White Rhino pregnancy

HOW DO YOU PREGNANCY TEST A WHITE RHINO?

In 2008 female White Rhinos Ntombi and Tala gave birth to their first calves (Nyala & Zimba), in 2010 animal keepers had witnessed further successful rhino mating but then how do you get a 2 tonne rhino to “pee on a stick”?

Cue one very special biomedical science department with some very special testing equipment at an Austrian University.  Faecal samples (rhino pooh), and of course it had to be fresh, were collected from each of the females from mid April to the beginning of May. Clearly labelled in small plastic containers like that very famous pea advert the samples were “packed & frozen within 2 hours”.

In May a courier was sought who could deliver the samples to Vienna within 2 days, allowing the samples time to thaw but not be wasted, shipped off, fingers were kept crossed and in June we received the very happy news that Ntombi is pregnant expecting her second calf.

Based on mating records and a 15 month gestation period the pitter patter of tiny hooves is expected September/October 2011.

So now you know!

·         South Lakes Wild Animal Park is home to one of the most amazing herds of white rhino found in the UK.  With 2 calves born in 2008 the herd of 6 share their summer savannah with a herd of giraffes and troop of baboons truly wonderful sight.

·         On 1^st June 2008 then  7 year old White Rhinoceros Ntombi gave birth to her first,  very rare,  calf - Nyala .  BBC webcam viewers witnessed the birth firsthand and for Park Owner David Gill it was one of, if not the, most amazing experiences “Rhinos are my favourite animals here at the park – and to see this little calf born then watch first time mum give her a loving lick then it was not long with a little encouragement from mum the calf made her first tentative, if not wobbly, steps.”

·         9 year old mum Ntombi arrived in the park from a private breeding reserve in South Africa in September 2003 and since then has been inseparable from 10 year old Male Mazungu.  

·         The Park is home to 2 other white rhinos, 11 year old male Huubke and 7 year old female Tala  – who arrived with Ntombi,  here as part of the European Breeding Programme.

·         Very few establishments breed White Rhinos, we are being told there were only 2 births within Europe last year which makes it even more amazing.

·         The Southern White Rhinos was one of the first kind of rhino to be at the brink of extinction in our life time.  At the start of the 20^th Century there were perhaps only 30 surviving in the wild – thanks to careful conservation and International Breeding Programmes – like Ntombi and Mazungo are involved in, there are today around 11,500 in the wild  - but almost all of them live in one single country.

·         Female rhinos reach sexual maturity between 6-7 – while males take a little longer at 10-12.

      ·         Rhino gestation period is between 15-16 months.

      ·          Park Director David S Gill beams – “This will be another of the most important births in the whole history of the park, White Rhinos are such an endangered species and this park prides itself in being at the forefront of conservation all over the world.   ”

·         The Park opens at 10am, Admission Charges are as follows:  Adults £12.50; Children £8.00 /Oap £9.00

·        For more details contact the park on 01229 466086  

Two new male Red Kangaroos arrive!

On 5th July 2011 two new male Red Kangaroos joined our females in the Australian are of  South Lakes Wild Animal Park.

Jack Junior, JJ, pictured to the right and Reginald, Reggie pictured below.

Roo keeper Leanne and Keeper Gavin collected the Kangaroos from Holland to bring them back to the park to join our mob of Red Kangaroos who until their recent arrival were all females.

The two new males have settled in well joining our Red &Western Grey Kangaroos along with Parma, Riversand and Swamp Wallabies all enjoying the green glassland in our Bush area.

Everyday at the park there is a great opportunity to get up close and personal by being able to hand feed these animals for just £1.00, you can buy the bags of animal food at our Cafe entrance window.


To view more videos, including one of our Kangaroos getting hand fed please visit our YouTube page.

Our Female Lion sisters turn 5!

You'll hear the roar of celebrations down in the Lion den this week.

Lion Keepers Mark & Gavin will be preparing a very special birthday cake as twin sisters, lionesses,  Tasa and Chevelle turn 5.  Come and join us and wish them happy birthday.


On 24th May 2009 two young Lionesses, twin sisters Tasa & Chevelle arrived at South Lakes Wild Animal Park. Born either side of midnight 25th July these sisters will be celebrating their birthdays at the park this week, Tasa on 25th July and Chevelle 26th July.

