January Newsletter

Newsletter - January 2018

Welcome to the January edition of the Wildwood newsletter and the beginning of 2018. We have some good news at the park, some great plans for the future and one bit of particularly bad news this month.  If you wish to know more about any of our stories or Wildwood in general, then please feel free to email us at info@wildwoodtrust.org Thank you for your continued support. We'll see you again soon!

Reindeer transfers Rowan, our baby reindeer born last year, has moved to a new life at Jimmy's Farm near Ipswich. This has allowed her father Kenny to settle back in with Holly and Ivy at the reindeer enclosure. We can now welcome new babies without fear of Rowan becoming a young mother.  Also, on future visits you may think we have a new reindeer. It's not the case, it's just that Kenny has shed his antlers!

Avian flu We're continuing to take precautions at the park for the prevention of avian flu following government guidelines, put in place by APHA. Water bowls, ponds and feeding stations may be covered up in our enclosures, so that migrating wild birds are unable to infect the birds.  Currently there are no reported cases of avian flu found in any UK domestic bird populations, but we will continue to take all necessary precautions. Find out more

Wildcats on the move Last month, we announced that as part of the Scottish Wildcat breeding programme, Wildwood has been given the go ahead to breed our wildcat pair by officials at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. To aid in the breeding process, we're currently in the process of relocating RJ and Carna to a new enclosure opposite our eagle owl and next to one of the current wildcat enclosures. If all goes to plan, RJ and Carna should produce kittens from April!

A new home for our muntjac Our two muntjac deer have joined their deer cousins in our top forest area. They've settled in to a new enclosure next to the fallow deer.

Good bye Ellie, you will be missed One of our oldest residents has sadly passed away due to liver complications resulting from old age. Ellie the red fox has been a firm favourite for Wildwood visitors for many years. She was hand-reared and given to the park when her owner was no longer able to give her the attention she needed, and we have been honoured to have been able to look after her ever since. Most red foxes will live less than 5 years in the wild - our Ellie lived for an incredible 15 years and brought so much joy to so many people. She will be sorely missed.

Return of the jay AJ the jay has suffered recently with illness, but is now back and recovering in her new enclosure which is located next to the rat barn. Go and say hello!

Love is in the air? Part 1 The upgrade to the raven enclosure, adjusted to raise the chances of baby ravens being born, is bearing fruit. Bena and Ike are showing signs of courting, which includes lots of extensive holding of each other's bills.

Love is in the air? Part 2 When Loki and Freya first arrived at Wildwood late last year, Loki was 'banned' from the holt by Freya and it took some months for them to get used to each other. Our two otters are now not only sleeping in the same spot but showing further signs of intimacy which may lead to baby otters in the near future. We have our fingers crossed!

Wetland recovery project At Wildwood Escot, we have been putting a great deal of time and effort into our huge 8 acre wetland area.  With the aim of turning the wetland into a living exhibit with trails, interpretation boards and educational activities highlighting the rich biodiversity of the site, we've embarked on a determined recovery project which involves several outside agencies and volunteers as well as a dedicated fundraising effort. Find out more

NEW - Winter Wednesday Talk & Tea This February, our bushcraft expert Steve Kirk will be hosting four weekly 'Winter Wednesday Talk and Tea' events for just £20 a ticket. Each event will begin at 12pm to include a 2 and half hour tour, meet an animal session and an engaging talk from Steve on a particular topic, plus a homemade afternoon tea in our cafe to finish off the day. 21st Feb - Conservation at Wildwood 28th Feb - Rewilding 7th Mar - Rescue and rehabilitation at Wildwood 14th Mar - Wolves in context To book your space either as in our shop, email help@wildwoodtrust.org or ring on 01227 209621

Picture of the month

Wildwood Trust Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org