Wingham Wildlife Park | Kent Zoo

Julian the Ring Tailed Lemur

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:10:48 GMT

Thanks for stopping by and having a look at Julians personal page on our official website... If you have found your way to this exclusive content via a QR code during a visit to the park, we'd like to thank you very much for your support! Julian is a Ring Tailed Lemur who lives in the troop which occupies our very successful breeding group (we produce around 4 to 8 babies each year) in the Ring Tailed Lemur Walk Through. Now let us introduce you to the man himself:

Name:
Julian

Date of Birth:
21st March 2009

Mothers Name:
Mary

Fathers Name:
Barry

Julian on Himself:

I am a Ring Tailed Lemur living in Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent, UK, where I was born to Mary and Barry on 21st March 2009. I have had a tough time growing up when my mum accidentally dropped me from one of the climbing poles at just a couple weeks old. My mum was devastated and for some time everyone thought that I wouldn't make it because I landed on the concrete path...

I am really glad though that my mum, the rest of the troop and all the staff at Wingham Wildlife Park didn't give up on me, and now a days (even though I am a lot smaller than the others and not as socially aware as I should be for my age) I am doing fine! I might do things a bit different, but people seem to love who I have grown up to be.

I think a lot of my success is with the amazing extended family which we have in our enclosure! Most troops would leave injured babies behind, and they certainly wouldn't care for an individual of my age! But my troop are great and still help me through the house door when its cold, come and get me when they think there's a hazard approaching and boy do they put up with some antics from me ! :-)

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Even when you're not at the park you can interact with Julian and see what he and the other Ring Tailed Lemurs at Wingham Wildlife Park are getting up to by befriending him on Facebook using the link below!

Lion Fund Raising Event - Raffle Result

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:16:01 GMT

The Results of the Raffle were:

1	Tiger Experience – Orange (ref 259298) 726
2	Large Toy Hamper – Yellow (ref 279150) 20
3	Panasonic DVD Player – Orange (ref 259298) 761
4	Toy Story 3 Trainset – White (ref 268414) 191
5	Penguin Experience – Green (ref 293858) 1
6	Meerkat Experience – Orange (ref 259298) 660
7	Porfidio Tequilla – Green (ref 193958) 103
8	£50 Meal Voucher – Smugglers – Orange (ref 259298) 203
9	Meerkat Toy Hamper – Orange (ref AB4W LF5K) 672
10	£50 Spa Voucher - Beauty A La Maison – Blue (ref 276808) 178
11	3 Course Meal – Red Lion Hotel – Orange (ref 259298) 377
12	Toy Bag (Purse) – Green (ref 293858) 122
13	Porfidio Rum – Pink (ref 286476) 7
13A	Frog & Orange Meal Voucher – Orange (ref 259298) 480
14	Adult Season Ticket – Blue (ref 276808) 23
15	Child Season Ticket – Orange (ref 259298) 288
16	P&O Day Trip – Green (ref 193958) 95
17	Leas Cliff Hall Tickets – Yellow (ref 279150) 18
18	Tiger Toy & Rose – White (ref 268414) 190
19	Leas Cliff Hall Tickets – Orange (ref 259298) 30
20	Chelsea Football School Placement – Pink (ref 286476) 48
20A	Sweet Cake – Blue (ref 276808) 44
21	Body Shop Cosmetics – Green (ref 293858) 56
22	Comedy Store Tickets – Orange (ref 259298) 129
23	Small Toy Hamper – Orange (ref 259298) 582
24	2 Games & Meal for 4 At Bugsys Bowling – Green (ref 293858) 227
25	Bacardi – Orange (ref 259298) 752
26	Small Toy Hamper – White (ref 268414) 92
27	Vintage Taylors Port – Orange (ref 259298) 274
28	Brewery Tour – Green (ref 293858) 212
29	3D Toy Hamper – Blue (ref 276808) 27
30	Biscuit Jar, Coffee Jug & Biscuits – Green (ref 293858) 231
31	4 Games Golf @ Stonelees – White (ref 268414) 100
32	Toy Bag (Foils) – White (ref 268414) 59
33	White Wine & Lion Toy – Yellow (279150) 99
34	£20 Nchanted Photography Voucher – Orange (ref 259298) 628
35	Laying Lion – Orange (ref 259298) 513
36	Leeds Castle Family Ticket – Blue (ref 276808) 59
37	Stage Coach Family Day Ticket – Orange (ref 259298) 388
38	Natural History Museum Special Exhibit Tickets – White (ref 268414) 34
39	Rose Wine & Lion Toy – Orange (ref 159059) 31
40	Hairology Cut & Finish – Orange (ref 259298) 600
41	3 Games Mecca – White (ref 268414) 84
42	Small Laying Lion – Orange (ref 259298) 128
43	6 Games AMF Bowling – Orange (ref 259298) 741
44	Small Toy Hamper – Blue (ref 276808) 237
45	Diggerland – Green (ref 293858) 19
46	Jacobs Creek Sparkling Wine – Orange (ref 259298) 801
47	2 Tickets Revolution Skate Park – Yellow (ref 279150) 104
48	Stage Coach Family Day Ticket – Orange (ref 259298) 312
49	Jungle Jims – Blue (ref 276808) 14
50	Small Toy Hamper – Orange (ref 259298) 343
51	WWP Day Entry – Orange (ref 259298) 850
52	Handbag – Orange (ref 259298) 96
52A	2 x Stonelees Games – Blue (ref 276808) 47
53	Half Hour Riding Lesson – Orange (ref 259298) 196
54	WWP Day Entry – Orange (ref 159059) 4
55	10% Discount @ TG Aviation Voucher – Orange (ref 259298) 205
55A	2 x Stonelees Games – Yellow (ref 279150) 32
56	Chocolate – Blue (ref 276808) 206
56A	Kitchen Notice Board – White (ref 268414) 160
57	Bottle Rose – Blue (ref 276808) 67

