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News Archive
Below are the news reports for Newquay Zoo, covering significant events concerning the animal collection, such as births, arrivals, departures, and deaths.
Birth: August 2012
Another baby Nyala Antelope has been born, the second at zoo this year (both female) and repeating last year's breeding success.
Birth: July 2012
Two Carpathian Lynx kittens have been born, to parents Willow and Boomer and the first for the zoo.
Arrival: July 2012
A one-year-old male Red Panda has arrived. He is to replace Julius, the zoo's current male, who is to move to Marwell Zoo, since it has become clear that Julius and Sandy aren't going to breed. It is hoped that Sandy and the new (as yet un-named) arrival will hit it off and form a successful new breeding pair for this highly endangered species.
Birth: 28 June 2012
Two baby Breton (or Ouessant) Sheep have been born, to separate mothers.
Arrival: June 2012
Nine Natterjack Toads, the rarest of Britain's Toads, have arrived, and taken up residence in the Native Species exhibit.
Birth: June 2012
A baby Nyala Antelope has been born, for the second year in succession.
Birth: 24 May 2012
A baby Crowned Lemur has been born
Birth: May 2012
A litter of 3 Fishing Cat kittens have been born.
Birth: May 2012
A baby Black Wildebeest has been born. The baby is believed to be female, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Birth: May 2012
Three Roul Roul Partridge chicks have hatched, the first at the zoo since the parents arrived 6 years ago.
Birth: April 2012
A baby male Narrow Striped Mongoose called Kirindy has been born. After about a week it became clear that mum and baby weren't bonding properly, so he is now being hand-reared by keepers.
Birth: Spring 2012
Four Visayan Warty piglets have been born - the fourth litter in as many years.
Arrival: 27 March 2012
Sampson, a male African Lion, has arrived from Combe Martin Animal and Dinosaur Park, to join Connie the resident female following the recent death of her brother Charlie.
Birth: 22 March 2012
A baby Ring-tailed Lemur has been born, to parents Jill and Harrison. The new arrival is believed to be male.
Death: March 2012
Charlie the African Lion has sadly passed away. His health had recently deteriorated and it was decided to put him to sleep before his pain got too great. At 14 he had, however, reached a good age.
Arrival: 10 February 2012
A group of 12 Squirrel Monkeys, 8 females and 4 males, have arrived from Apenhaul Zoo, the Netherlands, to join the resident group of males and form a new breeding group, once they have completed their quarantine period.
Arrival: February 2012
A young female Brazilian Tapir has arrived from Flamingo Land, Yorkshire, to form a new breeding pair with resident male Renee.
Depart: October 2011
Phylis, a Philippine Spotted Deer born last year, has moved to Fuengirola Zoo, Spain to form a new breeding pair.
Arrival: Autumn 2011
Black-necked Crowned Cranes have arrived, hopefully to form a successful breeding pair for this threatened species, which was recently ugraded to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Birth: July 2011
Another baby Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque has been born, the third this year. Great news for this critically endangered species.
Depart: Summer 2011
Otto, a Fishing Cat, has moved to a zoo in Estonia to form a new breeding pair.
Arrival: June 2011
A young male Waterbuck has arrived from Marwell Zoo, Hampshire, to join resident female Jenny in the hope that they will form a successful breeding pair.
Birth: June 2011
Two baby Capybara have been born, to mum Celia.
Birth: June 2011
Two baby Ouessant Sheep (the World's smallest breed) have been born within days of each other. One is known to be female, but the other is yet to be sexed.
Birth: April 2011
Visayan Warty Pig triplets have been born
Birth: Spring 2011
A second baby Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque this year has been born, this time to mum Maggie. The new baby is a female, as is the previous one.
Birth: Spring 2011
A baby Nyala Antelope has been born, the first at the zoo.
Birth: Spring 2011
A second baby Nyala Antelope in as many months has been born. Both babies are now known to be male.
Four Humboldt Penguin chicks have also hatched.
