AUTUMN 2004
After the busy summer season things usually quieten down at the Wildlife Park, as many schools seem to put us off the agenda until next summer. This is a bit of a shame, since we often get nice, dry sunny days all year round, and you can usually have the Park all to yourselves during the off season months. Even if the weather turns nasty, indoor activities can be arranged so that your class can still have a great day out.
The quieter winter months give us the chance to run some special one-day education programmes, bookable for a maximum of 30 children:
AWESOME ADAPTATIONS - designed for the Year 5 / 6 curriculum, will run up to Christmas
RAINFOREST MAGIC - suitable for all primary age groups, planned for
next February ( see previous news page for a report on this from last
year.)
RECEPTION FUN ACTIVITY DAY - new for this autumn, a fun
day of crafts, games, etc, aimed at Reception classes.
LIFE LINKS - for Year 7 / 8 pupils. This programme, teaching animal classification, is designed to fit into a half day and is can accommodate up to 60 pupils. Differentiated activities are available for different levels of ability. This is offered any time up to next May, but please book well in advance.
These pictures show some of the off-season activities at the Park
DESIGN - A - SIGN COMPETITION
We had a fantastic response to our Design-a-Sign competition this summer , and thousands of visitors were able to see the winning and runner-up entries, along with many that were highly commended by the judges, displayed around the Park and cafe over the school summer holidays. Thanks to sponsorship from the Isle of Man Bank, the successful entrants won generous prizes for their schools, as well as family season tickets and goody bags for themselves. The Prize Presentation took place at the Park on 14th July.
WINNERS:
RECEPTION 1st: Lauren Kerruish
; Runner-up: Catreena Chandler
YEARS 1 / 2: 1st Thomas Martin ; Runner-up Arianna
YEARS 3 / 6: 1st Bailey Collister; Runner-up Stuart Ansell
Some of the Winners at the Prize Presentation
THIS SUMMER'S BIRTHS AT THE PARK
Flamingo Famlies
When twenty new flamingos joined our existing flock of six a few years
back, our hope was that the larger flock would be encouraged to breed
- and at last it's happened!
The fluffy grey ball that hatched in July was joined by a second chick
about a month later. They don't look much like flamingos yet, but, in
time, they will!
Proud adults surround the new chick
Pandas Breed Again
Following the successful rearing of Jasper last year, we were thrilled when our female panda gave birth to two offspring on the 8th July. They haven't yet ventured out of their box, but the signs so far are good. Jasper, who, sadly, was chased off by his jealous father, is due to travel to a zoo in Poland soon. He'll be very much missed by both staff and visitors at the Park. The new babies at the moment can be viewed on a screen outside the enclosure, via a secret camera in their nest box!
Capybaras Cause a Disturbance
Two baby capybaras were born on 22 August on Squirrel Monkey Island (their mother's chosen place, not the keepers'). To everyone's amusement, the squirrel monkeys were horrified by this event, refusing to set foot on the ground, even to pick up choice morsels! The babies are doing fine and have now swum back to the "mainland" with their mum.
Monkey mums
The macaque and squirrel mokey colonies each produced a single offspring this summer. Its always amazing to watch the mother leapong around with a tiny baby snuggled into her fur. I spent ages trying to get a good photo of the squirrel monkey baby, without much success, as you can see!
Hold on tight - and don't look at the camera!
Little Donkey
All you could hear around Close Beg Farm in June were cries of "Aaahh" as visitors admired our new little miniature donkey. He was a sparky little character from day one, refusing to take any notice of his mum's attempts to discipline. His father was a bit put out at first, but now the three of them get along fine. Here's another picture just for good measure :
NEW
ARRIVALS
Two female fishing cats have just arrived from Drayton Manor (a zoo in the Midlands). This should please our solitary male fishing cat, and with a bit of luck we should see some young next year.
From the same source, two Cuban boas are soon to take up residence in one of the sheds in the Life on Islands enclosure.
PHOTOS SOON - WATCH THIS SPOT!
FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY
The Wildlife Park will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2005. To mark the event, the Annual Conference of the British Zoo Federation will be held on the Island in May. Lots of other special events are being planned, so watch the press for details.
GALLERY, SUMMER 2004
Here's just a quick look at some of our animals showing themselves off recently
Bar-Headed and Swan Goose Goslings
Bali Starling
Canadian Otter
"Collette" (Green-Winged Macaw)
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Humboldt Penguin
Rhea
Peacock
Goat
Black and White Ruffed Lemur