Zoo news – May 2024

The month of May had some highs and lows. Our zoo staff were full steam ahead with preparations to make sure the animals and their habitats are ready to go.

Baby lemur death

Sad news from Emerald Park: loss of baby lemur

We are deeply saddened to share that our baby lemur had a fatal accident. Despite our best efforts, these unfortunate incidents can occur. The baby lemur was not yet able to move around with the agility and awareness of an adult, making him more at risk. Our team is heartbroken by this loss and will continue to provide the highest standard of care to all our animals.

World of Raptors displays are back!

Soar with the Raptors

Get ready to spread your wings and fly over to Emerald Park, where the World of Raptors display is making a grand return this summer! This exciting exhibit features a fantastic array of raptors, including majestic eagles, swift hawks, and mysterious owls. Designed to showcase their natural behaviours, the display offers a fun and educational experience for visitors of all ages.

Raptors are super important for keeping our ecosystems in balance by controlling pests and supporting biodiversity. Sadly, many of these birds are facing tough times due to habitat loss and other threats. Emerald Park’s WOR displays help to engage with guests about these amazing animals and the challenges they face. The exhibit also supports breeding and rehabilitation programs that are key to saving endangered raptor species.

Visit from a specialist nutritionist

Nutrition expert’s visit enhances animal health

Recently we had the pleasure of hosting a specialist ruminant nutritionist, who reviewed and consulted on the diets of our Ouessant sheep, Valais blacknose sheep, pygmy goats, and alpacas.

Ruminant animals, like sheep and goats, have unique dietary needs. The nutritionist evaluated their current meals, suggested some improvements, and provided guidance on fine-tuning their feeding routines.

His conclusion? We’re doing very well with their diets! However, he recommended one exciting change: rotating the alpacas. 

This means that every time you visit, you might see different animals enjoying their fresh, optimised diets. This rotation not only keeps things interesting for our visitors but also benefits the animals by giving them varied environments.

This visit was part of our ongoing mission to enhance animal welfare. A great diet means our animals stay healthy, active, and full of life. Come and learn about the importance of good nutrition and watch our happy, thriving animals in their enhanced habitats. Emerald Park remains committed to providing the best care for our animals, and we’re excited to share this journey with you.

BIAZA’s Love Your Zoo Week

This year’s theme, ‘Animal Champions’

At the end of May our zookeepers, and the Discovery and Learning staff, were delighted to be involved with BIAZA’s Love Your Zoo (LYZ) week. This special event occurs annually giving BIAZA members the chance to showcase their zoo and let everyone know why they love their zoo!

This year’s theme was animal champions, and our staff had a fantastic time engaging with our guests. From our travelling bio-facts wheelbarrow, social media posts, enrichment popups and activities in our education centre, we had a record number of guests enjoying the event.

Thanks for reading. Check back next month for more zoo updates!

The Emerald Park Zoo Team