current enclosure will be removed and they will then be encouraged to wander up the hill to the new enclosure. We will take bedding from their current house so that they have familiar smells in their new home.”

“However, although this will be straightforward it may be some time before they decide to make their way to the enclosure, so we may use food to encourage them too! The same process will be followed for the scimitar-horned oryx when their paddock is opened up to allow them to make their own way over to their new home.”

Ian added: “The Grevy’s zebra will be the last to come over and will be individually moved from their enclosure by a horsebox.

The whole move should take just over a month with the rhinos settling first, shortly joined by the scimitar-horned oryx and Grevy’s zebra.”

The end result will see these three spectacular species integrated together, in a spacious and immersive exhibit.

In addition, there will be an exciting new addition to the group this summer in the form of a male white rhino from Dublin Zoo who will be joining our two females Kiri and Sula in their new home.

For more details about this new exhibit click here!

Opens Summer!

Meet & Greet Dora the Explorer Dora will be making personal appearances at various times on 26 – 29th May.

2015 Events

Easter Eggstravaganza 3 - 6 April

Wild Explorers 23 July - 31 August

Halloween Festival 24 October - 1 November

Early birds save 20%

Sunset Party in the Park 26 June 6.30pm - 9.30pm top e ed Vot to se e e h c t a pl ta in t s n Sa th Ea s Sou tmum Ne by

Christmas at Marwell 21 November - 24 December (various dates)

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 Indeever the Snow Leopard or Kaia the Amur Leopard For the purrrfect gift, click here or call 01962 777988 Monday to Friday 1 FREE child ticket

Recognition at your animals enclosure

© Sarah Louise-Townley

Wendy the Pygmy Hippo

Gordon Campbell Curator of Birds & Lower Vertebrates

How long have you been working in the zoo industry and how did it all begin for you?

I’ve been in the zoo industry for 38 years, man and boy! And this includes 35 years at Marwell.

An inspiring school teacher called John Faire sparked my interest in nature. He left the school to become Swan Herd at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset and I asked to volunteer there. I quickly discovered that working with wildlife was something I wanted to do.

After this experience I joined Marwell and worked across the animal collection with an open mind for what really rang my bell.

I settled on a mixed species section which held much of the bird collection, including a number of pheasant species. I really got into artificial incubation of the pheasants in particular, including using broody hens to help with hatching and rearing. I soon realised I liked the detailed management a keeper can bring to caring for birds so, when an assistant curator position came up primarily focusing on the bird collection this was right up my street!

Subsequently I discovered my great grandfather had quite a bit of success breeding poultry using early incubators, so maybe it was in the blood!

What changes have you seen in the zoo industry since you began your career?

There has been a shift from ‘general’ animal care to more specialised areas such as Birds, Primates, Herptile, Veterinary and Nutrition. This is definitely for the better.

We are very lucky here at Marwell as our main focus has always been conservation.

Marwell was a founding member of the European Endangered species breeding Programme (EEP).

Although this has always been our main priority, this hasn’t always been the case for some zoos. However, these days many more zoos across the world have increased their focus on conservation too. This makes working in the industry that much more rewarding.

The co-operation between zoos, both nationally and internationally, as well as the links between zoos and other conservation organisations has improved greatly since I first began my career.

Why do you work in zoos/conservation?

Marwell and other zoos exist to help wildlife across the world. Back at base we support that work and increasingly represent it through our exhibits.

Playing our role in running the animal collection and exhibits in a sustainable way is important, educational, fascinating, and provides a great deal of satisfaction.

What is the best part of your job?

Being creative is the best part for me and using my knowledge from working in a zoo environment for many years to create something that is positive for the collection and our guests. I love being part of all stages of a new project. It’s great to see animal welfare improvements and our guests getting a ‘wow’ factor from what they see. The walkthrough aviary is a good example as we have had many positive reactions to this new enclosure and it provides a better home for our birds with more scope to increase the number of species.

My job has widened over time and I now have responsibility for the Herptile Collection, Plants and Landscape, and of course, the Birds Collection.

Where is your favourite place in Marwell Zoo? This is best answered by where I most often head to when I leave the office and that’s (perhaps predictably) the walkthrough aviary!

I’m a bit of a sun lover so what can be better than taking a few moments to quietly watch some of the world’s most exotic birds in such a beautiful setting.

Is there any species you are particularly passionate about?

I obviously have a passion for all birds in some way or another but have spent many years caring for penguins and they are an incredibly interesting species.

I’ve enjoyed developing the penguin enclosure through the years and caring for the birds. It hasn’t always been easy with the penguins and we’ve had our ups and downs, so now when I look at the stable colony we have in our relatively newly improved facility it’s very satisfying.

What is your favourite memory from working at Marwell Zoo? There have been so many it’s hard to pinpoint one but hatching and rearing the first captive bred secretary bird in the UK was very rewarding. The species is part of the EEP so this is certainly one of my highlights and something I’ll always remember.

