Yes, I know that the New Forest is full of places to do serious hardcore birding. But I am not a serious hardcore birder, and today really wasn't the day for sitting in the rain getting depressed about all the birds I can't identify/photograph/see. So we went to the Wildlife Park, which is right on the edge of the Forest near Southampton.
I was really impressed with this place - huge enclosures, lots of 'free range' animals and a definite emphasis on conservation. They take in a lot of injured native species and release them back into the wild; the ones who live in the enclosures generally have a disability or some other reason why they wouldn't survive back in the wild. There was lots of genuine wildspace too, and plenty of garden-type nest boxes and feeders for the wild birds - very peculiar to see a blue tit eating peanuts just above the head of a wallaby!
Here's a few snaps.
Red-Necked Wallaby - they just bounce around amongst the visitors:
Sika deer - also very tame and free-range (one took a liking to my trousers and shoelaces!):
Asian Short-Clawed Otters - fabulous little creatures, very sociable and chat to each other with non-stop squeaking:
And lastly, Wild Boar. Hard to imagine that these...
Once looked like this:
BB
Lovely pictures.
How did you get those Otters to line up like that.? Very Clever.
And those Big Boars & the little Boar.. soo cute. :-)
and muddy.
Hi Badgerbread,
Nice pics of your day out!.It is nice to see places like this that care for these animals and release them back into the wild if possible.
Littleowl
Great pictures of your day out, thanks for sharing them.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Hi Badgerbread
Lovely photos, it looks like you had a lovely day out. We had a week down in the New Forest in October last year and loved the place. We visited the otter sanctuary which also had a other wildlife. Not sure if they were rehabilitated animals but it looks like the same sort of set up. It's such a lovely part of the country that I fell in love with it immediately.
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Hi BB,
Thanks for sharing these pictures. I love the little piggy.
Cheers, Linda.
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Brilliant shots of what sounds like a great day out. Love the line of little otters and the baby boar.
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
I love those darling little otters!
Best wishes Chris
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Hi BB, I seem to have missed this thread somehow! Fabulous photos and, like Chris, I also love the otters. It looks a really great day out but I fear it is to far from us for a day trip which is sad. Thanks for sharing your visit.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Hi BadgerBread, I am just trying to catch up with 2 weeks of postings and just had to remark on how I love your photographs. So lovely to see pictures of other 'wildlfe'. Thank you
Lovely pics Badgerbread!! Love those otters and the wild boar too!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
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