Lion feeding and talk takes place every day at 4:20pm as the lions use all their strength as they climb 5m poles to hunt for their dinner.

Park Director David Gill and Keeper Gavin Clunie made the journey to  Zoo Sables D'Olone in France to bring back the pair.  It is hoped they will join a breeding program with our Lion Shikar. 

African Lion Facts

• A male Lions roar can be heard up to 5 miles away
• Lions can run at up to 60km/hour - that is the length of a football field in 6 seconds, but only for short distances
• Lions are the only cat who live in groups - called "prides".

For more information and facts on our Lions please click HERE

You can view a video of our Keeper preparing the feed and then see our Lions climb 6ft poles to hunt for their food on our Youtube page, take a look!

Very Rare Babies Born

Some very rare lemur babies have been born at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Cumbria.  

Belted Black and White Ruffed Lemur Maelle gave birth to a male on 30/4.   

Critically Endangered in the wild these are very rare and very important animals, here as part of the International Breeding Programme, as far as we are aware this is one of only 2 births this year.

You can view a video of our Ruffed Lemur babies exploring for the first time or even having bath time with mum on our Youtube page, take a look!

Black and White Ruffed Lemur keepers are also celebrating with the birth of 3 babies to mums: Izzy – Male born 10/5/11;   Jane – female born 12/5/11; and  Hannah – female born 16/5/11. 

Both Belted Ruffed Lemurs and Black and White Ruffed Lemurs are extremely rare in the wild making these 4 births very special, keepers have been keeping a watchful eye on the 4 precious

babies, and confident they are now strong enough for their wild natural existence in the trees they will be let out this week to Join the Ring-tail Lemur babies already enjoying exploring and mingling with visitors.

Black & White Ruffed Lemur Facts

• Unlike Ring tail babies who cling on to mum Young Ruffed are carried in the mother’s mouth. 
• Ruffed Lemurs are the largest lemur to have three pairs of nipples and multiple infants.
• Black and White Ruffed Lemurs are very rare in the wild existing only in a small area of north eastern Madagascar.

________________________________________________________________________

South Lakes Wild Animal Park is working to save these animals in the wild.  The project called “Antongill” is based in the Antainambalana Forest, in the north east of Madagascar, the largest remaining piece of lowland tropical rainforest on the island – covering an area of 900,000 hectares, which stretches down to a coral reef.

The forest is amongst the richest in the world and the villagers of the region live close and mix regularly with Indris, Black and White Ruffed lemurs and the white Sifaka (pictured)  (which is endemic to their region), as well as tomatoe frogs, carpet chameleons, humpback whales which breed in the bay, spinners dolphins and marine turtles which lay their eggs on the beaches.

The project works with the villagers to develop, through research education alternative farming methods which secures them a good level of life but preserves the lemur’s habitat.

Education plays a big part of the project and includes the annual lemur festival – a music festival held annually attended by hundreds of villagers.

For more information and pictures from the project out in Madagascar please follow this link http://filesdown.esecure.co.uk/wildlifepark/atongil_lemur_conservation_1_.pdf_20072011-1050-16.pdf

PEACOCKS STRUTTING THEIR STUFF

We are mid way through peacock mating season here at South Lakes Wild Animal Park and peacocks are certainly “shaking their tail feathers”, famous for their elaborate displays they are showing some beautiful displays of plumage. 

Like most birds it is the boys that are more colourful and between April and September peahens (girls) will “window shop” for a new suitor.  To grab the girl’s attention males will display their feathers step around and shake.  This complex dance is certainly one of the wonders of the animal kingdom.

But it won’t last long, towards the end of summer the feathers will gradually all fall out and will regrow longer and fuller next year.  

At about 6 years old a peacock’s tail can be more than 1.5 metres long making him one of the largest flying birds.  According to Charles Darwin, the more eyes and the brighter the feather, the more girls a male can attracts!

Jimmy the Shelduck is 20 tomorrow!

Jimmy - 20 years old this weekend

Is Jimmy the oldest Shelduck in the world?  Jimmy has lived with park Director since 1991 and when David opened South Lakes Wild Animal Park in 1994 Jimmy moved into the park with him.  

Jimmy is just one of the parks collection of birds from marbled teals to wood ducks, Hawaiian geese,  black swans, coscoroba swans, moorhens - including a very rare white one,  ibis, storks, spoonbills...

