Wingham Wildlife Park

Meerkat Experience

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:20:47 GMT

Get yourself or a loved one up close and personal with these lovable little characters!

You will have access inside the enclosure for 15 minutes where you will be sat down and given plenty of food to keep the Meerkats interested while you are in there. This is a great way to get them right up close to you and you never know you may even have a couple of brave ones who want to have a little climb about on you.

The experience gives you entry to the park along with 15 minutes of interaction with the Meerkats for £30.

You must be 15 or older to take part in this experience, and we are able to cater for parties of up to 4 people.

Check the prices page for more details.

Lizard, Plumed Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:45:53 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This species has the possibility of growing up to 3 feet long, with approximately 2 thirds of this length being made up by the tail.

Habitat and Distribution
This species lives in tropical rainforest throughout Costa Rica to Columbia. It spends most of its time both in the leaf litter and on lower branches, where it can move about very quickly. A major defense strategy for this lizard is to spend time under water, so it can often be seen basking on log over streams and ponds where it can drop in when in danger.

Age
The average lifespan of this species is around 10 years.

Diet
The majority of their diet is made up of small to medium sized insects such as moths, beetles, crickets and grubs / worms. Sometimes they will also feed on small fish and baby rodents such as mice and rats.

Groups and Breeding
These lizards will lay between 5 and 15 eggs which hatch after incubating underground for around 8 to 10 weeks.

Threats
As yet this species is not considered to be in danger of extinction and their populations seem to be fairly steady in the wild, however due to logging through their home range, and extensive collection for the pet trade this could all change in the future.

Interesting fact's
These lizards have the ability to run across water which it is able to do partly because its long slender tail gives it a lot of stability and because its back feet have tiny combs along the toes which stop the feet breaking the surface of the water. This ability has led to its other unofficial name, "Jesus Lizard".

Goose, Snow (Chen caerulescens)

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:54:08 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This goose reaches around 30 inches in height and can weigh as much as 9.5 lbs. They have a wing span of around 65 inches.

Habitat and Distribution
The breeding range of this species covers much of Northern Greenland, Alaska, the tip of Siberia and Northern Canada. During the winter it will emigrate to the warmer areas of Canada, the United States and even parts of Mexico.

Age
The average lifespan of this goose is around 15 years.

Diet
This is a grazing bird which will also eat some other leaves and seeds when available.

Groups and Breeding
At the age of 2 these birds will find a mate which they will breed with exclusively for the remainder of their lives (they will only have one partner). Between May and June these birds will nest in large colonies where the females lay between 3 and 5 eggs. These eggs hatch after around 22 to 25 days of incubation.

Threats
This bird is not threatened in the wild. This is possibly largely due to their breeding grounds being in areas which are unlikely to be spoiled by human encroachment. It has a population increase of 5 % per year, which is great news amongst so many species whose numbers are constantly declining.

Interesting fact's
When they breed in areas which are populate by snowy owls, their nesting success is higher than in areas where they are absent. The snowy owls seem to keep other predators away from the nest sites.

Goose, Barnacle (Branta leucopsis)

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:23:45 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This bird reaches a length of around 64 cm, and has a wingspan of almost 140cm.

Habitat and Distribution
The breeding areas of these birds are all on arctic islands of the North Atlantic. Over the winter they will emigrate to Ireland, the Scottish / English border and the Netherlands.

Age
The average age of this bird is 12 years, however the longest living individual ever recorded was 26 years and 8 months old at the time of its death.

Diet
The diet of this bird mainly revolves around grasses but they will also eat other shoots and leaves.

Groups and Breeding
The females lay 4 to 5 eggs which they will incubate in the nest for 25 days. Once hatched the young will be fully fledged at 45 days. The nest sites are often high on Mountains and cliffs.

Threats
This bird has few threats especially in its breeding range which is unlikely to become spoiled by humans to the point where it can no longer be of use for them.

Interesting fact's
It used to be believed that this species grew out of goose barnacles on driftwood, because no one ever saw them nesting (because they nest in the arctic).

Goose, Barheaded (Anser indicus)

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:02:32 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This goose has a size of 28 to 30 inches, and can weigh as much as 7 lbs.

