Baby Boa Boom!
When
Toni the boa constrictor gave birth to 24 babies in April, we thought
we had quite enough baby snakes to cope with. But Fat Boy Slim,
a boa who was donated to the Park last year, had other ideas. He (or
she as we now know) gave birth to 19 babies a few weeks later!
They are a bit bigger than Toni's babies, and very snappy!
You can see Toni and Fat Boy Slim in the Ark. Two of the babies are
now on display in the incubator room ( opposite the kitchens )
A
Busy Summer Term
Hundreds
of schoolchildren visited the Park this summer term, and all seemed
to have a great time, even the unlucky few who came when the weather
was rainy. It's great to see so much enthusiasm for animals.
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Hundreds
of schoolchildren visited the Park this summer term, and all seemed
to have a great time, even the unlucky few who came when the weather
was rainy. It's great to see so much enthusiasm for animals.
Many, many thanks for all the letters and pictures you send - they are
really appreciated. Some children wrote to tell me that the best bit
of their trip was when the giant millipede did a poo on my hand ........
Thanks a lot!
Braddan Keeps the Otter
Mrs Newton of Braddan School Hiding in the Jungle!
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 Ballasalla Reception |
This year's Otter
Trophy prize was won by the infants at Braddan School, making it their
fourth win! Their entry, based on weeks of themed work, filled several
classrooms and was described as "unbeatable" by the judges.
Year 1 from Auldyn were excellent runners-up, and entries from Ballasalla
Reception, the Manx School at St Johns, and Kewaigue years 1 & 2 were
highly commended by the judges.
As this was the trophy's last year, the trophy will live permanently at
Braddan. A new competition will be launched next year, with the aim of
giving more children the opportunity to take part.
Many thanks to Penny Creighton and the Isle of Man Bank for sponsoring the competition.
Meet Vanessa
 Vanessa Williams |
Many of you will already have met Vanessa in the schoolroom, where she has been helping out for a few weeks. During the school summer holidays, she will be giving creepy crawly talks in the rainforest theatre, so if you can't resist another encounter with the giant African snails, come and visit! After the summer Vanessa returns to Aberystwyth University, where she is studying drama.
Trumpeting Wild!
The trumpeter swans have been giving many of our visitors a fright by flinging themselves against the fence, flapping their wings and trumpeting loudly. Anyone brave enough to hang around, though, soon saw why : the proud parents were protecting their new cygnets.
Latest
Arrivals .....
No pictures yet
I'm afraid, but the latest news is that a baby red panda has
been born. It's still in the nest box, where it will stay for the next
couple of months, being fed milk by its mum. We've all got our fingers
tightly crossed, because the survival rate of red pandas born in captivity
is very low. Wait for more news.
The latest births were two squirrel monkeys, born on 17th and 19th July. You can see them riding round on their mothers's backs, holding on very tight! Their chances of survival are good. Photos soon, watch this space!
Have a great summer
holiday. See you soon.
Liz Brunswick (Education Officer)
To book a school visit, phone me on 897323 (Park) or 897511 (home)