Jedward Cause Double the Trouble!!

These little twin lambs were rejected by first time Mum Martha shortly after giving birth. Luckily the tiny newborns were rescued and taken home for some family TLC!

Operations Manager, Colin Baker took the little rascals home to his wife and 2 children Jack & Abbi on Monday night when they are only 4 hours old. Colin commented “Sometimes ewes reject their offspring it doesn’t happen often but with the tiny babies not feeding the only option was to bottle feed them ourselves. They need a feed every 3-4 hours and I was concerned as they were unusually small.  My wife couldn’t believe it when I turned up at home with two newborn lambs; I think she was expecting flowers and chocolates at this time of year.  Of course Jack & Abbi were thrilled and with us being huge X-factor fans we’ve named the twins “Jedward”.  

 With 3 days at home and the twins getting more adventurous and proving too much trouble Colin took them back to the Zoo-Farm at Woodlands Family Theme Park, Devon. However the confident Jedward soon started shivering in the cold weather after being used to cosy home comforts! Natalie, their Keeper, instantly fell in love with the two troublesome twins and wanting to keep them snug made the little ones their very own fluffy jumper out of her own uniform.  

 Snug and warm Jedward are enjoying showing off their new outfits and are back to their usual mischievous self. “Don’t they look baa-utiful, I think the colour suits them more than me” Natalie commented.

 Jedward and friends are now being bottle fed four times a day.  If you fancy helping to feed the twins join us this half term, they’ll love the fuss. We can’t wait too see what the troublesome twins get up to.

Two Sneaky Halloween Helpers

Two sneaky snakes snuck their way into two Halloween Pumpkins bathed in warm sunshine. “Its good for baby snakes to bask in the sunshine” said Head Keeper Elliot who looks after the Reptile House where the snakes were born. “Monty and Crusha the baby Boa Constrictors were having their dose of sun when they sneaked into pumpkins the Rangers were hollowing out for Halloween.

“The baby Boas are born live but I have separated them from Mum Whanita and Dad Bully Boy because they may fancy them as a snack. The baby snakes are only 2 weeks old and can already dislocate their jaws to swallow a mouse whole. They can eat 2 mice a week.  The males grow to 8ft and the females up to 13ft and can weigh over 100lbs. They live from 20 to 30 years”.

Boa Constrictors come from the South American Rainforests and are not poisonous. Villagers on the edge of the forest keep them under their houses to catch rats which they ‘smell’ out with their forked tongues. They will eat almost anything except pumpkins and vegetables. Their jaws are lined with tiny hooked teeth which hold their prey while they wrap their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing it into a package ready to fit into their extended mouths. Sadly Boa Constrictors are poached for their ornate skin, some are endangered and most have protected status.

The Rangers at Woodlands Family Theme Park are hollowing out 3000 pumpkins ready for the Halloween Spookytacular from October 26th to 31st, where Fiendish Workshops include free pumpkins and carving. Visitors during the special Half Term Halloween week can ride the Ghastly Ghost Train, Ghoulish Tractor Rides and explore the Phantom Maze.

Monty and Crusha when they aren’t soaking up the sunshine are kept under a lamp for warmth. Whanita and Bully Boy are currently in the Reptile House at the 90 Acre Park’s Zoo together with hundreds of birds, animals and insects.        

Korean Eagles Fly over Devon

Displaying the grace and power of the eagle 25 Tae Kwon Do Martial Art experts have flown from Korea to their hosts in Devon. Aged from only 7 years to 20 years the team are demonstrating their ancient art of self defence at Woodlands Family Theme Park near Dartmouth on Sunday 26th July at 11.00am and 3.30pm.

The hosts Plym Tae Kwon Do have raised £12,000 to bring the famous team to Devon. “It’s a great privilege to watch the skill and agility of the Koreans” said tour organiser Elaine Doonan. “The commitments of Tae Kwon Do were formed in 537AD. They are self control, honouring our family and country and never giving up. These values are just as relevant to our youngsters today”.

Two Very Rare Baby Owls Arrive in Devon

Two beautiful fluffy rare baby Owls have arrived for Easter at Woodlands Family Theme Park. Their proud parents Katrina and Rasputin are very rare Russian Siberian Turkemanian Eagle Owls which are Hybrids and are not found anywhere in the wild. There are only about eleven of these rare owls in England at the moment.

Katrina is an excellent Mum and Rasputin became very excited and protective when the babies hatched two weeks ago. They have been watched closely on Closed Circuit TV cameras by the park’s two Falconers Geoff Pearson and Lyn Goss.

There were three eggs but after Katrina had hatched out the first two babies she pushed out the third egg and ate it. Breeding mothers have a way of knowing whether the eggs are fertile or infertile even before they hatch. These eggs are often eaten by the females to gain extra nutrients.

The owls are now being hand-reared by the Falconers to give them extra care and attention. “Lyn and I are being foster Mums to the baby chicks” Geoff said. “We take care of them day and night. They are to be kept at a precise temperature, not too hot and not too cold. “Feeding the chicks every four hours by hand is a bit tough, at least they don’t wear nappies, but they do have to be cleaned and picked up for cuddling”. Geoff continued “we then gain the trust of the babies and soon they accept other people.  All being well they should be ready to take part in the Woodlands Falconry Displays by August, where they eventually fly and land on gauntlets held by the public”.

Geoff and Lyn are looking for two Russian names, male and female, so that the chicks will be able to recognise when they are being called. Visitors to the Family Theme Park are able to enter their name suggestions into a competition, or if anyone can think of two Russian names then please send your suggestions to Woodlands Family Theme Park, Dartmouth, South Devon, TQ9 7DQ.

The babies will occasionally be able to be seen at the Falconry Centre office where they will be looked after during the day until they can be placed outside.

Eggceptional Dragon Eggs 

25 Eggs have been laid by Kionie one of Woodlands exotic Bearded Dragons on Saturday 15th March. We are all very excited and cannot wait to see the babies when they hatch in 60 days. 

In the wild mother dragons lay their eggs in a burrow and then leave them to look after themselves but at Woodlands because they are so special Elliott, the Head Keeper, has put them in the incubator to keep them safe and warm.

Bearded Dragons originate from Australia and can produce 4 to 6 clutches of eggs a year, so we may have some more eggciting news on the way.

Kionie can be seen with all her friends at the Big Fun Farm in the Reptile House; which is home to an amazing diversity of creaturse from Mr Snappy, the Dwarf Caiman Crocodile to Homer our 12 foot Burmese Albino Python, two Boa Constictors, Terrapins, Iguanas and not forgetting George the Chameleon are all living happily together. 

Thousands of chocolate eggs and great activities are coming to Woodlands for the children this Easter at the 90 acre Family Theme Park near Dartmouth.