Safari park counts animals - from fish to beetles

Safari park animal keepers have carried out a new year count of all their animals, from the tallest giraffes to colonies of the smallest fruit beetles.

Annual tallies are carried out at all wildlife parks for their licences.

Several baby animals were born last year at West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley, and more arrivals, including African elephants, a white Rhino and a zebra, came from other parks across the UK and Europe.

All species were counted including fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates, head of wildlife Angela Potter said.

When it comes to some of the minibeasts, such as fruit beetles and cockroaches, the keepers have not had to count each one - Ms Potter said each species was counted as one colony, because there were so many.

She said this year keepers counted 109 different species of animals, with more than 1,000 individuals.

Last year, all babies born were given names beginning with M, and this year all newborns will be given names beginning with N.

Malaika, a white rhino calf, was the first newborn in January 2024.

The zoo also welcomed Mtembei the giraffe calf, Manilow the Grevy's zebra foal and a lowland anoa calf named Maya.

The final births of the year were two barasingha deer and two Eld's deer, Ms Potter said.

She said the baby animals were all part of a collaborative breeding effort for endangered species between wildlife parks, adding: "The annual count highlights the successes we've had throughout the year, with our conservation efforts, which is something to be proud of."

Animals that came from other parks included Suzy and Gitana, two African elephants from Belgium, white rhino Bonnie from Woburn Safari Park and Angus, a Grevy's zebra, from Marwell Zoo.

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