Hello, my name is Celia, I am 9 years old and I am extremely excited to announce that I am Wingham Wildlife Park’s new Junior Reporter!
Here’s how my first day went….
I arrived at the park on Sunday 6th August and met with Leanne who answered some of my questions before I got going. Here’s what she had to say;
Leanne has worked at the park for 5 and a half years and is Head Of Communications and Education. Leanne has early years teaching experience and was brought up around animals which makes her role at the park perfect for her.
I asked Leanne where the animals come from which is mainly from other Zoo’s but some are also rescued. I also wanted to know whether any of the animals are released back into the wild which they are not, except for the White Clawed Crayfish (an endangered species found in the freshwater streams of the UK).
After Leanne explained the reasons why they are not released back, I didn’t feel as sad because I now understand the importance of Zoo’s to educate and conserve.
Check out Sarah – Head of Carnivores blog “Why Do We Need Zoos” posted on 8 June 2023 to learn more about this.
If you’ve ever been to Wingham Wildlife Park you will know that it is quite big and is home to hundreds of animals so talking about every one of them would take me a very long time. I decided therefore, that I would base my first blog on just two areas of the park.
The Nocturnal House
How could I not tell you about this place. For one, it is a new addition to the park and two, it’s home to my new favourite animal, the Clouded Leopard which I was lucky enough to encounter!
It was dark, as expected, in the Nocturnal House and forest sounds played through speakers which I imagine make the animals feel at home.
Dim lighting allowed us to see some of the animals that weren’t hiding.
I didn’t want to take any photographs in here as I wanted to respect the animals around me.
The house is home to various species including the Armadillo, Bush Baby, Asian Palm Civet, Spix Night Monkey, Cloud Rat, Sugar Glider, Clouded Leopard, Racoon Dog and Bat.
The Clouded Leopard
I looked into the glass where the Clouded Leopard was and to my astonishment, there he was, looking right back at me. He was smaller than I thought he would be, so perhaps actually he was she as males are twice the size of females.
I followed her round to the other side of the enclosure not wanting this encounter to end.
She jumped at sudden sounds and movements so I did my very best to stay still and quiet but annoyingly each time she made her way closer to where I was something else would startle her to make her move away.
I will be paying her another visit that’s for sure.
Did you know…
- Clouded Leopard teeth/canines are up to two inches in length, the biggest of all cats.
- They can run up to 40 miles an hour.
- They can purr but not roar like big cats.
- They can open their mouth up to 90 degrees but most cats can open theirs up to 65 degrees.
- They have oval eyes and all other cats have slit eyes.
I read another of Sarah’s blogs last month about animal’s sleep/awake cycles so if you’d like to know more about nocturnal life take a read here.
The Chimpanzees
I went to the Chimpanzee enclosure at midday to hear Jess talk about them. Jess has worked at the park for 5 years and knows a lot about these beautiful creatures.
Jess explained that the Chimpanzees came from a research centre in the United States.
Let me introduce you to them:
Fritz (dominant male although he avoids conflict and lets Tara take control)
Tara (age 27, dominant female, partnered with Fritz. Protective of Liz daughter)
Liz (youngest at age 5, Tara and Fritz’s daughter)
Lucas (Fritz’s half-brother. Show off and best friends with Faye)
Agatha (dominant female about 7 years ago, was Fritz previous partner)
Georgia (aunt to Tara. She is the eldest at 47 which is amazing as in the wild they live to 40-45 years)
Faye (keeps to herself and doesn’t cause trouble)
Elvira (last to the table but likes the food everyone leaves behind!)
Chimpanzees are endangered animals due to deforestation and hunting.
From what Jess told me, Chimpanzees are a lot like us; young adults show off, they communicate through facial expression and groom each other to make friendships.
Taking a nap, could be Fay as she likes her sleep!
Taking a stroll.
Hanging around!
Food time!
Did you know…
- Chimpanzees are omnivores (they eat plants and meat).
- Humans share 95-98% of the same DNA.
- Chimpanzees can fall in love.
- A human smile is seen as aggression to a Chimpanzee.
My sketch of Fritz. Jess explained that the silver/white fur is simply colouring, like we have different skin tones. Often, people use the phrase “silver back” which is actually a term used for Gorillas not Chimpanzees.
I absolutely loved meeting the Chimpanzees and will definitely be paying them another visit soon.
I really enjoyed my first trip to Wingham Wildlife Park as Junior Reporter and I can’t wait to visit again.
Here are some of my favourite snaps.
