HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween from all the Team at Seaview Wildlife Encounter!  Are you planning to go “trick & treating”?  Or do you have some other delightfully devillish idea up your witch’s sleeve …?  Whatever your plans, we wish you a ghoulishly fun day and evening ahead!

Wonderful Winter Wildlife Encounters

 

Holly Hinds (pictured below) has been with us for the last two days in a special extended “Keeper for two days” experience.  We were extremely pleased to welcome Holly back again as a Keeper for a Day – with this being her third experience there’s no doubt that she’s really getting to know some of the animals and their husbandry routines.  Today Holly has helped out with enrichment activities such as putting vegetables and straw into small boxes for the pigs to forage in as well as helping with pumpkin-filled treats for the Otters.

 

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Thomas and Chloe Boniface (below) were treated to a Junior Wildlife Experience by their Grandparents yesterday.  They’re here on the Island from their home near Bath and this Wildlife Experience was a complete surprise for them.  They said they really enjoyed every minute and are hoping for a repeat treat next year!

 

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Halloween pumpkin fun at the Park

Over the weekend, in the run up to Halloween, the Keepers cut out a pumpkin and filled it with treats.  The first to have a go were the Meerkats and then later the Otters – great enrichment and a fun time for all!

Last week of our Wildlife Encounters for 2012

The Park will be closing for the winter months this coming Sunday 4th November.  As always we’ll really miss the company of all our guests – and the animals will miss you too – it’s a big adjustment for everyone!
Here are a selection of some of our most recent Wildlife Encounter guest photos taken over the last few days:

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Above: Carole Cooper was Keeper for a Day with us on Friday 26th October.  Carole said she really enjoyed the experience and was amazed how busy a Keeper’s job is!

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Above: Millie and Jack were “Keepers for a Day” on Saturday 27th October.  On holiday from the mainland, Millie and Jack particularly enjoyed their time with the Wallabies and the fun, frenzied feeding of the ducks down at the Lower Lake in the late afternoon!

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Above: Joanna Day from Bristol is over on the Island for a short break and booked to have a Penguin Encounter with Dippy and his pals earlier today (29th October) – fortunately the showers stopped just in time!

Having a Wild Time all weekend long!

 

On Saturday (20th October) Lucy Pain (below) was treated to a Junior Wildlife Experience by her parents - to celebrate her ninth birthday!  Lucy loved all the animals, especially the Wallabies – and feeding all the ducks!  Happy birthday Lucy!

 

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Yesterday (Sunday, 21st October) Ellie Williams (pictured below) was a Keeper for a Day with us – this was in celebration of her 12th birthday (happy birthday from all the Team here at Seaview Wildlife!)  Ellie said she particularly enjoyed spending time with the Guinea Pigs and Rabbits.

 

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James and Mia (below) are on holiday on the Island for a few days and heard about our Penguin Encounters.  Mia has a special love for Penguins.  Our cheeky characters didn’t disappoint, they were on top form yesterday – giving James and Mia the run around!

 

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Wishing Ruby Roberts a very happy 6th birthday from all of us at the Park!  Ruby, along with friends and family, had her birthday party here yesterday where it is hoped a good time was enjoyed by all!

Rats new luxury lodgings

Rizzo and Templeton have moved into their new luxury lodgings!  A purpose-built, made to order, designer rodent abode – especially for our two boys!  (Thanks to Graham our Chef, who, when he’s wearing his other hat, is a fine carpenter and handyman!)  A special addition to their new home is the soft, plush, yellow hammock kindly donated to the Rat Lads by Sally in our Gift Shop.  Templeton has taken to this with rapacious ratty rigour – but there isn’t quite enough space in it for two.  They do prefer to snuggle up together, especially now that the chilly Autumn weather’s here … so we may need to work on a second hammock, this time big enough for both!

 

Flamingo Chick update – great progress!

