Borrowed Run System

Some of you who have visited us over the weekend may have noticed that our outside stoat and weasel pens, currently occupied by some polecats, have had a few run systems built in place. After the success of the pine marten runways and the already well established overhead runs in the Barn and Hedgerow, we decided to give more space to the animals in these enclosures as well.

Currently our polecats are testing them out and already they are being used regularly. Within in a few weeks we expect to see our young polecat kits running around them too.

Keep an eye on the blog over the next couple of weeks to here news of when we are moving a few of the mustelids around. We hope to be able to bring you Stoats and Weasels back to the photographic pens, with the new runways, by the end of Summer this year.

Mustelid matings

It's that time of year again when I have to hold my breath and introduce our pine martens together in the hope that they may mate. Pine martens can come into season through July and August, but due to their very solitary nature can show aggression towards each other. Our newest marten, Hamish, seems to have a very volatile nature to him and since our other female, Buttons, is probably too old to mate I will keep those two separate. However, Clyde pictured above, has been let into Bonnie's, pictured below, enclosure in the hope that they will mate.

Pine martens have a delayed implantation, so all things going to plan Bonnie will start her active gestation next Spring and we will have young pine marten kits for the Summer of 2011! If she doesn't take, then next year I will give Hamish a chance of being the father.

As well as the pine martens we are currently pairing up our stoats (pictured above) and weasels in the hope of them breeding. We have 2 young female stoats and 1 male which will be moved to our photographic enclosures opposite the polecats at the end of the week where we will try to introduce them for breeding.

Meanwhile our 2 weasels are currently happily living together and have been seen mating. Hopefully in a few weeks we will have young weasel kits again at the Centre. I am looking to have weasels back out in our photographic pens, next to the stoats, by mid/end of Summer.

New hare on display

Do you remember that a few months ago we took in a couple of young orphaned leverets? Well, I know many of you do because I have had quite a few messages asking how they are doing and whether they made it. Well, Izzy took on the difficult task of rearing these nervous and skittish animals and has done a fantastic job seeing them both through the weaning stage.

The future for these two hares are both good, but very different news. One of the hares we are going to release back into the wild next week where it should hopefully lead a happy and healthy life. Her sister however has always acted a little differently, and when taken to the vets a couple of weeks ago they confirmed Izzy's suspicions that she was completely blind in both eyes.

This means that we will not release her, but instead have introduced her to our other hare currently resising in our kestrel aviary.

This is a picture of the hare during the weaning process, she now has the name "Barley"

Izzy letting her go into the aviary. Barley seemed to enjoy the long grass, and has settled down extremely quickly. After just one night it appears she has her new enclosure mapped out in her head. She has met our other hare, moongazer, and they seem quite happy to share their pen.