Pets&Wildlife
MAKING IT COUNT Some animals are easier to count, such as the crash of white rhinos, who are getting a new habitat for 2022
Whether the animals go in two by two or ten at a time, they all need to be counted in West Midlands Safari Park’s annual stocktake
T
he spring season brings with it new life across the animal kingdom, and when you are responsible for the care of several hundred beasties, it’s important to know exactly who you’re looking after. So every year a stocktake of creatures large and small has to take place at West Midland Safari Park, and this mammoth task has just been completed for 2022. Every animal, from the huge African elephants to the tiny, critically endangered golden mantella frogs, is counted and the total continually changes. In 2021 the park welcomed some new animals, including two white rhino calves and 26 rainbow lorikeet chicks, as well as a red panda. The zoo’s head of wildlife, Angela Potter, said: “This is the time of year that we carry out the annual count of all our animals. We have 121 species and over 1000 individuals, so it’s a real team effort to ensure every animal is included. Most are counted singly, such as our white rhino herd, which had the addition of two lovely boys, Jambo and Jumani, born in 2021, but some are counted in colonies, such as our leafcutter ants. It would take a very long time if you were to count every one of those individually! “Of course, our keepers count our animals on a daily basis too, and give them a good look-over to ensure they are all healthy and well, but this annual audit in January is something each wildlife attraction must undertake as part of our zoo licence requirements.” Keeper Holly had 26 more heads to count in Lorikeet Landing, following the hatching of chicks in 2021 100 SHIRE MAGAZINE | May/June 2022
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Angela said: “In 2021, we welcomed some new
species to our collection and these included Mei Lin, our beautiful red panda who joined us in August, and three smaller species: whitebelly reed frogs, crocodile lizards and Lau banded iguanas. We also The animals are counted daily said goodbye to some notable and checked over, including characters who left us to join Hartley, the pancake collections in Scotland. These tortoise included Fennessy and Gerald, our two young male giraffes and Grace, our young Grévy’s zebra, who all went to Edinburgh Zoo, and three Bactrian camels: Dierdre and Dippy, who are now at Highland Wildlife Park and Doris, who is at Blair Drummond Safari Park.” As mentioned, the audit is part of zoo licensing requirements and
“Our beautiful red panda joined us in August” Discovery Trail keeper Katie Stokes and red panda Mei Lin
once every head has been counted, the results are noted in a report which is sent to the local authority. The park’s wildlife administrator then checks the results against the animal record system, to ensure the census matches. A variety of animals call the safari park home, including mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Some are easier to count than others, such as the pancake tortoises compared to the scurrying Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
