Happy Binturong Day guys, and what better day is there to announce that our binturongs have had a baby! Everyone, meet Kali; she is our 7-week-old female binturong kit! She is currently being cared for by staff… I’ll tell you all about her story in a little bit, but firstly, let me introduce you to…
You may have heard zoos talking about enrichment for their animals but what does it mean? Enrichment is providing animals with different things to improve their environment based around their natural instincts and behaviours. As zoo keepers we want to stimulate the animals to get them to think about and enjoy their environment. We want…
Peppa Pig? Pumba the warthog? Babe the sheep pig? No, its Maximus and Achilles our Visayan Warty Pigs (Sus cebifrons). On the mammals section we can boast having two of these magnificent creatures and they aren’t just any old porkers, they are an extremely rare species of warty pig with rock-star hair. Critically Endangered Pigs?…
When you visit our zoo or any other place that houses animals it’s important not feed them your own food. Many zoos will have specialised food that you can purchase to give to certain animals whilst there. This food is regulated and is appropriate for those animals which you are allowed to give it to….
Bardsey Island is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Also known as Ynys Enlli, this Welsh Island is situated just off the coast of the Llŷn Peninsula. I have now visited the island four times over the last couple of years and am looking forward to exploring its rugged scenery…
When we talk about training here at Wingham Wildlife Park we aren’t talking about teaching the animals tricks. We use training in our everyday husbandry to look after the animals better, make sure they are in peek physical health, enrich their lives by getting them to think about what the keeper is asking them to…
At the end of February a news article about a caracal sighting in Abu Dhabi caught my eye. In the title it said that it was the first sighting in 35 years, so I had to take a look and find out more! The Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi have a network of 45 remote camera traps…
So What Is A Tapir? I often get asked “What is it? A pig? An anteater?” to which I always reply with “No its a Tapir, they’re related to horses and rhinos” and the confused look on peoples faces is quite amusing. On the Mammals section we’re very lucky to boast having two Brazilian/Lowland Tapirs…
As head of section for the bird team, it’s safe to say that I’m a bit obsessed with anything that has feathers! I’ve always been fascinated by birds of prey, and in particular, owls! I spend a lot of my free time out birdwatching and any day with close views of an owl is an…
At the end of last year we decided at the park that we would change all of our primate’s diets to fruit free to cut out as much sugar as we could and increase their fibre intake. This was a result of continuing research being carried out across zoo’s all around the world into what…
