International Ungulate Day

This week we celebrated International Ungulate Awareness Day. Ungulates account for the vast majority of large herbivores currently on earth. Their influence stretches across nearly every biome. With the help from humans, ungulates have expanded into nearly every corner of the globe. With over 215 different ungulates species in the world, each one of these species plays a vital role in its ecosystem. Sadly 43% of these species are on the IUCN red list.  If these species go extinct in the wild, the food chain will be completely disrupted, causing more species to become extinct. I thought this would be a good opportunity to raise their profile and introduce you to the ungulate species we have at Wingham.

First up we have a bachelor tower of 4 Rothchild’s giraffe: Robin, Ruedi, George and Henry. Although a non-breeding herd, they are still a very important part of the EEP breeding programme. Without bachelor herds, other zoos with breeding groups of giraffe would be restricted on how many calves they could produce before they have too many adolescent males and not enough breeding herds to send them to. By providing a home to the males who do not yet have a breeding herd to go to, we are enabling the zoos with breeding herds to continue their conservation breeding efforts. Giraffe are categorised as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list and the population is declining. Their biggest threat comes from habitat destruction and degradation for farming, but they do also face threats from hunting too.

They share their enclosure with two other African species. Jerky and Aurora our pair of blesbok. Blesbok are a species of antelope that are indigenous to the open grasslands of South Africa. However, blesbok were hunted for their skin and for meat and by the 19^th Century, they were on the verge of extinction. Protective measures have since been put in place and the population has sufficiently increased to the point that the species is now classified as Least Concern.

Next we turn our attention to our Critically Endangered Visayan warty pigs. In the wild, they were previously found throughout the lush rainforests of the Phillippines’ six West Visayas islands but now they are only found on two; Panay and Negros. The exact number of individuals remaining in the wild is unknown however there is good news for them; as they do well in captivity and zoos and other facilities worldwide are raising the species with the goal of reintroducing them into the wild.

Up next are the largest land mammals in South America, measuring approximately 1.8 to 2.5 meters in length and weighing between 150 to 320 kilograms, the lowland/Brazilian tapir. At the park, we have our special pair in Nando and Kathleen. Sadly, they are currently classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The primary threats to their survival include habitat loss and fragmentation due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and infrastructure development. They are also vulnerable to poaching for their meat and hides. Conservation efforts, such as habitat protection and anti-poaching initiatives, are essential in safeguarding the future of this species.

African pygmy goats are not considered to be endangered in any way as they were domesticated many years ago. We have a group of 6 females with 1 male billy. Our oldest goat, Irene, tuned 15 back in April. If you have seen our goats, you will have probably seen our black fallow deer called Reggie who shares the paddocks with his goats friends. Fallow deer are 1 of 6 species of deer that are found in the UK, although it is not a native species to the UK. Reggie came to us when he was only a few months old as sadly his mother was involved in a road traffic accident, we took him in as an orphan and he’s doing really well with us, although sometimes his cheeky/mischievous side comes out but we wouldn’t have him any other way.