Northumberland Country Zoo ~ September 2017

Posted in Adventures, animals, birds, Fuji, FujiX-T2, nature, photography, wildlifeTagged , , , , , , , ,

I have mixed feelings about zoo’s, on the one hand I can’t help feeling animals and birds should be free, on the other hand seeing and photographing animals and birds you don’t/can’t normally see in daily life is always a thrill.  I only found out about Northumberland Zoo this year, so back in September Sophie and I went off to see what it was all about.  The zoo only got their licence in 2015, so it is quite new, and their philosophy is as good as it gets.

Our mission is to become a leader in the education and conservation of wildlife and their unique habitats, making it accessible to all whilst still providing a compelling visitor experience.

Our vision is to see a change in the perception towards wildlife and habitats which will lead to a sustainable natural world.

  • CONSERVATION IMPACT To increase our support for more conservation programmes including ones which we currently are involved with, both in-itu and ex-situ (natural environment and enclosure).
  • ANIMAL COLLECTION To set high standards and excel in the husbandry of the species in which we keep providing them with the opportunity to express natural behaviours.
  • SUSTAINABILITY To create an animal collection that is economically and environmentally sustainable for the long term.
  • To increase awareness, understanding and support of our animal collection and its projects as a centre for conservation and education excellence in the North East and beyond.

Here are some of the inmates that posed for us

Does anyone NOT love a meerkat?

or their babies?

This chap maybe not so cute

CAPE CRESTED PORCUPINE. Hystrix africaeaustralis.   Porcupines are not able to shoot their quills, they have to reverse into their attackers for the dangerous quills to stick in!

They say you’re only ever 9 feet away from a rat…

CAPYBARA. Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris.   Capybara are the largest rodent in the world and they are semi-aquatic which means they spend a lot of time in water, they even mate under-water!

Back to cute..

RING-TAILED LEMUR.  Lemur catta.  IUCN Red List Status: Endangered.  Ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands on their wrists, which they then rub all the way along their tails to then waft their tails at other lemurs in ‘stink fights’!

I do love exotic birds, such a nice change from spuggies 🙂

LAUGHING KOOKABURRA. Dacelo novaeguineae. Laughing Kookaburra are the largest species of Kookaburra in the world.
EAGLE OWL. Bubo bubo.  All owls have a fur like surface on their feathers which mean that they are quiet fliers and they can sneak up on prey, however this means they are not waterproof!
LOVEBIRD. Agapornis spp.  Lovebirds mate for life and pairs can be seen snuggled up together – hence the name.

As well as exotic creatures, there are some more familiar animals

CLYDESDALE. Fudge the Clydesdale Horse. He is just a big friendly giant. Clydesdales were bred as heavy horses to help with farm work when mechanical machinery had not been invented yet!
PIG.  Pigs have a very exact gestation period which is easy for remembering – 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days! After which, they can have at least a dozen piglets.
FALLOW DEER. Dama dama. Fallow deer can run up to 30mph and jump up to 2m in height!

And I’ll finish up with my favourites of the day, the humble Chicken. CHICKEN G. Gallus domesticu
There are hundreds of breeds of chicken bred for their meat, egg production or just purely for their looks.  I’m not quite sure which category these fine specimens fall into, Comedic Value wasn’t on the list!

For more cuteness, exotica and extra animals, the full album can be found HERE

and the zoo’s website HERE

30 thoughts on “Northumberland Country Zoo ~ September 2017”

  1. Great shots indeed, and as always, I enjoyed the full album of extras. I love porcupines, and think their faces are cute.
    I went through a phase of refusing to go to any zoo. Then as I got older, I read about conservation and breeding, and realised how much we needed them. So I joined London Zoo as a member, (I lived around the corner at the time) and went whenever I had the chance.
    Best wishes, Pete.

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  7. I’m mixed on zoos too. It’s so much fun to see the animals and a great experience for kids, but you do feel for the animals. That baby meerkat is ridiculously cute… all babies. These are great pictures!!

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  8. What an enjoyable journey across your chronicles, fraglerocking. I am glad you have had so many adventures filled with history, nature and travels. What make them more enjoyable is your point of view, it is generous and down to earth, positive as well. Thank you. : )

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  9. Thank you, Fraggle for making me smile as I claw my way up this midweek hump. 😀 I love the love birds, and the eagle owl is magnificent! Meerkats — you’re right. What’s not to love? They’re so funny. And the fancy chickens with their fluffy pantaloons… adorable. Huge hugs.

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  15. Pingback: Northumberland Zoo ~ October 2021 ~ part 1 – fraggle

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