- Exmoor Zoo
Exmoor Zoo is a conservation centre and tourist attraction on
Exmoor , nearBratton Fleming inNorth Devon ,England .The zoo opened in 1982 and specialises in the conservation of smaller animals. A major feature of the zoo is the educational work accomplished through hands-on 'meet the animals' presentations and a wide-ranging programme of animal feeding sessions where the public have ready access to ask questions of the keepers.
Animal overview
Exmoor Zoo cares for around 200 different species of animals, birds and reptiles.
Mammals
Among the larger residents are
cheetah , maned wolves,otter s andArctic fox es, together with a large collection of primates. The zoo is also home to one of the largest collections oftamarin s, andmarmoset s and also includeshowler monkey s andgibbon s.Due to arrive in September 2007 is a new enclosure named 'Exmoor Beast' which is going to be home to one of the big cat species.
More common mammals may be seen too, such as:
deer ,porcupine s, andmeerkat s.Birds
There is a large lake, home to
penguins ,pelican s and other waterfowl.A substantial array of aviaries hold a variety of other birds, such as South American parrots and owls.
Conservation work
The zoo participates in many international, European and national animal breeding programmes, and cooperates with other zoos around the world to freely exchange animals to ensure their future survival.
The zoo is particularly noted for its conservation work with respect to
Humboldt penguin s,lemur s,tamarin s andmarmoset s.In the news
Thieves targeted the zoo in March 2006, stealing a number of endangered species. The entire colony of eleven
black-eared marmoset s were stolen, the only breeding colony in Britain, wrecking 13 years of the zoo's attempts to protect the highly endangered animals. The thieves' haul also included a pair ofwhite-fronted marmoset s, a pair ofcockatoo s and a pair ofAmazon parrot s. It is believed that the animals were stolen 'to order'. Two of the marmosets have since been recovered. ( [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4823588.stm BBC News story] ).In September 2006 the zoo acquired a pair of
howler monkey s, called "Greeb" and "Wing", to act as a 'burglar alarm'. This move was prompted by the theft of the marmosets earlier in the year. The zookeepers are hoping that the noisy monkeys will be enough to scare off would-be intruders ( [http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5390000/newsid_5398700/5398742.stm CBBC Newsround story] ).In June 2006 a family of blackbirds nested in an artificial tree in the education centre, drawing a lot of attention from families visiting the zoo.
External links
* [http://www.exmoorzoo.co.uk Exmoor Zoo home page]
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