Hello all, this second trip was a spooky-themed
one full of pumpkins, sweets and fun Halloween
activities! This is my second blog! Those who
haven’t seen the first blog look further down on
the website to have a rundown of what happened
last time.
I started my day by picking up my nieces and
heading over to Wingham Wildlife Park because
we thought we’d share the fun and excitement of
Halloween and the animals with them.
My mum, my nieces and I had a spooktacular time
and I’m going to share everything with you!
Check out the New Arrival above and let me share all about them with you. Welcome Lonan the new Geoffroy’s cat to Wingham’s family! Lonan is a male Geoffroy’s cat which can be found in between the lion and caracal enclosures opposite the lake and he very much enjoys afternoon naps (so do I). These cats can reach lengths of 45-75cm, weigh between 2-6kg and can live up to 14 years old in the wild and typically longer in captivity. The Geoffroy’s cat is widespread over South America, they inhabit a wide variety of biomes including temperate, rocky mountainous areas, subtropical forests, marsh grasslands and savannah. These amazing wild cats are widespread across their habitats and are considered as LC (least concern) but they still face threats of habitat destruction and hunting of their pelts.
The park was filled with kids participating in a wide range of activities and the Halloween spirit was in the Autumn air. While I was more focused on observing the animals, the Halloween activities like the pumpkin carving and the leaf painting made for magical spooky moments for the kids that participated. Just like I mentioned last time the penguin feeding and lorikeet feeding were quite the popular attraction my visit.
Curiosity and interest or sheepish and reserved?
Even though the weather was cold, dark and gloomy the animal’s spirits were perked up high with curiosity and interest! This was great for helping me learn a greater understanding of animal
behaviour and characteristics. In addition to just having a good view of the animals and their sheer beauty. Here are the animals that took my interest the most and I was able to snap the best pictures of!
Whilst most of the animals were curious and explore their enclosures, there was 1 animal that was sheepish and reserved. The new Geoffroy’s cat may have been more timid compared to the other
animals due to it being frightened about its new home and the different environment from its last but I just know Wingham keepers will make sure
it feels safe and has an enriching new home.
Moon Bears are medium sized bears averaging
4.5 to 5.4 ft. in height and weigh approximately
198 to 254 lbs. Males are larger than females
and they can weigh up to 400lbs. Moon Bears
are usually black or brown-black with a distinct
white or yellow crescent shaped “moon” on
their chest, and a white patch on their chin.
Male Visayan warty pigs have three sets of bumps on their faces, which aren’t warts at all. They are
cartilaginous protuberances, like a pad under their
skin.
Jaguars are the only big cat in the Americas and the third biggest in the world after tigers and lions. They look a lot like leopards, which live in Africa and Asia, but jaguars’ spots are more complex and often have a dot in the centre. These powerful cats were worshipped as gods in many ancient South American cultures, and representations of the jaguar show up in art and archaeology of pre-Colombian cultures across the jaguar’s
range.
Mandrills are primarily terrestrial monkeys, and they move with long arms to forage on the ground for fruits, roots and animals such as insects, retiles and amphibians. Their cheeks have built in pouches
that are used to store snacks for later consumption. Though mandrills spend much of their time on the ground, they can climb trees and do so to sleep.
by Tristan Moore
For Tristan’s original article, please CLICK HERE