Birth: Spring 2011
A baby female Crowned Lemur has been born.
Birth: 1 January 2011
A baby Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque has been born, to mum Solina. The baby is yet to be sexed, and therefore named.
Birth: Winter 2011
A baby male Philippine Spotted Deer has been born, for the third year in a row. The baby has been named Teasel.
Birth: Winter 2011
Ring-tailed Lemur twins have been born, to parents Jill and Harrison.
Arrival: December 2010
Milk Snakes have arrived. Their colouration mimics that of the deadly Coral Snake, but Milk Snakes are constrictors, and thus not venomous.
Death: October 2010
Scampie the Meerkat has sadly passed away. At 12 years old he reached a great age for a Meerkat, and in the last 2 years he fathered 15 babies.
Birth: July 2010
A baby male Black Wildebeest (or White-tailed Gnu) has been born, to parents Malaga and Lazar.
Birth: Summer 2010
Three baby Visayan Warty Pigs have been born, great news for this Critically Endangered species.
Arrival: April 2010
A pair of Crowned Lemurs called Altaire and Nicole have arrived from The Rare Species Centre in Kent, to take up residence in the new Madagascan Walkthrough enclosure.
Arrival: April 2010
Two White Storks called Sylvia and Maggie have arrived from Colchester Zoo, to take up residence in the African Savannah enclosure, where they will also join another recent arrival, a Waterbuck called Jenny, who came from the former Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park.
Birth: Spring 2010
Recent births include Ring-tailed Lemurs, Fishing Cats, and Meerkats.
Arrival: Spring 2010
An African Rhinoceros Beetle has arrived, following its discovery in the luggage of a Newquay resident who had returned from holiday in Africa.
Birth: March 2010
More Sulawesi Crested Black Macaques have been born, making a total of 3 (2 males and a female) in the last few months.
Several Ring-Tailed Lemurs and a Philippines Spotted Deer have also been born.
Birth: January 2010
A baby Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque has been born, the first for mum Sorina. The baby is yet to be sexed, and therefore named.
Arrival: October 2009
A pair of Channel-Billed Toucans have arrived from Leeds Castle, to join the large mixed species Tropical House enclosure.
Arrival: Autumn 2009
Two Dwarf Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Piglets, called Justin and Colin, have arrived, to take up residence in the Village Farm.
Birth: September 2009
Three baby Capybaras have been born, to mum Celia, who was born at Newquay herself. One of the babies has, however, since sadly died, but the other two are doing well.
Arrival: September 2009
Three Black Tree Monitor Lizards, all brothers, have arrived, making Newquay the only zoo in the UK to have the species.
Arrival: September 2009
Charlie, an 11-year old African Lion, has arrived from Longleat Safari Park. He will join his older sister Connie, who is now beyond breeding age.
Death: August 2009
The Wildebeest calf born earlier this year has sadly died. The baby appeared to be doing well but was suddenly found collapsed, and sadly died later despite emergency treatment. Test results are still awaited, but from the post mortem the most likely cause appears to be congestive heart failure.
Birth: August 2009
Three more baby Meerkats have been born, making a total of 7 this year. The new babies have been named Aleksander, Sergei and Simples!
Arrival: August 2009
Two new species have arrived in the minibeasts section of the Tropical House: the Asian Foam-nesting Tree Frog and the Curly Tailed Lizard.
Birth: July 2009
Two Owston's Civet cubs have been born. Great news for this endangered species.
Arrival: July 2009
A group of 7 male Squirrel Monkeys have arrived from Colchester Zoo. They are all brothers, from 8 months to 2 years old.
Birth: June 2009
Four baby Meerkats have been born, to parents Peggy and Scampy. They have been named Snippet, Bumble, Titch and Fraggle.
Arrival: June 2009
A pair of Fishing Cats, called Ping (female) and Bing (male), have arrived from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park as part of the breeding programme for this endangered species. One of the largest of the lesser cats, they are unusual in having webbed paws, making them excellent swimmers.
