Along with other news, I will be providing you with updates on our badger cub, fox cubs and red squirrel kittens over the coming weeks. But first I thought I would mention some of our "lesser" known animals. It is quite easy to forget sometimes some of the smaller animals we have here at the Centre, but we have had a lot of other baby activity this year already!
Of course our deer have had fawns/calves again. Quite early this year too, the photo above is of a few days old fallow fawn.
Once again we have bred polecat kits, but this year it is to our new breeding pair "Storm" and "Velvet". Storm was a road casualty brought to us by the studbook holder, Lesley Palmer, to pair up with the very aggressive Velvet. After a lack of mating last year we questioned whether Storm was up to the job, but since he was such a handsome chap Lesley and I decided to give him one more crack at it. He hasn't disappointed, and Velvet now has 7 young kitts to look after.
Our display pair of hedgehogs have been a little less active than normal, outside the talk time, and this is due to them having a couple of hogletts to look after. "Lemming" and "Erin" sired young last year too so are experienced parents, and these young hedgehogs will be placed on a release scheme later in the Summer when they are of a nice weight.
And once again the BWC is home to baby rabbits. Earlier this year we replaced the three rabbits we had on display with our off-site colony, which had tamed down very nicely. These have proved to be a far better exhibit showing both natural eating, grazing and digging behaviour comfortably in front of the public. Earlier this month they produced there second litter of healthy babies showing that they truly have settled into their new home, and now the youngsters are often seen out in their outside run too, during the day.
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