Habitat and Distribution
The main breeding sites of this species are on the Tibetan Plateau where they nest around high altitude lakes. It crosses the himalayas to over winter in India, Assam, Burma and Pakistan.

Age
The average lifespan of this bird is around 15 years.

Diet
The majority of this birds diet is made up of short grasses, although it will also feed on seeds.

Groups and Breeding
This is a flock bird, which can often be seen in groups made up of several thousand individuals. The females lay 3 to 8 eggs in a ground nest.

Threats
This bird faces few threats in the wild, and its astoundingly large flock numbers are proof that it is in no immediate danger, however as people move in to more and more remote areas of the world this could all change in the future.

Interesting fact's
Having been spotted at 33,382 feet it is one of the highest flying birds in the world. Due to flying at this height it is able to ride jet streams meaning it can fly 1,000 miles in a single day while it migrates.

Goose, Red Breasted (Branta ruficollis)

Wed, 19 May 2010 12:38:40 GMT

Animal facts

Size
The average size of this bird is between 53 and 56cm.

Habitat and Distribution
The main breeding sites for this species are in Northern Russia, and it will emigrate over the winter to Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine and Romania.

Age
The average lifespan of this species is around 15 years.

Diet
These birds will feed on a variety of grasses but also eat a large amount of seeds when they are available.

Groups and Breeding
These birds live in large flocks. The female will lay 3 to 7 eggs which she will incubate for around 23 to 25 days.

Threats
This species is classed as endangered due to a fairly rapid decline in its population. This decline can be attributed to a couple of factors which include hunting, and disturbance of nest areas by poachers and fishermen. It is also thought that a change in their habitat due to global warming is having a slight effect now, with a predicted huge impact for the future of this species.

Interesting fact's
It often nests near large birds of prey such as peregrine falcons, who have little interest in this goose. This tactic gives them great protection from terrestrial predators such as Arctic Foxes.

Macaw, Scarlet (Ara macao)

Wed, 19 May 2010 11:40:25 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This bird reaches lengths of around 31 inches, with approximately half of this being made up by the tail. The average weight for this species is 1 Kg.

Habitat and Distribution
Lowland forests are the preferred habitat for this species which is spread through parts of Peru, Brazil, Bolivia and south-easter Mexico.

Age
Typically this species lives for 30 to 50 years, however it is not uncommon for them to reach 75 years in captivity.

Diet
The majority of this birds diet is made up of fruits, seeds and nuts, however they will also eat nectar and buds from plants. They can often be seen in great numbers congregated around "clay licks" which are areas where the ground is very rich in nutrients which they will sometimes eat.

Groups and Breeding
These birds can be seen in flocks and are commonly seen flying above the canopy in pairs and as single birds. The females lay their 2 to 3 eggs in tree cavities, where they will incubate them for around 5 weeks.

Threats
The distribution of this bird has become very fragmented due to loss of habitat and capture for the pet trade, however in the areas where it still remains in the wild it is fairly common.

Interesting fact's
Even though their range is now severely fragmented, the areas which it covers make this the most wide ranging of all Macaw species (with pockets of wild populations within a 6,700,000 square km area.

Vulture, White Backed

Tue, 18 May 2010 16:06:57 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This bird sits at a height of around 37 inches, and has an impressive 86 inch wing span.

Habitat and Distribution
This African Vulture can be found through Ethiopia, spanning across most of Eastern and Southern Africa. It is the most common large Vulture in all of Africa inhabiting open woodland and savannas.

Age
On average a wild specimen will live for around 15 years, however in captivity they can live for 30 to 40 years.

Diet
This is a scavenger which mostly feeds on carcasses which it finds while soaring high above the savanna.

Groups and Breeding
This species often moves in flocks, possibly because it makes it easier this way to find animal carcasses to feed on. After mating at the start of the dry season the female will lay a single egg in a nest made high in a tree. The eggs of this species take 56 days to incubate.

Threats
This species is currently not listed as threatened but its population is constantly declining in the wild for a number of reasons. These reasons include the conversion of their natural habitat for human uses, persecution by hunting and poisoning, poaching for the pet trade and for traditional medicine as well as a decline in both carrion and wild roaming ungulates making it more difficult for them to find food.