Birth: June 2009
A Black Wildebeest calf has been born, to mum Malaga who was already pregnant when she arrived back in March. Two of the four arrivals also moved to Marwell Zoo in May to expand the breeding programme.
Arrival: May 2009
Three Nyala Antelope have arrived, to take up residence in the new African Savanna exhibit.
Arrival: April 2009
Three Harvest Mice have arrived, to start a new breeding group for this threatened native British species.
Birth: March 2009
A baby male Capybara called Wilson has been born, to parents Celia and Clyde.
Arrival: March 2009
A pair of young Carpathian Lynx have arrived to start a new breeding group for this endangered European species.The female, Willow, came from the Czech Republic and the male, Boomer, from Switzerland.
Birth: March 2009
A baby male Philippine Spotted Deer has been born. His mother was already pregnant when she arrived a few weeks ago.
Arrival: March 2009
Four Black Wildebeest, two males and two females, have arrived from Zoo Dvur Kralove in the Czech Republic. They are to take up residence in the new African Savanna mixed species exhibit which is to open for Easter. Newquay is the only zoo in the UK to hold this endangered species.
Birth: 13 February 2009
A baby male Ring-tailed Lemur has been born, to mum Jill. He has been named Darwin since he arrived just before the zoo's celebrations for Charles Darwin's 200th birthday.
Arrival: February 2009
A group of Red-tailed Green Rat Snakes have arrived
Arrival: December 2008
A pair of Visayan Warty Pigs and a male Philippine Spotted Deer have arrived from Poznan Zoo, Poland, to take up residence in the new Philippine Species exhibit, which is due to open for Easter. A female deer is also due to arrive from Chester Zoo in a couple of weeks. Both species are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss.
Birth: Autumn 2008
A baby female Meerkat has been born, to parents Scampie and Sue. Sue and another female only arrived at Newquay a few months ago. The baby is called Pippet, or Pip for short.
Birth: 27 July 2008
A baby Scarlet Macaw has hatched, the second at Newquay in just 2 years. The sex of the baby is unknown, and has therefore not been named. The parents are Freya and Boyo.
Birth: Summer 2008
A Roul-Roul Partridge (or Crested Wood Partridge) chick has hatched. A Scarlet Macaw chick has also hatched (for the second year in a row).
Birth: Summer 2008
A baby Red Footed Tortoise called Romper has hatched, the first for the zoo.
Depart: Summer 2008
Two young female Pied Tamarins, born at Newquay in 2006, are to move to Zoo Parc de Beauval in France as part of the European Breeding Programme for this highly endangered species (one of the 25 most endangered primates).
Birth: 18 May 2008
Two baby Quessant Sheep have been born. Dougal was born to mum Rufty on the 18th, and Douglas to mum Tufty two weeks later.
Arrival: May 2008
A pair of Pancake Tortoises have arrived.
Arrival: April 2008
A pair of Emperor Tamarins callen Mr Miyagi and Waxon have now been released into their new enclosure, following completion of their 6-month quarantine period.
Birth: 26 March 2008
Twin baby Black (Hairy) Rumped Agoutis (both males) have been born. They are being hand-reared by keepers after being born outdoors and the first-born quickly showing signs of hypothermia. They are doing well, and should be weaned in about 2 months. They are the first of this species to be born in the UK, and Newquay is the only zoo in the country to keep any.
Death: 8 March 2008
Kabir, the 14-year-old Lion who arrived only last October from Longleat, has sadly had to be put to sleep after it was discovered that he had broken a leg. The cause of the break is unknown; it is assumed that he somehow twisted it or landed badly.
Arrival: 2 March 2008
Two male Yellow Breasted Capuchin Monkeys (brothers) have arrived from Edinburgh Zoo. They are named `Pataxo' (8 yrs) and `Tuxa' (7 yrs) and have great characters.