Gordon in the early days at Marwell Zoo

Tortoise Rescue The Tunisian spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca nabeulensis) is a relatively small tortoise whose adult carapace is about six inches long.

Its amongst the most brightly coloured taxa of its species complex, with a light yellow carapace, strong black markings on its scales, and a distinct yellowish spot between its eyes. Despite being protected under domestic legislation in Tunisia and international conventions and directives, it is a popular pet and has become a ‘vulnerable’ species on a global scale.

In September 2014, the Tunisian Tortoise Rehabilitation Centre was officially opened in Boukornine National Park, a protected Mediterranean forest near Tunis.

Tortoises are often smuggled in produce boxes

It is jointly run by Marwell Wildlife and the Park Managers, with the aim of caring for tortoises retrieved from the illegal trade, and is also a training centre in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine for veterinary students in their final year of study.

Already three hundred confiscated tortoises have been admitted into care and we provide for their every need while they are in the centre.

Treatment may be as simple as providing proper food, water and cover to a weak tortoise until it is strong enough to be released into the wild, or as complex as an operation by a veterinarian to repair a broken carapace. Some individuals may be too sick to eat and are tube-fed.

Additionally, animals brought in at the end of the year had to be prepared for hibernation.

After several months of rehabilitation, we aim to release most of the animals into their natural habitat, with the aim of reinforcing the resident population and compensating for the loss caused by over-exploitation.

Photography by Š Marie Petretto & TIm Woodfine

It may take several weeks or even months of care to prepare an animal for release. All treatment and handling must be done without losing the animal’s natural fear of humans as their life may depend on this once they are on their own again.

We are also interested in learning more about the ranging patterns of the released individuals, as tortoises are known to be able to disperse over more than six miles from the release site. With an unknown number of Tunisian tortoises left in the wild, understanding where individuals travel and how they interact with their conspecifics is vital as this helps to target conservation decisions for the species.

Our conservation work with this important species continues and we have plans to release the first group of tortoises later in the year, so watch this space.

Marie Petretto Marwell Wildlife Conservation Biologist, Tunisia

Education Success We are delighted to have been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge for our education programme, for the sixth year in a row.

Our Education Department here at the zoo offers a wide variety of workshops and conferences for all levels of students from Foundation to Post 16 and above, on a whole range of topics related to our work.

We welcome more than 45,000 students every year.

The LOtC Quality Badge combines learning and safety for the first time into one easily recognisable badge for all organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences. It is designed to make it easier for teachers to identify providers of quality educational visits.

To find out more about Marwell’s education programmes visit our website.

Zoo first!

We are proud to announce that Marwell is the first ever zoo to be recognised as Makaton friendly!

Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order.

Today over 100,000 children and adults, use Makaton symbols and signs.

Stephen Groom, Head of Education at Marwell, said: “It is with great pride that Marwell Zoo is the first zoo to become Makaton friendly and now has an M on the Makaton map!

“Here at Marwell Zoo we use Makaton in our education workshops with schools. We also use some Makaton in our daily talks and are using pictures and symbols to help with communication in our ice cream outlet and very soon Cafe Graze.”

“We will continue to develop approaches to increase communication and inclusion for all our guests, to create truly amazing experiences.”

For more information about Makaton, please visit www.makaton.org

Tourism Awards

It was another successful year for Marwell at the 2014 Beautiful South Awards. The zoo won two coveted Silver awards in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category along with Tourism Event of the Year.

The awards ceremony took place in December 2014 and visitor experiences across the South and South East of England were recognised for their outstanding contribution to the tourism industry.

The Tourism Event of the Year award was presented to Marwell for its spectacular Rise of the Dinosaurs event last summer. The zoo was transformed into a Jurassic jungle with the arrival of animatronic dinosaurs, a dino show and special pre-historic talks.

This is the second year Marwell has won the silver award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

On receiving the award James Cretney, Chief Executive of Marwell Wildlife said: “I am delighted that we have been awarded silver in two categories. This reflects the enormous amount of hard work the Marwell staff put into developing exciting and innovative events to enthral and captivate our visitors.“ Established over 20 years ago, The Beautiful South Awards help drive ambition and raise standards throughout the region rewarding excellence, quality, innovation and customer service.

Commenting on the awards, Peter Colling, Managing Director of Tourism South East, said: “Every year the Beautiful South Awards are a reminder of the amazing wealth of fantastic tourism businesses and experiences the South East of England has to offer. The winners truly are the best of the best and a match for any in the country.”

Behind the Scenes

Our zoo keepers are working hard behind the scenes to prepare for a new exhibit in Tropical World and they’re rearing a whole new family too!

The Herptile department will be bringing the lesser Goliath beetle (Mecynorrhina polyphemus confluens) into their collection to join the diverse array of creatures already in our Tropical World. However, these beetles undergo a long process taking up to 12 months before we get to see the beautiful adults they become.

