Stoats and Weasels

Finally, stoats and weasels are back in our outside enclosures opposite our polecats and mink! As many of you are aware, we used to house several stoats and weasels at the centre and were very successful in breeding them. However, after a mysterious virus a few years ago, we were left with just one weasel and 2 stoats. Being the main breeders of them in the country, it has been a struggle to source new ones... but now, after a long wait, we seem to be back to where we were.

Our two youngsters, Sybil the Stoat and Eva the weasel are housed in our hedgerow pens where they can be used for education work with the schools. Eva in particular has been a huge star with visitors already, often being out for most of the day and coming over to say hello.

Our outside enclosures now house 3 stoats and 2 weasels... and offer great photographic opportunities for you budding photographers.

As well as these on display, we currently have an injured stoat in our care that was caught by a cat. It was found by someone in Southampton, and they contacted Andy Gray at Mustelid Rescue UK. Being all the way down in the South, he asked if we could help out with this rescue... and being a friend of the centre, of course we helped Andy out. Needing the attention this stoat does for her healing process, she is becoming very friendly and so I think will remain here at the Centre too.

Check out more of what Andy's rescue group is all about at Mustelid Rescue and why not have a look at his blog, which proves interesting reading about herp life and the odd bit of mustelid news.

OK, so be honest... who can tell which one is the stoat and which one is the weasel in the photos above? I'll give you a clue:

Weasels are weasely recognised where as stoats are stoatally different! ... oh dear. No seriously, a clue is that a stoat has a black tip to the tail. Oh wait, you can't see there tails...