There have been a few new arrivals down in the Walled Garden with the Yellow Mongoose pair welcoming two pups and the Prairie Dog group welcoming a litter of pups as well.
Photo credit: Philip Joyce
All of the young are developing well and seem to be thriving! You will sometimes see the Prairie Dogs ‘barking’ to each other, they will jump up and make a loud shouting noise which is their way of checking on their family members across the burrows.
Photo credit: Philip Joyce
Photo credit: Philip Joyce
DID YOU KNOW?
Biologists studying these burrowing rodents have found that they have one of the most sophisticated languages in the animal kingdom – more complex than that of Dolphins, Whales and non-human primates. With a single call, Prairie Dogs can warn others of the type of predator as well as its size, shape, colour, speed and direction.
A pair of Masked Lapwing chicks also hatched recently and have been enjoying exploring their surroundings, staying close to mum. You can catch a glimpse of them in their enclosure near the Tropical House exit.
DID YOU KNOW?
Masked Lapwings have sharp yellow spurs on the ‘elbow’ of their wing, which they use to scare predators by flying directly towards them.
Across the Park, our gardeners have finished planting the summer bedding displays which are looking spectacular right now. We’ll share some highlights with you in the next issue of Word From The Wild but in the meantime, thank you to Rebecca Louise for this image of one of the beautiful arrangements in the Walled Garden.
Photo credit: Rebecca Louise
This month one of our keepers, Chris Green, bravely shaved half of his hair and beard to raise money for prostate cancer during Men’s Health Week. After growing them out for nine months, Chris was joined on the day by Chris Jarrett – Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK – along with many of his colleagues cheering him on.
Vowing to keep the look for a whole week, Chris even delivered school talks sporting his ‘halfsie’ style, which I’m sure was a topic of conversation amongst the children! With thanks to everyone that has supported him, he has now raised £3,500 for Prostate Cancer UK, well done Chris!
Photo credit Philip Joyce
Photo credit Philip Joyce
Photo credit Philip Joyce
EXTRA EXTRA!
Rhino Month at Cotswold Wildlife Park: Throughout August the Park hosts its annual ‘Rhino Month’ to raise awareness and funds for Rhino conservation work in Africa.
During Rhino Month, we’ll also be highlighting the plight of Rhinos in the wild and why conservation work is vital for their future. Cotswold Wildlife Park has raised over £120,000 for conservation in Africa in the last ten years through various fundraising events. Please keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks.