The lesser Goliath beetle experiences a metamorphosis with several different stages to its development.

Currently, keepers are looking after the lesser Goliath grubs (see picture below).

The first stage of their development is when a beetle lays eggs. A female beetle can lay around 30 eggs and when they hatch they will emerge as larvae or grubs. At this stage the larvae will eat a large amount of decomposing wood, decaying leaves and anything else with some nutrient content. This will help them to grow and shed their exoskeleton skin many times.

Once the grubs have reached their desired size they will create a cocoon to protect themselves. Whilst inside the cocoon the larvae will moult again and undergo metamorphosis into a pupa.

Once the beetle is fully developed it will emerge from its cocoon. Each lesser Goliath beetle is born with different markings and males are distinguished by their horns. Once they have emerged they will begin their search for a mate and start the whole process again!

The grubs that the keepers are currently caring for will start emerging in the next few months. Once we have a stable family of adult beetles they can start moving into their new home, which will be shared with other new species of beetles joining the collection.

Fact: In the wild the lesser Goliath beetle can be found in central & western Africa

Top flickr pics Winter is always lots of fun at Marwell Zoo! Even though the cold sets in, it doesn’t stop guests and animals alike from enjoying the spectacular surroundings.

Thanks to all of our supporters who post pictures on to our Flickr (link) page, we really appreciate seeing the wonderful moments captured within the zoo.

Share your favourite photographs with us on our flickr group.

Š Jayne Bond

Marwell’s prestigious Photographer of the Year Competition, sponsored

by Wildlife Worldwide, will be returning this year with even more incredible prizes to be won.

Celebrating the variety of wildlife, Marwell’s photography competition is open to professional, amateur and young photographers alike.

The competition will launch in April (2015), so now is the time to start taking some winning photos!

This year’s top prize will be a fantastic photography trip to watch some incredible wildlife with runner up prizes including photography equipment and animal experiences at the zoo. More details will be revealed very soon, so please keep your eye on our website for the latest news.

Winners and runners up from last year’s competition are currently on display in the zoo’s Picnic Hut.

Sponsored by

2014 Endangered Winner & Overall Winner © George Wheelhouse

South Downs Conservation Volunteers

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arwell Wildlife is committed to restoration and species recovery of native habitats including the semi-natural ancient woodland and chalk grasslands which lie within Marwell’s estate.

Thanks to dedicated South Downs Conservation Volunteers we have been able to carry out a number of habitat restoration projects.

Since the beginning of the year, the volunteers have completed hazel coppicing within our woodland to restore the valuable shrubby understory, chalk meadow restoration and even habitat creation through wildflower sowing within the zoo.

Our aims are to increase the habitat area of this valuable refuge and nectar source as well as incorporating native species into new developments within the zoo.

Dr. Martin Wilkie, Marwell Wildlife’s Conservation Biologist said: “As a conservation charity, being able to call upon the assistance of the South Downs Conservation Volunteers for the larger tasks within our work has been incredibly important.

“The skilled and hard-working commitment of the volunteers has meant we can move forward with such broad projects and we are hugely grateful for their assistance.”

Thanks to help from these volunteers and Western Downs ranger Elaina Whittaker-Sark, we have been able to start a trial of wildflower over-seeding in the zoo’s African Valley. The trial aims to assess plant colonisation in this low stocking density paddock.

The trial included hard-raking to scarify and tease out the base layer of the grass, followed by over-seeding of the 400 square metre area and finally seeding with 3kg of wildflowers.

Depending on the colonisation rates, these areas will be expanded to form a network of herb-rich island habitats connecting native areas within Marwell’s grounds.

Celebrate at the zoo

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arwell Zoo provides a unique setting for a wide variety of special events, from exciting birthday parties for young adventurers to stunning wedding ceremonies, exclusive photography days, professional conferences, family fun days and much more.

Our events team have a fantastic new range of services which allow you the flexibility to organise your day with ease, offering your guests a fun day out that they will always remember.

For more details about events at Marwell or to download a brochure see our webiste

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

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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 Bristol, Chester, Colchester, Edinburgh, Highland Wildlife Park, Paignton (inc. Living Coasts), Newquay, Rotterdam & Twycross (subject to their terms and conditions).

Designated entry Enjoy priority entry to the zoo during peak periods, including school holidays, meaning shorter or no queues.

Marwell Bus Service We’ve teamed up with First Hampshire to run a direct bus from Eastleigh Train Station to Marwell Zoo on weekends, bank holidays and Hampshire school holidays between 3 April - 31 August 2015! We are committed to sustainable travel, so if you possibly can, leave your car at home and travel to us by bus.

The bus departs from Eastleigh Railway Station hourly from 10.25am and returns to Eastleigh Railway Station hourly from 2.47pm until 5.47pm. The bus will also stop & pick up from Eastleigh Bus Station and Fair Oak Square along the route.

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.

Look out for details via email about an exciting member preview when Wild Explorers opens

Š Keith Talbot