Very rare white moorhen home at South Lakes Wild Animal Park

 A firm favourite with all visitors Jimmy can often be seen “following” in the hope they have purchased some animal food for him, school groups are his favourite or families with children and he'll quite happily move from child to child as they all take it in turns to feed him.   Extra supplies of the special duck mix have been bagged ready for the weekend.

Happy Birthday Jimmy... 

Shelduck facts: 

·     The Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is a widespread and common duck throughout Europe.  Most migrate to warmer climes in winter.  

·     Found in the salt marshes and estuaries around the coastline of Britain.

·     Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl", essentially the same as the English "shelduck".

·     Looking a little like a goose the Common Shelduck is a striking bird with its red bill, white and chestnut body, dark green head and neck.

·     Sexes are similar, but the female is duller. The male has a swollen red bill in the breeding season.

·     Moulting flocks can be very large (100,000 on the Wadden Sea), since most pairs leave their partially grown young in a creche with just one or two adults.

·     The young will dive under water to avoid predators and the adults will fly away from them to act as a decoy.

RESCUED DUCKLINGS VENTURE OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME

Wood Duck mum laid 5 eggs and on the 26^th June when 2 hatched she wandered off to show her new pair the big world leaving 3 eggs behind.  She never returned so keepers placed the 3 remaining eggs in the incubator and when just a couple of days later all 3 eggs had hatched placed mum and all 5 ducklings into the vet centre together.  Mum took over and today mum and her 5 ducklings were released into the top tropical aviary.

Check out the video of her and ducks exploring and swimming for the first time. http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthLakesAnimalPark

It’s all go in the duckling world though - As one brood of very cute ducklings move out of the vet centre to explore the big outdoors for the very first time another brood move in.  Hatched on Sunday the latest mum has 8 ducklings to take care of – like the others these can be viewed in the vet centre until big and strong enough to venture outside. 

Wood ducks some facts:

• Wood ducks arrived in South Lakes Wild Animal Park October 2010
• One of the most colourful ducks of North America
• Not quite as big as a mallard males, like most males in the duck world, are the most colourful with multi coloured iridescent plumage and red eyes.
• They are easy to spot when swimming as they bob their heads back n forth
• Usually 7-15 eggs are laid which hatch after an average 30 days
• In the wild after hatching wood ducklings will jump down from their nests and make their way to water – sometimes that jump can be up to 88 metres without injury!
• Wood ducks are a dabbling duck feeding on berries, seeds and insects, in short shallow dives.

Maki Restaurant - new family and budget friendly menu

Maki -meaning Ring tailed lemur in Malagasy

Feed a family of 4 for £15

2011 sees the launch of a new family and budget friendly menu slashing prices and the introduction of fresh healthier options. Fresh salads, freshly made baguettes, chilli, are just some of the new additions. Kids can choose from a variety of tasty and healthier options now priced at £2.50 with adult meal deals from £4.99. 

We were all told yesterday[i] its official (like we didn’t already know it) households have suffered the biggest fall in spending power for 34 years, meaning we don’t have as much spare money and are all watching the pennies – and that’s set, according to the Bank of England, to continue for some time. 

We here at South Lakes like to do our bit for families, knowing entrance tickets, ice creams, dinner, a souvenir from the gift shop – all adds up. Parents can now “Feed a family of 4 for £15” as they say “Every little helps families” .

At South Lakes Wild Animal Park there is so many fun things to do so when its time to take a break from exploring, drop into the Maki Restaurant for a quick and delicious bite to eat. Savor the selection of freshly made sandwiches, tasty rolls and assorted muffins, pastries and mouth watering cakes. Scrumptious hot meals will satisfy the beastly hunger in adults and children alike. 

The new menu has seen David Gill put a ban on tuna from his restaurant and this was all down to an inspirational pep talk from his nine-year-old son, Hari, who raised money for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The Park used to go through two tonnes of the fish a year.

“Now, instead of having tuna on a jacket potato, for instance, we’re using chilli. We feed nearly quarter of a million people a year and it’s unbelievable the volume of tuna we were getting through. We want people to realise that when they buy a tin of tuna, they’re potentially killing a dolphin.” ... Full Story here.

Not only has the Maki Restaurant seen a new menu it has also been extended with extra indoor space and an extended "treetops" style decking where you can watch Rhinos, Giraffes, baboons at leisure.