LETTER OF THE WEEK

I am writing to thank you for your generosity. As a member of the 3rd Ryde Girls Brigade I would like to say how much I thoroughly enjoyed our recent day out donated to us at your Park Seaview Wildlife Encounter.

I thought this sort of gesture needed to be thanked personally seeing as such a wonderful day was had by all of us. I personally enjoyed feeding the penguins and wallabies and seeing your new Otters.

Thank you,

Katie. (A 3rd Ryde Girls' Brigade)

Celebrating the arrival of our Chilean Flamingo chicks!

We're thrilled to announce that our Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Chilensis) have hatched three chicks so far this season. Having had a two year lull in our breeding programme these chicks are particularly special!

Chilean Flamingos: a few facts about their breeding habits

- Reach sexual maturity at 6 years of age.
- Usually form new pairs each season.
- Breeding adults build nests by forming mounds of mud measuring approx 15 inches in diameter, 1-2 feet high - being elevated helps protect nest from heat and flooding at ground level. Indentation is made on top of mound where female lays one chalky white egg.
- Both parents incubate the egg for approximately 28 - 30 days.
- On hatching the chick is covered with grey down. Its bill is initially straight to allow parents to feed by regurgitation; it curves after a few months.
- It takes approximately 2 years for the chick to grow into its adult plumage.

LETTER OF THE WEEK

THANK YOU

I would like to say a big thank you and how much we really enjoyed our visit to your Park. Both our girls loved the interaction with the animals which at most animal based parks they are either caged or behind glass.

Our youngest daughter Sophie loved the wallabies and they seemed to really like her as they were so tame and let her touch and admire them. We also found your staff very friendly and they even took the time out to answer our eldest daughter Megans questions regarding animal habitats and diets.

We will definately be visiting you again on our next trip to the Isle Of Wight.

Thank you again. Laurrie, Steve, Megan and Sophie.

SPECIAL FUNDRAISING WEEKEND!

What are you and your family up to this August Bank Holiday Weekend? We’ve got lots going on at Seaview Wildlife Encounter including a very important fund raising event. This is your chance to get involved in a really special project …….
One of our Senior Head Keepers (Tara Hayter, pictured above) has volunteered to go to Cape Town for 6 weeks in October of this year – to assist with the rescue and care of African Penguins and other marine birds that have been orphaned or affected by oil spills off the Cape coast.

The work of saving and rehabilitating African Penguins and other marine birds is organized by SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds).
SANCCOB aims to conserve and protect South Africa´s sea birds, especially threatened species (such as the African Penguin and the Cape Gannet). It relies on volunteers for the hard work needed to save and care for approximately 2000 sea birds that are rescued each year. This project has tugged at our heart-strings because the African (Jackass) Penguin is so similar to our resident Humboldt Penguins – both in terms of appearance, their braying call and because both species are endangered with numbers dwindling rapidly in the wild.

How can you help? Well, over the August Bank Holiday weekend we’ll be raising funds towards Tara’s trip and towards the conservation of the African Penguin. By coming to our Park you can have fun helping to feed our penguins at 11.30am and 3.30pm whilst supporting this worthwhile cause. Tara will have a few of her beautiful hand-sketched cards and pictures for sale at the fund-raising tables (see examples of these exquisite drawings under Tara's 'keeper profile' on our website). There’ll be a number of fun activities such as face-painting, penguin foot-printing, and the chance to choose a name for one of our baby penguins! Prizes include ‘being a keeper for a day’; feeding Willaby (our young orphaned Wallaby Joey) - and having your photo taken with him; and a free entrance ticket to our Park for a family of four. See you there!