Lion Fund Raiser - 14th January 2012
7:00pm until Late
@ The Frog & Orange Pub - Shatterling

Wingham Wildlife Park have joined forces with Tonga Terre D'Accueil in France to give 2 Lions named Clarance and Brutus a permanant home here at our park. This project is of massive importance to all of our staff however it will cost the park an estimated £150,000 and we... are hoping to raise some money towards this ammount, while encouraging everyone to have some fun.

We will have a raffle, tickets for which will go on sale 5th December, and can be baught from that date at the park and also from the Frog and Orange Pub. Tickets will remain on sale at the pub where we will draw the winners at our fund raising event. We have a number of prizes lined up including WWP season tickets, Lion merchandise and much more to be confirmed! Tickets will cost £1 each, and over the next couple of days we will also sell these tickets on our website via Paypal!

As well as holding a raffle we will also be planning on auctioning off some special items on the night (details of these will follow). For all of you with a sweet tooth there is also a guess the number of sweets in a jar competition with a beautiful jar of sweets donated by Lawfords Sweets! This is £1 per guess, and you can have as many guesses as you like - this can already be done at the park!

At Wingham Wildlife Park we do not have the facilities to run a fun fund raiser in the evening, and have decided to carry it out at the Frog and Orange pub where we are sure that we can raise some of our funds in a fun and welcoming environment... Plus where else can we encourage everyone to have some fun and join in with the Karaoke! So warm up your voices and bring your dancing shoes!

If you wish to attend please RSVP to give us an idea of numbers because the Frog and Orange have very kindly offered to also supply a buffet at the event.

Many more details are due to follow, but we wanted to get the date confirmed with everyone so that you can keep your diaries clear!

