Exmoor Zoo
Encyclopedia
Exmoor Zoo is a conservation
centre in Exmoor
, North Devon
, England
. The zoo developed from Exmoor Bird Gardens, opened on the site of a farm in 1982. The current owners took over in 1993, and have steadily enlarged and developed the zoo, now specialising in the conservation of smaller animals. The zoo has been a member of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
, since 1995.
s, maned wolves
, otter
s and bat-eared fox
es. The zoo is also home to one of the largest collections of tamarin
s and marmoset
s, and also includes howler monkey
s, gibbon
s and Diana Monkey
s.
One of the zoo's feature attractions, the new enclosure for the "Exmoor Beast", was completed in January 2007 when Ebony arrived. She is a melanistic ('dark-coloured' or 'black') leopard
thought to be one of only two in the British Isles available for breeding. The zoo received a male black leopard as a potential mate for Ebony in December 2009. Zoysa came from Linton Zoo, Cambridgeshire, on breeding loan.
More common mammals may be seen too, such as: deer
, lemurs, porcupine
s, and meerkat
s.
A substantial array of aviaries hold a variety of other birds, such as South American parrots and great grey owls.
The zoo is particularly noted for its conservation work with respect to Humboldt penguin
s, lemur
s, tamarin
s and marmoset
s.
s were stolen, the only breeding colony in Britain, wrecking 13 years of the zoo's attempts to protect the highly endangered animals. The thieves' haul also included a pair of white-fronted marmosets, a pair of cockatoo
s and a pair of Amazon parrot
s. It is believed that the animals were stolen 'to order'. Two of the marmosets have since been recovered.
In September 2006 the zoo acquired a pair of howler monkey
s, called Greeb and Wing, to act as a 'burglar alarm'. This move was prompted by the theft of the marmosets earlier in the year. The zookeepers are hoping that the noisy monkeys will be enough to scare off would-be intruders.
In June 2006 a family of blackbirds nested in an artificial tree in the education centre, drawing a lot of attention from families visiting the zoo. A pair of albino skunks were also born at the zoo in this year.
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
centre in Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
, North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The zoo developed from Exmoor Bird Gardens, opened on the site of a farm in 1982. The current owners took over in 1993, and have steadily enlarged and developed the zoo, now specialising in the conservation of smaller animals. The zoo has been a member of BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a conservation, education and scientific wildlife charity. Founded in 1966 within the zoo and aquarium community to see the principles and practices of animal management adopted in the British Isles...
, since 1995.
History
Exmoor Bird Gardens opened on the site of a 7 acres (28,328 m²) farm in 1982, expanding to 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) in 1985. Financial difficulties over a number of years led to a change of ownership in 1993, and the new (and still current) owners started refurbishing the run-down bird gardens, also adding a number of animal species to the attractions. The 1995 name change to Exmoor Animal & Bird Gardens coincided with the joining of BIAZA, following the realisation that they were actually running a modern zoo. A further name change, to "Exmoor Zoological Park", took place in 1997, although this has since been shortened to just "Exmoor Zoo". Since then the zoo has expanded and developed further, and the focus has started shifting towards exhibiting larger animals then previouslyMammals
Among the larger residents are cheetahCheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s, maned wolves
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s and bat-eared fox
Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago....
es. The zoo is also home to one of the largest collections of tamarin
Tamarin
The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus Saguinus. They are closely related to the lion tamarins in the genus Leontopithecus.- Range :...
s and marmoset
Marmoset
Marmosets are the 22 New World monkey species of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term marmoset is also used in reference to the Goeldi's Monkey, Callimico goeldii, which is closely related.Most marmosets...
s, and also includes howler monkey
Howler monkey
Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Fifteen species are currently recognised. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests...
s, gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s and Diana Monkey
Diana Monkey
The Diana monkey is an Old World monkey found in West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Côte d'Ivoire.The Diana monkey ranges from 40 to 55 cm in length, excluding its tail, which is of a uniform 3–4 cm diameter and 50–75 cm long. Adults weigh between 4–7 kg...
s.
One of the zoo's feature attractions, the new enclosure for the "Exmoor Beast", was completed in January 2007 when Ebony arrived. She is a melanistic ('dark-coloured' or 'black') leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
thought to be one of only two in the British Isles available for breeding. The zoo received a male black leopard as a potential mate for Ebony in December 2009. Zoysa came from Linton Zoo, Cambridgeshire, on breeding loan.
More common mammals may be seen too, such as: deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, lemurs, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
s, and meerkat
Meerkat
The meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
s.
Birds
There is a large lake, home to penguins, lots of waterfowl and a few terrapins.A substantial array of aviaries hold a variety of other birds, such as South American parrots and great grey owls.
Conservation work
The zoo participates in many international, European and national animal breeding programmes, and cooperates with other zoos around the world to freely exchange animals to ensure their future survival.The zoo is particularly noted for its conservation work with respect to Humboldt penguin
Humboldt Penguin
The Humboldt Penguin is a South American penguin, that breeds in coastal Peru and Chile. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Galápagos Penguin...
s, lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s, tamarin
Tamarin
The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus Saguinus. They are closely related to the lion tamarins in the genus Leontopithecus.- Range :...
s and marmoset
Marmoset
Marmosets are the 22 New World monkey species of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term marmoset is also used in reference to the Goeldi's Monkey, Callimico goeldii, which is closely related.Most marmosets...
s.
In the news
Thieves targeted the zoo in March 2006, stealing a number of endangered species. The entire colony of eleven Black-tufted marmosetBlack-tufted Marmoset
The black-tufted marmoset , also known as Mico-estrela in Portuguese, is a species of New World monkey that lives primarily in the Neo-tropical gallery forests of the Brazilian Central Plateau. It ranges from Bahia to Paraná, and as far inland as Goiás, between 14 and 25 degrees south of the equator...
s were stolen, the only breeding colony in Britain, wrecking 13 years of the zoo's attempts to protect the highly endangered animals. The thieves' haul also included a pair of white-fronted marmosets, a pair of cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s and a pair of Amazon parrot
Amazon parrot
Amazon parrot is the common name for a parrot of the genus Amazona. These are medium-size parrots native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean....
s. It is believed that the animals were stolen 'to order'. Two of the marmosets have since been recovered.
In September 2006 the zoo acquired a pair of howler monkey
Howler monkey
Howler monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Fifteen species are currently recognised. Previously classified in the family Cebidae, they are now placed in the family Atelidae. These monkeys are native to South and Central American forests...
s, called Greeb and Wing, to act as a 'burglar alarm'. This move was prompted by the theft of the marmosets earlier in the year. The zookeepers are hoping that the noisy monkeys will be enough to scare off would-be intruders.
In June 2006 a family of blackbirds nested in an artificial tree in the education centre, drawing a lot of attention from families visiting the zoo. A pair of albino skunks were also born at the zoo in this year.