Back to Previous Page
News Archive
Below are the news reports for Woburn Safari Park, covering significant events concerning the animal collection, such as births, arrivals, departures, and deaths.
Birth: July 2012
Common Marmoset twins have been born, to parents Lady and Barney. Other babies born so far this year include 2 Barbary Macaques and 3 Mountain Bongos.
Arrival: July 2012
A pair of Asian Short-clawed Otters have arrived. Tambo has come from the Welsh Mountain Zoo, while Kelani has come from the Cotswold Wildlife Park.
Birth: 11 June 2012
A baby male Rothschild's Giraffe has been born, the third this year.
Death: 27 March 2012
An Elephant calf has sadly not survived its birth. Its mother Damini's pregnancy had been going well until that point. Damini has also since been given a clean bill of health after a complete veterinary check.
Birth: 22 February 2012
A baby female Rothschild's Giraffe has been born, the 5th for experienced mum Acacia. She is also the 5th offspring at Woburn for dad Caspar.
Arrival: December 2011
Kasanga, a 2-year-old male Lion, has arrived, to lead the resident pride. He is gradually being introduced to the lionesses and life at the park.
Arrival: September 2011
Five Aldabran Giant Tortoises called Gordon, Flo, Albert, Harold and Ken have arrived. At 3 years old they are very young for their species, which can live to 150, and consequently quite small too; adults can grow to over a metre in length.
Birth: June 2011
A litter of Iberian Wolf cubs has been born.
Birth: 23 July 2010
Two Iberian Wolf cubs have been born, the first for the park.
Birth: 9 July 2010
A Przewalski foal has been born.
Arrival: 23 March 2010
A 32-year-old female Asian Elephant called Yu Zin has arrived from Emmen Zoo in the Netherlands.
Depart: February 2010
It has been announced that the Californian Sea Lions are to leave this year, to move to another collection in the Mediterranean that can provide large lagoons for them to live in. Their pool will be redeveloped to provide a larger home for the Humboldt Penguins.
Birth: 1 January 2010
A baby female Rothschild's Giraffe has been born, the first for mum Frankie. The baby has been named Keira.
Arrival: October 2009
Five male Drills have arrived from Hanover Zoo, Germany. They actually arrived back in February, but have since been in quarantine; they are now on show in the African Forest mixed species enclosure. It s planned to exchange three of them for females within the next year, to start a new breeding group for this Critically Endangered species, one of the rarest of African mammals. There are less than 3000 left in the wild, due to hunting and habitat loss, and only 75 in captivity.
Arrival: 17 August 2009
Two young female White Rhinos have arrived, to join the Park's existing 4-strong herd. It is hoped that the introduction of new members will improve the herd's poor breeding record - it's thought that the herd, some of whom have been at the Park since it opened, had come to view each other as siblings rather than potential breeding partners.
Birth: 24 July 2009
A baby Rothschild's Giraffe called Jambo has been born, to experienced mum Savannah. Great news for this, the most endangered of the 9 Giraffe subspecies.
Birth: July 2009
More births this year include:
3 baby Squirrel Monkeys,
6 baby Barbary Monkeys,
a baby Red-bellied Lemur,
another Przewalski foal,
2 Pygmy Goat kids,
a Penguin chick,
a Lorikeet chick..
Birth: 15 April 2009
Four baby Patas Monkeys have been born.
Birth: 27 March 2009
Two baby Red River Hogs have been born, to mum Ruby.
Birth: 9 June 2008
A female Przewalski foal called Itani has been born.
Birth: April 2008
Baby Patas Monkeys have been born, to three different mothers.
Birth: 15 March 2008
A female Rothschild Giraffe calf has been born to parents Savannah and Doto. This is the second birth of this species at the Park in just 5 months.
Birth: Winter 2008
Three African Lion cubs have been born, to mum Tambi.
Birth: Winter 2008
A female Bongo calf has been born to mum Cherise. Named Hope, she is half-sister to Hasina who was born last May.
Birth: October 2007
A male Rothschild Giraffe called Harris has been born to mum Acacia.
Birth: Summer 2007
A Yellow Asian Pond Turtle has hatched, the first time this critically endangered species has bred in Europe.
Birth: Summer 2007
More births this year:
A second Przewalski foal
Several baby Barbary Monkeys
Several baby Marmosets
Several baby Squirrel Monkeys
Several baby Wallabies
Birth: May 2007
A Bongo calf has been born, good news for the species which is predicted to become extinct in the wild within 10 years.
Birth: 29 April 2007
A colt Przewalski Horse foal has been born, good news for this highly endangered species. Until recently, when a reintroduction programme was initiated in China, Mongolia and Kazakstan, the species was extinct in the wild. The entire world population is descended from the 31 horses that were in captivity in 1945, and most of those are descended from the 15 brought to Woburn by the 11th Duke of Bedford in the 1900s.
Arrival: 3 March 2007
A female Red-Bellied Lemur has arrived to join the existing three males. It is hoped they will soon breed, and help the survival of this highly endangered species.
Closure: 30 November 2006
The Adventure Ark playground is now closed for refurbishment over the winter. It should reopen 17 March 2007 as the Mammoth Play Ark (it will also be about 40% bigger).
Birth: 20 October 2006
Another Rothschild's Giraffe has been born, a male, and making him the second in less than a month, and the fourth in less than 2 years! His predecessor has now been named Goliath.
Birth: 25 September 2006
Three babies were born last night - a male Rothschild's Giraffe, the third calf to be born at Woburn in less than two years, and Cotton-eared Marmoset twins.
Birth: 17 February 2006
Four African Lion cubs have been born, and are now being allowed out into the reserves with the rest of the pride, including the five youngsters born early last year. This makes the Woburn pride 16 strong, similar in size to prides in the wild and one of the largest (if not the largest) in captivity in Europe.
Birth: 10 January 2006
A baby Rothschild's Giraffe was born just before Christmas, and is now venturing out into the reserves. She is the second calf of this endangered species to be born at Woburn within a year.
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.
Back to Previous Page