Isle of Wight Zoo
Encyclopedia
The Isle of Wight Zoo, also known as the Isle of Wight Tiger and Lemur Sanctuary, is housed inside a fort
on the coastline of Sandown
. It is currently home to the biggest collection of tigers in the United Kingdom.
.jpg)
The sanctuary is currently home to 12 Tiger
s, 3 African lions and 2 Jaguar
s. The most famous of the big cats is Zena, the zoo's only white tiger.
In recent years, three India
n themed tiger enclosure
s have opened featuring glass viewing panels, ponds, natural planting and themed statues and temples. The male lions also live in a recently opened enclosure - with an Africa
n theme - featuring a jeep and rock formations designed to stimulate and exercise the animals.
theme, and the primate section reflects this by specialising in lemurs. It houses Ring-tailed
, Black-and-White Ruffed, Red Ruffed
, Black
, White-Fronted Brown and Mongoose
lemurs, several of which have bred in recent years as part of European breeding programmes.
The collection is also home to Spider monkey
s and capuchin
s.
television programme entitled "Tiger Island". Two series were filmed, showing different aspects of zoo life including making enrichment toys and designing new enclosures.
Sandown Fort
Sandown Fort is a fort built in Sandown on the Isle of Wight in the middle of Sandown Bay 108 feet above sea level. It is one of the many Palmerston Forts built on the island to protect it in response to a perceived French invasion. Construction of the fort began in April 1861 and was completed by...
on the coastline of Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
. It is currently home to the biggest collection of tigers in the United Kingdom.
Past
Originally known as Sandown Zoo, the zoo was established in the 1950s. By the 1970s it had fallen into disrepair, and was dubbed 'The Slum Zoo of Britain' by the Sunday Times. However in 1976 the zoo was taken over by a private owner, and over the following years it was rebuilt as a now famous sanctuary for big cats and primates.Big Cats
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s, 3 African lions and 2 Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s. The most famous of the big cats is Zena, the zoo's only white tiger.
In recent years, three India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n themed tiger enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
s have opened featuring glass viewing panels, ponds, natural planting and themed statues and temples. The male lions also live in a recently opened enclosure - with an Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n theme - featuring a jeep and rock formations designed to stimulate and exercise the animals.
Primates
The zoo also has a MadagascanMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
theme, and the primate section reflects this by specialising in lemurs. It houses Ring-tailed
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
, Black-and-White Ruffed, Red Ruffed
Red Ruffed Lemur
The red ruffed lemur is one of two species in the genus Varecia, the ruffed lemurs; the other is the black-and-white ruffed lemur . Like all lemurs, it is native to Madagascar and occurs only in the rainforests of Masoala, in the northeast of the island...
, Black
Black Lemur
The Black Lemur is a species of lemur from the family Lemuridae. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to Madagascar. Originally, the species was thought to have two subspecies, Eulemur macaco macaco and Eulemur macaco flavifrons, both of which were elevated to species status by Mittermeier et al. in...
, White-Fronted Brown and Mongoose
Mongoose Lemur
The mongoose lemur is a lemur ranging from 12 to 18 inches long plus a tail of 16 to 25 inches. The mongoose lemur lives in dry deciduous forests on the island of Madagascar as well as in the humid forests on the islands of the Comoros...
lemurs, several of which have bred in recent years as part of European breeding programmes.
The collection is also home to Spider monkey
Spider monkey
Spider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
s and capuchin
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
s.
Jeepers Creepers
Inside a dark building is a collections of snakes, lizards and spiders, housed in various themed vivariums built to replicate the animals' natural habitat. The environment is also home to highly endangered Madagascan jumping rats.Filming
The zoo was the main filming location for the ITV MeridianMeridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
television programme entitled "Tiger Island". Two series were filmed, showing different aspects of zoo life including making enrichment toys and designing new enclosures.