Our regular Blog readers may remember that we rescued a Chilean Flamingo chick a little while ago that had been cast out by the flock.  The young Flamingo is now approximately three months old.  The Keepers have done a great job of hand-rearing the chick so far!  He’s being tube-fed a specialised diet and has gained weight steadily, especially over this past week (we don’t actually know whether it’s a he or a she, but the chick is referred to as ‘he’ by the Animal Care Team!)  Over the last couple of nights the youngster has been given Flamingo Pellets soaked in water – and for the first time today we witnessed him feeding himself!!  This is a very re-assuring step forward in his progress!  It’s moments such as these that are amongst the most rewarding and exhilarating of all for our Team!

 
Above left: standing next to his feed bowl. Above centre: Examining the soaked pellets.  Above right: tucking in!

Honeymoon couple enjoy Wildlife Combo Encounter

Yesterday we welcomed Tim and Alex Whiteway to the Park.  The couple are on their honeymoon here on the Island and had previously booked a Combo Encounter (close-up time with Penguins and Meerkats) to be part of their special week together.  They both said they’d had a really great time!

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Keeper for a Day Take 2

Robert Usher was a Keeper for a Day with us last October – and enjoyed it so much he came back for a second time today.  What a beautiful, sunny Autumn day it’s been here on the Isle of Wight – absolutely glorious – perfect weather for being out in the Park amongst the animals, enjoying magical moments!  Here are a few of the photos taken during Robert’s experience at the Park today:

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Making the most of fair weather this weekend!

Thank you to all our visitors for choosing to spend a day at Seaview Wildlife Encounter this past weekend.  Special thanks to our V.I.P. Wildlife Encounter guests - we were pleased to receive your positive feedback and hope you enjoyed your time at the Park as much as we enjoyed sharing the wonder of close-up animal encounters with you.

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On Saturday 13th October we welcomed Eden, Jordan and Roisin for a Junior Wildlife Experience (images above).  It was Eden’s 11th birthday present -  he celebrated his birthday here at the Park last year with a birthday party group and he adopted Amber the Eurasian Eagle Owl – so it was great to welcome him and his family back again.

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Andrew Karno (pictured above) celebrated his birthday with Jennifer Mason on Saturday by coming down from London for the day – especially to experience a one-on-one Meerkat Encounter with us.  Happy birthday Andrew!

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Eva Ship (above) was treated to a Junior Wildlife Experience yesterday by her family for her 6th birthday present.  Eva particularly loved the Penguins.  Happy birthday Eva from all the Team at Seaview Wildlife Encounter x

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Helen and Steve Cook (pictured above) visited the Park from the mainland yesterday.  They’re both interested in wildlife and have been to Africa to see animals in the wild –although haven’t yet been to the Kalahari to see Meerkats!  They thoroughly enjoyed their Meerkat Experience with us here at Seaview Wildlife Encounter!

Ratatouille perhaps

Our two ‘fancy rats’, Rizzo and Templeton were seen earlier this morning ‘helping’ the Keepers in the prep room … the two boys are very sociable and inquisitive and seem to really enjoy spending time with the Keepers whenever there’s a chance! 

Owls – health check

Every few months the Owls are ‘caught-up’ by the Animal Care Team for a thorough health check.  This includes body scoring (ensuring their weight is correct), trimming of talons, filing of beaks (if necessary), checking for external parasites and applying a preventative spray, as well as giving an oral dose of internal parasite treatment.  Here are a few images of the process in action:

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Flamingo chick being hand-reared

 

Here are some images of the Chilean Flamingo chick that we’re hand-rearing, taken yesterday whilst it was being weighed and tube-fed by members of our Animal Care Team.  The chick was taken in after standing on its own - aside from main flock for some days– wet, cold and forlorn.  The hand-rearing of Flamingo chicks is not easy, but so far, so good!

 

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Wednesday - the best day of the week!

Yesterday (Wednesday 10th October) was the best day of the week weather-wise here on the Isle of Wight.  Thank goodness for some respite from the rain …
Larissa and Mark Allen from Bournemouth are celebrating their first anniversary here on the Island this week and chose a Meerkat Encounter as one of their week’s special activities.  The couple said they absolutely loved it, especially Larissa who was ready to spend the rest of her holiday in with the Meerkats!

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