The Bedford Estates, London2024 is now well underway!
Let's recap all our new additions, achievements and arrivals...
From animal births to new residents moving in, there were plenty of new arrivals to the Park last year.
The red-necked wallabies brought us some tiny new arrivals last summer, and we said hello to their joeys, which you may have spotted tucked away in their mothers’ pouches, before they explored their new home in the Australian Walkabout.
Slender-tailed meerkats Pansy and Brendan welcomed five new pups to their growing mob in August. They soon became comfortable in their new surroundings, delighting visitors with their antics, along with their older siblings and parents down at Desert Springs.
More new arrivals
The North American bison herd also expanded, as we said hello to two adorable little calves, which when young, look quite distinctively different to the rest of the adult herd. You may have spotted them with their lighter coloured coats!
At Rainbow Landing, proud dusky lory parents Nick and Jaffar welcomed the first chick hatched at the Park for many years, little Mushu, who has been making a big impact with their loud personality and excellent vocal skills!
We also welcomed many new species from other animal collections, including a trio of female dwarf forest buffalo besties Beyonce, Anastaxia, and Bukama.
Joining the reptiles and insects in the Dissscovery Zone (in the Foot Safari) were tiny Egyptian tortoises Simon and Theodore.
Plus one-year-old Somali wild ass Amara joined the herd, with the intention that she will provide breeding hope for the critically endangered species.
Over on the Foot Safari, half-sister duo Leoni and Kira excitedly greeted their new bestie, Gala the California Sea Lion! Keepers have noted that the trio have been getting on ‘swimmingly’ since the 20-year-old arrived from Banham Zoo in December.
Breeding Hope for 2024
But that’s not all! Our work towards the preservation of endangered species continues on our Road Safari as we welcome Pesaka the Eastern Mountain Bongo to the herd. It is hoped that he will breed with the existing three females at the Park, providing hope for this Critically Endangered species with less than 150 individuals left in the wild.
Outstanding Keeper Achievements
There were also many exciting keeper achievements to celebrate this year! Catherine Doherty, Head of Animal Encounters has been working closely with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Harvest Mouse Focus Group, to launch the brand new BIAZA European Harvest Mouse care sheet.
Cat presented her findings as BIAZA Species monitor for European Harvest mice. The work Cat is doing is crucial to prevent habitat loss to preserve harvest mice populations across the UK and beyond.
Head of Education and Customer Liasion, Natasha Kyle, was also celebrated for her hard work in improving accessibility across the Park.
This includes implementing a whole range of updates and improvements for visitors, like the new Changing Places facility, a new programme of educational SEN Workshop Days, new interpretive signage with British Sign Language translations of animal names. And there is plenty more to come in 2024 and beyond.
She was appointed as a Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group Member, which will see her working alongside other BIAZA collections to improve their inclusion and accessibility.
Check out these safari stats!
ONE MILLION
views on Tiktok for Minerva the Amur Tiger, as she went viral once again for making some extra-large ‘tiger biscuits’.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
of views for a photograph of the four North American black bear cubs being released into the main reserve, as the snap was named Yahoo’s Top Photo for May.
18,000
pounds were raised for projects such as the Bongo Surveillance Project, the International Elephant Foundation, and The Wildcats Conservation Alliance through our fundraising events this year.
19
couples said ‘I do’ at The Safari Lodge, making their big day extra special with a safari backdrop to their nuptials.
Discover more in 2024
That’s a wrap! There is plenty of action to look forward to in 2024 at Woburn Safari Park, keep your eyes peeled for exclusive updates on events, births, holiday activities and HUGE COMPETITIONS!
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