Interesting fact's
A group of vultures is commonly called a "venue" however sometimes these groups can also be referred to as "wakes" or "committees", however when a group of vultures is circling a carcass the groups is called a "kettle".

Swan, Black Necked (Cygnus melancoryphus)

Tue, 18 May 2010 15:51:03 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This species reaches lengths of between 45 and 55 inches, with the females being slightly smaller than males when fully grown. The wing span of these birds reaches around 70 inches.

Habitat and Distribution
This bird lives in and around the lakes, marshes, rivers and shores of much of South America.

Age
The average age of these birds in the wild is thought to be around 10 years, however in captivity they are known to live as old as 40.

Diet
The majority of their diet is made up of vegetation in the water, however they will also regularly eat insects and frog spawn.

Groups and Breeding
Females will lay around 6 eggs in a nest mound made of vegetation amongst reeds or along the edges of water bodies. Unlike many waterfowl both parents will often carry their cygnets on their backs while they are very young.

Threats
This species is not seen as threatened and is mostly fairly well protected in the wild. It lives and breeds in a large number of protected wetland areas in South America, many of which have been created as by products of earthquakes. However its most major threat (because it spends most of its time in water) comes from pollution, with water contamination from a pulp mill in Chile almost wiping out the entire population of a reserve there. Out of a population of 5,000 in 2004, scientists only found 4 live swans at Carlos Anwandter Wetland Sanctuary in 2005.

Interesting fact's
This is the largest species of water fowl in South America.

Photography Days

Sat, 08 May 2010 11:50:36 GMT

Our photography day offers the best opportunity to get close to and photograph the interesting and varied creatures at Wingham Wildlife Park. With the aid of our resident photographer and
helpful staff we have put together an exclusive package that offers special access to see and photograph the animals without the normal restrictions in place for the general public. This
includes, in some cases, entering into the enclosures with the animals and also being able to take macro photographs of some of the smaller residents with the help of their keepers.

Our photographer will be on hand for the day to offer help and advice on how to make the best of photography Opportunities.

Timetable:

Here is a rough guide on how the day will flow

10.00 am: Health and safety talk then Ringtail Lemurs

11.00 am: Tropical house: birds and butterflies

11.45 am: Black and White Ruffed Lemurs

12.30 pm: Lunch

13.00 pm: The Lake: Pelicans, Stalks, Capybara, Japanese Crane, Black Swan

14.00 pm Short Claw Otters

14.30 pm Meerkats, Prairie dogs, Wallabys (group choice could fit in a few different animals in this slot)

15.30 pm Reptile house: keepers choice of Spiders, Lizards and Snakes on macro table

16.30 pm Finish

Check list:

There is a Restaurant on site offering hot and cold food and drinks otherwise you are welcome to bring your own food.

Comfortable clothing and shoes with the option of a light jacket all of which you do not mind getting a bit of dirt on.

Digital SLR Camera equipment* is preferable for a day such as this but some modern compact digital cameras** are capable of offering excellent results as well.

Essential items are fully charged camera Batteries and memory cards with plenty of free space on them.

*If using Digital SLR equipment a standard zoom lens and long zoom lens are a basic requirement preferably with protection filters attached. Additional items worth bringing but that are not essential are: A macro lens, dedicated flash unit and monopod for large zoom lenses.

**If you have any questions about the suitability of your camera please contact Ryan with details of the make and model of the camera on the email address below.

Price:

£75 per person

Payment is to be made to Wingham Wildlife Park either in advance or on the day (if a 50% deposit is paid in advance). For bookings and further information please contact Ryan, our photographer on:

Mobile: 07792081966

Email: ryansmonkeymagic@hotmail.com

Dates:

This experience day is only available on pre booked days in maximum groups of 8 people (unless prior arrangements are made in some cases). Dates currently available for booking are as follows:

09th July 2010
23rd July 2010
06th August 2010
20th August 2010
03rd September 2010
17th September 2010

If you would like to see some of Ryans prior work please take a look around his online portfolio, and you will discover that you will be in good hands:

http://www.photoshelter.com/user/ryanladbrook