Letter of the Week - from Marion Wade

Image: Pink-Backed Pelican - M.E. Wade - 2009

Marion and Tony Wade have been returning visitors to Seaview Wildlife Encounter over a number of years. Marion regularly enters our 'wildlife photographer of the year' competition and has proven herself to be a talent to be reckoned with! We recently entered some of Marion's photographs taken during her trip to the Park last year onto our website - http://www.seaviewwildlife.com/ (Photo Gallery) - our doing this may have sparked Marion into writing the really warm letter that we've selected as our 'letter of the week' - below. Thank you Marion - we hope to see you and Tony back again really soon and hope you may consider submitting some new photographs in this year's competition.

"Dear Jules,

It was lovely to meet you at the “Wightlife Photography Exhibition” last December. We had a wonderful time, and of course I loved seeing my pictures displayed.

I have just spent a brilliant evening imagining myself back on the Isle of Wight, while looking at your updated web site, which I loved. Then to my surprise I find my pictures in your gallery! So I decided to contact you and say how thrilled I was to see you using them. I also enjoyed reading through all the “Blog” pages, and in doing so I came across your picture of the Pelican, taken as you described, “in the soft morning light, in that unusual pose”, which was really lovely.

We are hoping to visit the island later this year but it will depend on Tony's health. The operation he had in February was successful, so if he continues to make good progress we just may be able to come. If we do, we will definitely be visiting you, as it gives us the opportunity to indulge in our two passions, wildlife and photography. Plus I have never seen Harvest Mice, so I was excited to read you will be having them at your park, and I would love to get a good photo of them. In the meantime, all the best for your new season.

Kindest Wishes,

Marian Wade.
Shropshire"

Quotes of the Week

" Amazing, brilliant and beautiful. A really nice day out" Kim Jones, Portsmouth

" A wonderful day out. You have the best enclosures for lucky, happy animals. Thank you so much" Owen Family - Telford, Shrops

" Best venue on the Island with the happiest animals! Brilliant" Deb & Lloyd Cunningham, Isle Of Wight

" Really fun and you can get really involved and the keepers are really nice" Kelsey Cox, Pulborough

Barrows Goldeneye urgently seeking wife!

Is there anyone out there who knows of a potential partner for our exceptionally handsome Barrows Goldeneye? He's all on his own right now and would love to meet a friendly (even flirtatious) fabulous, feathered friend for a seriously unfrivilous encounter ...... please be in touch via info@seaviewwildlife.com

Be-a-Keeper-for-a-Day (first participant for 2010!)

Louise Broadhurst is the first person to participate in the newly launched "Be-a-Keeper-for-a-Day programme at Seaview Wildlife Encounter on the Isle of Wight. Louise, aged 14 and from Essex, is on holiday this week; this was her first visit to the Park. This special day as a Keeper was a gift from her Grandparents who are resident on the Island.
Louise enjoyed a busy, varied day shadowing our Education Officer, Tara Hayter; she also spent some time with Headkeeper Craig Holmes.

Some of Louise's activities included cleaning and feeding the newly hatched ducklings in the Incubation House, preparing feed for the newly hatched Humboldt Penguin chicks and then helping to syringe-feed them; assisting with feeding of the adult Penguins, spending time with and helping to feed the Wallabies, the Meerkats and various furry animals in Pets Corner!

At the end of the day Louise said "it's been an amazing day and an unbelievable experience" .

Louise mentioned that she'd like to contact us in the future when she's ready to do a 'work experience' assignment. We look forward to welcoming Louise back to the Park in due course.

Quotes of the Week from our Visitors Book

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"A lovely day here with the grandsons. So nice to have a clean place to visit. Can highly recommend. Thank you" J. O'Brien

"Loved how tame everything is as you can get close to the animals especially the Wallabies. Hopefully coming again soon!" Chaffer Family, Burnley.

"Just to let you know that we had a fantastic time at Seaview Wildlife Encounter, today. We took our son, wife and 3 sons, and our daughter and husband. We all agreed that there was something there for all of our interests! We thought it was brilliant - well worth the entrance fee!

The children loved the 'hands-on' approach. They all enjoyed feeding the penguins, holding the hissing cockroaches, and stroking the bearded dragon. The adults (female!) LOVED the wallabies with their joeys! The chaps enjoyed the meerkats.

Thankfully, the weather held for our visit! Brilliant!"

Best Wishes, Howard, Irene and family

"Great friendly place to come. Best wildlife centre we have been to!!" Hopkinson Family, Bucks.

Educational and fun - school visits are an ongoing success!

Education Officer, Tara Hayter and Animal Keeper, Fern Daley are continuing their visits to pre-primary and primary schools on the Isle of Wight. These visits were started during the winter months as a fun, hands-on way to get kids involved and interested in wildlife issues and in caring for animals. The feedback from these visits has been so positive and it seems news has travelled like wildfire - resulting in bookings continuing into the Spring months. For more information or to make a booking please contact Tara by email: keeper@seaviewwildlife.com

Hand-rearing of Penguin chicks is going well!

You may remember our Blog of two days ago of a tiny Humboldt Penguin chick emerging from its egg - the Animal Care Team had to rescue it from being crushed by its over-zealous parents - the good news is that it's feeding well and looking fine! To simulate the re-gurgitated fish from the mother's beak the Keepers are syringe-feeding the youngster liquidised sprats with added saline, multi-vitamins and calcium 4X per day, 10% of its body weight at each feed. Today's image shows the chick just after a feed, dozing in the warm palm of Lorraine's hand!