Caracals Down-Under...
13/06/2021
We have just had news that our first major animal move for over a year has been completed, and all is well.
Five Caracals made the journey from Hamerton to Australia over Friday/Saturday, and are now settling into their new temporary quarantine accommodation.
Two pairs of South African Caracal were imported to Hamerton a couple of years ago, specifically for onward shipment to Australia. This species of cat was never part of the collection plan at our Park, but even so they settled in here very well and reared a male kitten. The five animals originate from several pure and unrelated blood-lines, and will provide a founding population for the breeding programme.
We are all very grateful to everyone in our team who helped make this move come together, despite last minute bureaucratic 'issues'. Special thanks go to the staff of Emirates Airlines at London Heathrow, who were wonderful.
Work will now commence of the conversion of our former tiger 'barn', which will eventually become a walk-through aviary; but in the shorter-term will house a pair of Hamerton-born Binturongs, which have not been able to move to their new zoo because of logistical problems and delays caused by Covid/Brexit.