Animal News: Snow Leopard Cub Update, New Arrivals and Conservation Updates

There’s always something exciting happening at Marwell, and July has been a month full of special moments for our animals, from snow leopard cubs reaching important milestones to welcoming new species and continuing vital conservation work.

Our animal care teams have been busy supporting the health and wellbeing of the animals in our care, while our wider conservation teams have been working hard to protect nature across the globe.

Snow leopard cubs reach a new milestone

Our two snow leopard cubs have reached another important stage in their development, with their first vaccinations and health checks completed by our animal care and veterinary teams.

These routine checks allow us to monitor their health, growth and development, helping us make sure they’re progressing just as they should.

We’re also delighted to reveal their names…

Our male snow leopard cub is Momo, meaning dumpling in Tibetan, while his sister is Nima, meaning sun.

The pair are becoming more confident every day and are starting to show their individual personalities. They have also started trying solid food – another exciting milestone as they grow under the watchful eye of mum, Zaya.

Snow leopards are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and breeding programmes play an important role in supporting the conservation of this incredible species.

New arrivals settle in for the summer holidays

Three male white-nosed coatis, Rocket, Vega and Atlas, have joined us from Belgium and Germany.

After a carefully managed introduction period, the trio are now exploring their outdoor habitat and settling into their new surroundings.

We’ve also welcomed two black and rufous sengis from Hertfordshire Zoo. These fascinating small mammals will move into our Tropical House once they have completed their settling-in period.

There’s been more good news from our bird team too, with two honeyeater chicks successfully fledging.

We’re preparing to welcome Luca the Amur tiger

As a result of Pasha’s death, Marwell has temporarily been without tigers, but we’re delighted to be welcoming Luca from The Big Cat Sanctuary in mid August. Luca will be staying with us for around six months while improvement works take place at his home. Please stay tuned to our social media and website for updates.

Samba the capybara search continues

Our search for Samba, our capybara who went missing earlier this year, continues.

Trail cameras and bait stations remain in place around Brambridge following possible recent sightings, and drones have also been used to help search the area.

Our efforts continue to find missing capybara, Samba and her welfare remains top priority for us. If you think you’ve seen Samba please take a photo, send it to 07436 167401 and include the What3Words or Google Maps location.

A new companion for Tango

Ripple, our new male capybara, arrived earlier this month from Blackpool Zoo as a companion for Tango. The pair were introduced in their private habitat, and have since moved into their new home, where visitors can watch them explore side by side.
You can find Tango and Ripple on the right-hand side of the park, behind the Gift Shop. Be sure to stop by on your next visit!
Supporting animal welfare throughout the year

While summer is in full swing, our Hoofstock team and volunteers are already preparing for the colder months. They have been collecting browse – natural branches and leaves – which forms an important part of our hoofed animals’ winter diet.

Vote Wild: Help choose Marwell’s next project

Our #VoteWild campaign gives supporters the chance to help decide which animal care or conservation project receives funding.

This year’s projects include:

• New weighing scales for our rhinos
• Habitat improvements for siamangs
• Guest experience improvements in Hippo & Tapir House
• Habitat improvements for otters
• Welcoming Home’s hinge-back tortoise as a new species
• A new ultrasound machine for our veterinary team

Find out more about each project and have your say.

Caring for nature across our estate

Our conservation work extends beyond our animal habitats.

If you spot one of our robotic mowers during your visit, don’t be surprised! We’ve recently reintroduced the technology to help manage our 140-acre estate safely and efficiently.

Quieter than traditional mowing methods, the robotic mower helps reduce disturbance for wildlife and visitors, supports our teams in managing the estate and enables us to carefully maintain habitats, getting to those hard to reach areas!

Marwell’s new sensory garden opens

There’s a new place to pause, explore and connect with nature at Marwell.

Our brand-new sensory garden is now open, featuring more than 600 plants, including herbs, trees, shrubs, bulbs, climbers and ornamental grasses. Thoughtfully designed to engage the senses, the garden also includes a landscaped water feature and seating area, offering a peaceful space to relax during your visit.

The sensory garden is the first of 11 new gardens planned across Marwell, creating even more opportunities for people to experience the wellbeing benefits of getting closer to nature.

Thank you for continuing to be part of the Marwell community and supporting the work we do for wildlife.

There’s always something new happening across the park, from animal milestones and new arrivals to conservation projects helping protect species for the future. We’ll keep sharing the latest stories with you so follow along on our social media channels or right here on our website for more to come…