Part of our job as a zookeeper is feeding the animals. This involves ensuring they get the right types of food but also the right amount. How much we feed them is influenced by the time of year. Some may need to have more over winter as it is colder while others go into a…
A big question we get asked on a daily basis with our carnivores is, “what are youfeeding them?”. Especially when we are finishing the tiger talk getting the boys standingup. It’s a good question! The simple answer is horse. Smaller carnivores We feed out an array of different meat sources here at the park with…
So thought I would treat you guys to another guess who to really test your animal knowledge. Time to meet the weird and wonderful creatures you may not have heard of. What am I? Your only clue is they are not found here at the park! Question 1 What am I? Question 2 What am…
Wolves are a formidable predator. With 42 teeth, 4 of which are canines which they use to grip onto their prey and they are able to bite through bone allowing them to get every last crumb of meat, including marrow; an extremely nutritional prize! They have thick fur to keep them warm, especially Artic wolves,…
The last couple of blogs I wrote cover nocturnal and diurnal activity patterns. Day and night. However, this is not the end of the story. There is a brief moment just before the sun rises and just before it sets. These are the twilight hours and some animals have chosen this time to be active….
So last time we talked about nocturnal animals which are awake at night. Now it’s time to look at diurnal species which means most active during the day. This includes us. Even if you have a night job we are still adapted for being up in daylight. Diurnal animals include most primates, deer, antelope, falcons…
With the opening of the Nocturnal House fast approaching I thought I would go a little bit into circadian rhythms. So first of all what does it mean? It is a 24 hour period of behavioral and physiological activity in animals and plants. In animals, even more simply it is the sleep/ awake cycle. Animals…
I have heard many people say they ‘don’t agree with animals in cages’ and they ‘don’t agree with zoos’ over the years. So, I decided to dedicate my blog to give a little more substance to why we actually need zoos. I would love nothing more than for my job to be obsolete. I would…
The Tiger Tigers are creatures known by all. When described; orange with black stripes, everyone guesses right. This has been the case for a long time. History Throughout history this magnificent beast has acquired myths and legends, cultures have taken symbols from its every move and way of life. Both good and bad. 5000 years…
On the 28th February our two boys, Troy and Blade turned 12. We decided to treat them like royalty and made them a cardboard castle, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Tiger subspecies Once there were 9 subspecies of tiger. Sadly, the Javan, Bali and Caspian tigers are all extinct. The 6 remaining are made up of…