Raffle Prizes currently include the following, however we hope that more are due to be added soon:

• Toy Story 3 Trainset (donated by Hornby Hobbies)
• 3 Course Meal For 2 (donated by Red Lion Hotel)
• 2 Tickets for a show of your choice (donated by Leas Cliff Hall)
• 3 free game sessions (donated by Mecca Bingo)
• 2 tickets for a comedy show (donated by the Comedy Store – London)
• 1 free entry (donated by Diggerland)
• 1 free cut and finish (donated by Hairology)
• Brewery tour for 4 (donated by Shepherd Neame)
• 6 free games (donated by AMF Bowling)
• 1 Family day ticket (donated by Leeds Castle)
• 2 day use tickets or skateboard lesson (donated by Revolution Skate Park & Climbing Wall)
• Toy Hampers including items donated by Keel Toys, Keycraft, Petjes World, Deluxe Base and Wild Republic).
• 2 family day travel passes (donated by Stagecoach)
• 1 day return Channel crossing (donated by P&O Ferries)
• 4 day entrances (donated by Jungle Jims)
• 1 Bottle of Taylors Port
• 1 Bottle of Bacardi
• 1 Bottle of Porfidio Tequilla
• £50 voucher for Smugglers Restaurant (Donated by Edwards Embroidery)
• 1 Bottle of Porfidio Rum
• 1 Panasonic DVD Player (donated by Lansdell Soft Drinks)
• 1 Half hour riding lesson (donated by Nelson Park Horse Riding Centre)
• 2 tickets to a special exhibit in 2012 (donated by the Natural History Museum)
• 4 Bottles of wine with a Lion teddy
• 2 games of bowling & meal for a family of 4 (donated by Bugsys Bowling)
• 1 adult Season Ticket from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 1 Child Season Ticket from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 2 family day Tickets from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 1 Tiger Experience from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 1 Penguin Experiences from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 1 Meerkat Experiences from Wingham Wildlife Park
• 1 Bottle of Jacobs Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvee (donated by Co-Op)
• Bag containing various cosmetics (donated by The Body Shop)

We will also be holding an auction on the night where we hope to have a number of brilliant items for you to bid on for this Lion move. At present we can confirm that the following will be available on auction:

• 4 VIP access all areas tickets (donated by Sugar Hut - As seen on the only way is Essex)
• Large bongo drum (donated by Siesta)
• Framed Meerkat photo
• Framed photos of Troy, Blade & Binx (donated by Les Willis)
• Mounted photos of various WWP animals including the Otters, Lory & Tigers (donated by Les Willis)
• Cuddly White Tiger
• Half a dozen bottles of rose wine
• 4 person tour of the stadium and museum (donated by Liverpool FC)
• AquaOne AquaStart 320T Cold Water full setup including £8 gift voucher (donated by Ark Aquatics)
• Juwel Rekord 600 Tropical Fish full setup including £10 gift voucher (donated by Ark Aquatics)

Puma (Puma concolor)

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:19:25 GMT

Animal facts

Size
Adult males can reach a length of around 7.9 feet, while females are often around 1 foot shorter. This is the 4th largest cat in the world, with weights ranging anywhere from 115 pounds up to 220 pounds (100 Kg).

Habitat and Distribution
This species has a vast range from Canada all the way down to the Andes. Throughout this range it inhabits a huge variety of habitats including any type of forest, scrubland and desert (including both low and high altitude areas).

Age
In the wild this species generally lives to be up to 13 years old, however in captivity they have been reported as getting almost 30 years old.

Diet
This generalistic predator will eat just about anything it can catch, from birds and rodents up to wild boar and large deer. Especially young Pumas may also hone their hunting skills by catching and eating insects. In South America they have also been recorded as feeding on reptiles.

Groups and Breeding
Female Pumas may not become sexually mature until they are almost 3 years old, and will reproduce once every 2 to 3 years after this. The gestation period for this species is 91 days, after which they can give birth to up to 6 cubs (although 2 to 3 is generally more common).

Threats
This species is protected through most of its range with the exception of Ecuador, El Salvador and Guyana, and may be hunted (although this is regulated) in many parts of Canada and the United States. However California is the only US state where its hunting is forbidden, while Texas is the only state where no restrictions are put on the hunting of this species. it is listed as least concern because it has healthy population numbers in many areas in its range, as well as having a very vast and varied range.

Interesting fact's
This cat is referred to by many different names including; Puma, Cougar, Mountain Lion, Mountain Cat, Panther and Catamount.

Eastern Green Mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps)

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:25:48 GMT

Animal facts

Size
The average length of this fairly slender snake is between 4 and 5 feet, however the longest recorded was 7.9 feet long.

