Marwell Zoo records record births in annual stock take
It follows a baby boom in 2024 for the Hampshire wildlife park
Marwell Zoo has revealed it enjoyed a record year for births in 2024, as it releases the results of its annual stocktake.
The wildlife park near Winchester is legally required to count the number of animals and species they care for as part of its license.
Keepers have spent the past few weeks logging every single mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate, and fish.
In all, more than 500 animals from a record 145 species now call the zoo home, including 19 invertebrate species, 13 fish, four amphibians, 21 reptiles, 30 birds, and 58 mammals.
Marwell celebrated the birth of a rare okapi calf, born to five-year-old Niari in October last year. Often called the "forest giraffe" due to their distinctive markings, okapis are an elusive species native to the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The zoo’s cotton-top tamarin family also grew in 2024, with the arrival of a new baby named Fester.
Critically endangered, cotton-top tamarins are among the world’s rarest primates, and this birth represents a significant milestone for the breeding programme.
The troop has also been joined by a new species, the Chacoan mara, a rodent native to South America.
Four Przewalski’s horse foals joined the herd in 2024. Once extinct in the wild, these horses have made a remarkable comeback thanks to ongoing conservation efforts by Marwell and other conservation organisations.
In addition to the births, Marwell welcomed a number of new animals in 2024, including Warjun, a male snow leopard who arrived from the Czech Republic and Cherry, a female red panda introduced as a companion for Tashi, Marwell’s resident male red panda.
Penguin Cove saw the addition of 10 new Humboldt penguins in January, with these birds expected to form key breeding pairs as part of a European breeding programme dedicated to their conservation.
One of the zoo’s most extraordinary conservation achievements of the year was the release of over 6,000 Partula snails into the wild in French Polynesia. Among them, 1,640 were bred at Marwell Zoo, marking the zoo’s largest-ever contribution to a conservation reintroduction project.
Debbie Pearson, Animal Registrar at Marwell Zoo, said:
"Our annual stocktake is an essential part of zoo legislation, and we’re pleased to share this year’s results.
"With more than 500 animals across 145 species, it’s been a thrilling year with some exciting firsts for Marwell.
"The data we collect is shared through the ZIMS Species360 database, which plays a vital role in global conservation breeding programmes.”