Arrival: 31 January 2008
Two Red Pandas have arrived, to replace the existing male called Beijing who has gone to join a female at Dublin Zoo. Sandy, a 3 1/2 year old female, came from Dublin Zoo, and Julius, a 7 year old male, came from Marwell Zoo. It is hoped that they will breed in the next year or so.
Birth: 25 December 2007
A baby male Ring-Tailed Lemur called Gollum has been born, to mum Jill.
Arrival: December 2007
Two young Six-Banded Armadillos, called Scratch and Sniff, have arrived from Montpelier Zoo, France.
Birth: November 2007
Two baby Prevost's Squirrels have been born.
Arrival: 16 October 2007
Kabir the 14-year old Lion has arrived from Longleat Safari Park. He joins Connie, the existing 11-year old female who recently lost her companion Ronnie from old age.
Arrival: September 2007
Six young Sand Lizards have arrived. These are a native British species and are endangered due to fragmentation and loss of their heathland habitat.
Death: 6 August 2007
Ronnie the 19 year old African Lion has sadly passed away. His age had recently been catching up with him; he was losing weight and being treated for kidney problems. His condition then suddenly deteriorated, and he was put to sleep when it was realised that he would not recover.
The search for a new mate for Connie has already started.
Birth: July 2007
A baby Fossa cub has been born, the first at the zoo. A type of Mongoose, the Fossa is Madagascar's largest carnivore and resembles an elongated cat in appearance. With less than 2,500 left in the wild, the species is classified as Endangered and is the subject of a managed breeding programme. There are only about 100 in zoos worldwide, and only 5 other zoos in the UK have them.
Arrival: June 2007
A pair of Black and White Ruffed Lemurs have arrived, and are now out of quarantine. Wakka the female came from Paris Zoo, while Rikku the male came from Omega Park in Portugal. They actually arrived last December, and it is hoped they will soon breed to help the European Endangered Species Programme.
Birth: June 2007
Two Pygmy Marmoset babies have been born.
Update: the babies have now been named Twiglet and Alfonso.
Arrival: May 2007
A pair of Red Fronted Macaws have arrived from Twycross Zoo. They are part of the European Breeding Programme for this endangered species, which is threatened by illegal trapping for the pet trade and widespread habitat loss and degradation.
Open: January 2007
The 17 Humboldt's Penguins have returned after a 3-week break at Paignton Zoo while their enclosure was refurbished. The re-landscaped enclosure now resembles a large sandy and rocky beach. A shaded area has been added and the pool has been repainted.
Birth: January 2007
A pair of rare and critically endangered Pied Tamarin twins has been born, and named `Bubble and Squeak'. The parents only arrived last summer and have already had one baby.
Birth: 30 December 2006
A baby rare Western Black and White Colobus Monkey has been born, and is being hand-reared by staff after rejection by its mother. She is doing well, and will hopefully be returned to the main Colobus enclosure in about 3 months.
Birth: Summer 2006
To baby Prevost's Squirrels were born recently. One, called Tinka, is doing very well, but the other was much weaker and had to be hand-reared. It has now sadly been put down after becoming seriously ill.
Birth: May 2006
The pair of rare Owston's Civet cats from Vietnam have given birth to twins, the first to be born outside of Vietnam.
Birth: April 2006
Baby Humboldt's Penguin called `Ickle Pickle' has hatched and doing well, despite having to be hand-reared.
Arrival: 15 February 2006
A pair of critically endangered Pied Tamarins arrived on breeding loan from Jersey Zoo (Durrell Wildlife). The Tamarins have been installed in their new enclosure, but are undergoing a 30 day quarantine period before being allowed full access.
Birth: January 2006
Baby male Brazilian Tapir born.
Notes:
Where possible, the dates given are for the event itself, but some zoos do not make this information available, when the date of announcement is used instead.
Seasons: Winter = Jan - Mar, Spring = Apr - Jun, Summer = Jul - Sept, Autumn = Oct - Dec.
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