Habitat and Distribution
This species can be found throughout much of Eastern Africa, including the East Coast of South Africa and parts of Kenya, Swaziland, Tanzania, mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. These snakes are arboreal (living in trees) and can be found throughout many different habitats as long as they have access to trees.

Age
Between 15 and 25 years is not an unusual age for even a wild animal of this species.

Diet
Their diet is fairly varied feeding on a range of small birds, mammals, amphibians and even lizards.

Groups and Breeding
This is a fairly solitary snake, and males will find females by following the scent trail of a receptive female. If more than one male tries to court a single female, they will wrestle, pushing one another to the ground, establishing which one is most dominant.

Threats
At present this species has no threat in the wild, with its habitat being fairly consistent (and their adaptability to new habitats including human housing), its only threat is collection from the wild for the pet trade.

Interesting fact's
All Mamba species are highly venomous snakes, and the mortality rate of a bite from one of these snakes when left untreated is high. The venom is made up of a variety of toxins which attack the victims blood, nervous system, heart and cells (such as muscle and skin).

Meet The Tigers

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:15:14 GMT

Have you ever longed to look in to a Tigers eyes just inches away from you, or wanted to get close enough to be able to feel their breath? Now is your chance to get closer than you ever imagined to these beautiful animals! Get yourself or a loved one the chance to meet our Tigers under the watchful eye of one of their keepers.

This experience will last 20 to 30 minutes and will allow you to enjoy the Tigers at Wingham Wildlife Park in 2 ways... Firstly you will have the chance to feed them one of their daily snacks by hand... If that wasn't close enough for you, the keeper will then take you to their indoor housing, where under their supervision you can spend some time with the Tigers through the bars but only inches away! This really is the best way to get up CLOSE and PERSONAL with such magnificent cats.

The experience gives you entry to the park along with 20 to 30 minutes with the Tigers for £125 per person. You will also receive a commemorative certificate.

This experience mainly caters for people aged 16 and over, please feel free to contact us to see if there is something we can organise for people slightly younger.

To book this amazing experience:

Ask one of our members of staff at the park

Phone us on 01227 720836

Or download the booking form by clicking here and sending it in to us

Or Finally use our new online purchase option by clicking the BUY NOW link below. This option will give you a pre-paid voucher which you can book in at a later date, within a year of buying the voucher (on the payment review page please click participants name and enter the name of the person this experience is for):

BUY NOW!

Otter, Smooth Coated (Lutrogale perspicillata)

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:54:04 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This species can reach lengths of 1.3m and can weigh up to 11kg.

Habitat and Distribution
This species only lives in fresh water habitats such as peat swamps, forest rivers, rice paddies and lakes. They can generally be found in areas where there is not a lot of human habitation. This is an Asian Otter which can be found throughout much of Southern Asia with a small isolated population in marshes throughout Iraq.

Diet
The bulk of their diet is made up of fresh water fish and reptiles however they will also eat small birds, rodents, insects, crustaceans and amphibians.

Groups and Breeding
There are big differences in the times during which these animals breed both in the wild and in captivity. In areas where there are no monsoon seasons they may breed at any time, however in areas which are hit by monsoons, they will breed towards the end of this season, with their young being ready for birth after a gestation of 61 - 65 days after the weather has subsided. They may give birth to 2 to 5 young per year, and the mating pair will often form a strong bond, staying together for most of their lives.

Threats
These Otters are classed as Vulnerable due to a number of factors including the decline in wet land habitat through their range, increased contamination of fresh water ways with pesticides and a continued trade in their fur (leading to wide spread poaching).

To Adopt This Animal:

Phone us on 01227 720836

Or alternatively use our new online purchase option by clicking the BUY NOW link below. (on the payment review page please click participants name and enter the name of the person this adoption is for):

BUY NOW!

Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:06:56 GMT

Animal facts

Size
The body and head length of these animals is around 25cm with a further 35cm added by their tail. It is a fairly small primate only weighing 300g - 400g.

Habitat and Distribution
This primate can be found in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, where it lives in tropical rainforests, high in the canopy.

Age
On average these animals can expect to live for 15 to 20 years.

