Animal keepers at West Midlands Safari Park have kicked off the new year with their crucial annual headcount of every creature under their care. This mammoth task is a legal requirement for all licensed zoos and provides essential data for global conservation efforts.
A Meticulous Undertaking for Conservation
The process involves carefully tallying every resident, from the park's towering elephants, giraffes, and rhinos down to the smallest reptiles, fish, and insects. This year, the count revealed over a thousand individual animals spanning nearly 100 different species. Angela Potter, Head of Wildlife, explained that while keepers monitor animals daily, the formal annual count is key for compliance with zoo licensing rules and managing international breeding programmes for threatened species.
"It is carried out by all wildlife parks and zoos at the start of the new year," said Potter. She noted the varying difficulty for different keeper teams. "For some of the keepers of larger mammals, such as the elephant, ungulate and carnivore teams, it is not too hard a task... but it’s much harder for the Discovery Trail team who have the ant colony, invertebrates, lively lorikeets and cichlids (fish) under their care."
New Arrivals Boost the Numbers
The 2025 count was buoyed by several new births at the park. Following a naming tradition, all babies born last year were given names starting with the letter 'N'. These newcomers have now been formally added to the park's inventory. The list of notable additions includes:
- Three Sumatran tiger cubs: Naresh, Nadirah, and Nova.
- Three lion cubs: Nox, Nero, and Nancy.
- An Indian rhino calf named Nurani.
- A Northern giraffe calf called Namara.
- Red panda twins Nadiya and Nikisha.
- 18 lively lorikeet chicks, bringing the total flock to 72.
Potter confirmed that the park will move to the letter 'O' for names in 2026, anticipating more new arrivals to count in the coming months.
More Than Just a Number: The Importance of the Count
Beyond meeting regulatory demands, the annual census allows keepers to review habitats, monitor animal wellbeing, and assess the success of vital conservation breeding programmes. Many of the park's animals are part of EAZA Ex-Situ Programmes (EEPs), collaborative breeding initiatives between wildlife parks for endangered species.
Once finalised, the figures are submitted to the local authority and become part of the park's official records. The exercise underscores the immense scale of care and commitment required to look after such a diverse collection of global wildlife. For the dedicated keeper teams, it's a familiar but essential calendar event, reinforcing that every animal, no matter its size, truly counts.
West Midlands Safari Park is currently open Fridays to Sundays throughout January. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets in advance online for the best prices, which include a free return visit. More details can be found on the park's official website.
