New Otter Enclosure..
22/05/2016
Five major building projects are being worked on at the Park. Our largest project for many years, 'Tiger Falls' for the only pair of Malaysian Tigers in the UK - which we hope will be open around International Tiger Day in late July / early August..
Also nearing completion is a brand new enclosure for our family group of Asian Short-clawed Otters, which features a rock-face with waterfalls, stream and a shallow pool. This species of Otter does not swim strongly and avoids deeper water. It's feet are only partially webbed and it spends most of its time around the margins of shallow water looking for insects, snails and shellfish.
Following a miserable wet winter which stopped most of our building work, spring 2016 has been the busiest period since the Park opened. Our multiple projects are progressing well. Whilst in an ideal World it would not be our preferred choice - to make best use of the specialised contractors needed, it always makes sense for those parts of each job to be done together. The 'right' people are in big demand and travel long distances between work, so in order to control the huge expense of this development, this makes much the best economic use of their man-power and travel costs.
Work is nearing completion on our Otter project with the last of the construction, plumbing and landscaping to be done by mid-June. The Otters will be introduced to their new home during July or August.
Stop Press - 23 May - 'Koda Creative' have just finished the rock-work on our new Otter and Tiger enclosures. We wish them all the best for the next jobs on the Continent and look forward to welcoming them back at Hamerton in September.