Diet
A variety of fruits, flowers and nectars make up the majority of their diet but they will also feed on insects and gum and sap.

Groups and Breeding
Social creatures by nature, they live in groups of around 8 individuals, with these groups being female dominated. Generally only the dominant female will breed, giving birth to 1 or 2 babies after a gestation period of 145 days.

Threats
Currently this species is considered to be fairly safe from extinction (being classified as Least Concern by the IUCN), however due to massive deforestation in its natural habitat it is inevitable that the concerns about this species becoming endangered in the wild will grow, as the forests shrink.

Interesting fact's
It is not uncommon for this species to live in groups with Brown Mantled Tamarins, with both species benefitting from the increased number of eyes keeping a look out for potential danger.

Shadow A Reptile Keeper

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:54:47 GMT

Go behind the scenes in the reptile house and get up-close and personal with some of our scariest inhabitants!

The experience will last for around an hour and will be a guided behind the scenes look at the reptile department at Wingham Wildlife Park. One of our dedicated reptile keepers will show you various animals from the reptile collection including snakes, lizards and tarantulas! As well as being shown around you will have a chance to see the Cuban Crocodile take her feed from the keepers walk way and help feed some of our snakes and lizards (including some of our larger lizards such as Monitors and Tegus).

Please note that you will not have any direct contact with Crocodilians or any of our venomous species during the experience, and that the first 15 minutes of the day will be taken up by a health and safety briefing and introduction to the day.

This experience takes place on a Saturday afternoon from 3:45pm until 5:00pm during the Summer Season (please ask for experience times during the winter season as they may vary).

The experience gives you entry to the park along with 1 hour behind the scenes of the reptile house for £70 per person.

Children (aged 15 or under) must have an adult do the experience with them, and we are able to cater for up to 2 people at a time.

To book this amazing experience:

Ask one of our members of staff at the park

Phone us on 01227 720836

Or Finally use our new online purchase option by clicking the BUY NOW link below. This option will give you a pre-paid voucher which you can book in at a later date, within a year of buying the voucher (on the payment review page please click participants name and enter the name of the person this experience is for):

BUY NOW!

Wingham Wildlife Park Guide Book

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:19:38 GMT

At Wingham Wildlife Park we now sell a new park guide book, packed with information about the animals, the parks history, our work with conservation and giving an overview of what to expect at the park. It is a 54 page full colour book available for sale online or at the park. The price of this book is £4.00, however online orders do also have a £1.50 postage and packaging fee (please note that this is only available for UK customers at the moment, and oversees customers may incur a higher postage fee if they wish to continue with their transaction).

Feel free to look at the sample pages which have been uploaded at the base of this page.

Buy Now

Flamingo, Chilean (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:52 GMT

Animal facts

Size
This is a large bird which can reach between 110cm and 130cm, and can have a wing span of 120cm to 150cm. Average weights of this bird range from 2.5kg to 3.5kg.

Habitat and Distribution
The natural habitat of this species consists of shallow brackish marshes and lagoons or shallow fresh water lakes in South America through Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and parts of Eastern Brazil. It can also be found on the border of Germany and the Netherlands at Zwilbrockervenn where there is an introduced colony.

Age
The average lifespan of these birds can be between 40 and 50 years.

Diet
A special comb like structure around the Flamingos beak, coupled with the beaks shape allow it to filter algae and very small crustaceans out of the water.

Groups and Breeding
Flamingos can live in colonies made up of thousands of individuals. During April and May these colonies erupt in to a spectacular display of synchronised dancing before they mate. Many of the individuals in the colony will form long term pairs year after year. Females of this species (as with all Flamingos) lay a single egg. After laying the egg in a nest made from a mound of mud, both parents will help to incubate it for 27 - 31 days.

Threats
This species is currently not yet classified as being under threat from extinction however this may change in the future as its natural population is dropping fairly rapidly. this is largely due to human factors such as hunting, taking their eggs and destroying their natural habitat.

Interesting fact's
Carotenoid digested by these birds during feeding is what causes their bright coloured plumage, and many birds will not develop the bright pink colouration until they are 3 or 4 years old.