One of my favourite things about being a zookeeper is the fact that everyday is a school day. In this industry, welfare and care standards for our animals are improving every day so there is always something new to learn about. All of these improvements come from research carried out on different species, whether that…
This week, I thought we’d take a closer look at some of the smallest residents here at the park, our honey bees. When you think about the animals that call Wingham home, bees might not be the first that spring to mind. I won’t lie, it has been a few trying months with this hive…
Now we usually aim to use International/National days as topics for that specific day, the rational approach to blog posts. However, I feel like despite being marked off on our calendar, “International Joke Day” (1st July) and “Tell a Joke Day” (16th Aug) always get overlooked. I, the best joke teller on the Wingham Wildlife…
A couple of frequently asked questions at Wingham Wildlife Park are “how old are the cats?” and “what age we can expect them to reach?” It’s always a bit of a surprise for most people when they discover that most cat species, both big and small, actually live for a very similar amount of time….
So, You Want to be a Zookeeper? I remember being fascinated by the natural world as a young girl, after watching David Attenborough, Steve Backshall, the Irwins, and Nigel Marvin immersing themselves in the wonders of nature and our planet. My parents further fuelled my fascination by taking me to many zoological facilities, reserves and…
In this blog, I’d like to use a case study to help explain Reinforcement training, the use of positive and negative reinforcement, what it means and show that “negative” doesn’t mean bad! Negative reinforcement is incredibly useful in training and is used to increase desirable behaviours in a very effective and efficient way. Use of…
This episode of the turtle files has us investigating one of smaller species of turtle that lives in the Reptile House, the yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata). These turtles are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss from agricultural expansions, the illegal pet trade and hunting for traditional medicines. They…
Did you know that 2nd July is porcupine appreciation day. What a perfect opportunity to talk about one of the most misunderstood creatures here at Wingham Wildlife Park, our African crested porcupines. If you aren’t already in love, hopefully you will be by the end of this blog. Say Hello to Our Trio Here at…
As zookeepers, we shouldn’t have favourites, but sometimes we can’t help it! So, when I asked the team if they had a favourite, some struggled and some knew their answers straight away! So for today’s blog, I thought I would introduce you to some of the more unique favourite animals on the section here at…
I went to Kearnsey Abbey Gardens the other day with my wife. It was a day filled to the brim with baby birds. Cygnets (baby swans), ducklings, blue tit fledglings, coot chicks and even during our prior visit to Faversham in the morning we saw a baby oystercatcher on the brewery roof. As a result…
