Marwell Bites animal news February 2026
March 4, 2026
February may be the shortest month of the year, but it’s been full of exciting developments. From new arrivals to habitat upgrades and creative ideas, here’s a look at what’s been happening around the park…
Three Barred Bichirs make a splash
Three barred bichirs have moved into the aquarium in the Bongo House. With their long, eel-like bodies and striking vertical bands, these prehistoric-looking fish are a fascinating new addition to the space. Take a look into the aquarium on your next visit, can you spot this camouflaging species?
Ostriches on the move
Our ostriches have now settled into their new home, located just behind Cherry the red panda’s habitat. The move gives them a refreshed space to explore and is part of ongoing work to enhance animal habitats across the park.
Hydroponics for our skinks
Our new hydroponics system is up and running! The excess plants grown onsite are being used to feed our prehensile-tailed skinks, providing them with fresh, nutritious browse.
Life rings reimagined for giraffe
A big thank you to Wightlink for donating old life rings, which our team have cleverly transformed into feeders for the giraffes. These upcycled additions encourage natural foraging behaviours while giving materials a second life.
Red river hog updates… and capybara on the way
Our teams have been hard at work constructing a new habitat next to the Native Species Zone, which will soon become home to our red river hogs. Once they’ve moved in, it will make space for the return of a much-loved species to the park – capybara!
Many of you have been asking about their arrival and we thank you for your excitement! We’re still waiting for a confirmed date, but preparations are well underway. The team has been busy building a new pool for them to enjoy as well as finishing the surrounding habitat.
Threes a charm
Keepers recently had a memorable surprise when two different primate groups welcomed three new arrivals on the same night.
The team were expecting the cotton-headed tamarins to give birth but later discovered a tiny Coppery titi monkey baby in Life Among the Trees – an unexpected and special moment that left the keepers speechless.
Life Among the Trees gets greener
New planting has been introduced into our Life Among the Trees habitats to create even more Positive Living Environment (PLE) opportunities. The additional foliage encourages exploration, climbing and natural behaviours for our primates, while enhancing the overall look and feel of the space.
Meerkat habitat upgrades
It’s been all hands-on deck to complete the revamped meerkat habitat, ready for the arrival of five new female meerkats.
Want to meet our new meerkats? Head over to our social channels to see their introduction video.
Coming soon…
There’s even more excitement on the horizon at Marwell:
- New additions will soon be coming to the Tropical House, including a blue-crowned hanging parrot and a Mexican leaf frog, with more species to follow.
- Two male camels are due to arrive just in time for the Easter holidays.
As always, there’s plenty happening here behind the scenes to make every visit even more memorable.
We can’t wait to share more updates with you soon – follow along on our social media channels for more! You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.
