Marwell Zoo Complete Count of All Their Animals

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: January 27, 2022 12:01 am

A banteng calf born recently at Marwell Zoo was counted for the first time during this year’s stocktake

Photo Credit: Marwell Zoo

A number of animals have been counted for the first time at Marwell Zoo as they conducted their annual stocktake for 2022. A new white rhino and a banteng calf were among the 2,500 animals counted at the United Kingdom attraction.

The annual count is a legal requirement for the zoo’s license. Every mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish and invertebrate must be counted. Some such as the stick insects and cockroaches are counted in groups but most are counted individually.

A keeper counts a penguin during the annual stocktake at Marwell Zoo

Photo Credit: Marwell Zoo

One of the most exciting additions to the count was four year old white rhino Zahara. She came to the zoo as part of the endangered species breeding programme. It is hoped in the future she will welcome a calf boosting numbers of her threatened species.

A final animal snuck in to the count being born just days before on January 22nd. The endangered banteng calf joins two further calves born in November. It is exciting to see the species breeding so well having recently joined the zoo.

The banteng were not the only new animals at the zoo in 2021. They also welcomed parma wallabies, the smallest species of the Macropus family, a male Linne’s two-toed sloth, a Humboldt penguin chick, bearded emperor tamarin, a male tapir, red river hogs, and another new species: coppery titi monkeys.

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Debbie Pearson, Animal Registrar, said: “Every year we complete the audit in accordance with zoo legislation to ensure the numbers we have on record tally with the animals we have on the ground before sending the final figures to our local authority.”

“This year we have more than 2,500 different animals across 141 different species. It’s been an exciting year with some welcome additions to the breeding programmes and some firsts for Marwell.”

The results of the count will be shared through a global database to ensure the best management of the worldwide conservation programs.

Learn more about Banteng here – Banteng Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Penguins here – Penguin Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Marwell Zoo on their website – Marwell Zoo