British Wildlife Centre

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British Wildlife Centre
British Wildlife Centre Logo.jpg
Date opened1997
Location Newchapel, Lingfield, Surrey, England
Coordinates 51°10′24″N0°02′56″W / 51.17342°N 0.04902°W / 51.17342; -0.04902 Coordinates: 51°10′24″N0°02′56″W / 51.17342°N 0.04902°W / 51.17342; -0.04902
Land areaapprox. 8  ha (20 acres)
No. of speciesabout 40
MembershipsVisit England Quality Assured Visitor Attraction
Major exhibitsDeer; Foxes; Red Squirrels; Wildcats; Otters; Badgers; Pine martens; Polecats; Voles; Owls
OwnerDavid Mills
Public transit accessNone
Website britishwildlifecentre.co.uk
Wetland Boardwalk British Wildlife Centre, Lingfield - geograph.org.uk - 1784448.jpg
Wetland Boardwalk

The British Wildlife Centre is a zoo in the hamlet of Newchapel near Lingfield village in the county of Surrey, South East England.

Newchapel, Surrey Large hamlet in Surrey, South East England

Newchapel is a large hamlet in Surrey, England. It lies on the A22 between Godstone and East Grinstead. It is the location of the London England Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple, only open to followers of that religious group, has a visitors' centre where the beliefs of the Mormons are explained; visitors can also stroll in the grounds. The closest villages are Lingfield, Felbridge, Copthorne and Blindley Heath.

Lingfield, Surrey Village, civil parish and post town in Tandridge District, Surrey, South East England

Lingfield is a village, civil parish and post town in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England. Lingfield Park is home to horse racing across a large catchment from Folkestone to Epsom. Lingfield is centred 23.4 miles (37.7 km) south of London and lies to the east of the A22 where it runs between Godstone and East Grinstead. The village has a medieval church that is Grade I listed, timber-frame architecture from the Tudor period and century before and a punishment cage, last used in 1882 to hold a poacher, made in 1773.

Surrey County of England

Surrey is a county in South East England which borders Kent to the east, West Sussex to the south, Hampshire to the west, Berkshire to the north-west, and Greater London to the north-east.

Contents

The zoo was founded in 1997 by David Mills, who converted his dairy farm into a centre to celebrate British wildlife. Initially, the centre was only open to pre-booked groups but in 2000 it opened fully to the general public. [1]

The animals

There are approximately 40 species of British wildlife kept at the centre, such as red deer, roe deer, red foxes, weasels, badgers, river otters, hedgehogs, Scottish wildcats, and many more.

Red deer Species of mammal

The red deer is one of the largest deer species. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, Iran, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being the only species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red deer have been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. In many parts of the world, the meat (venison) from red deer is used as a food source.

Roe deer species of mammal

The European roe deer, also known as the western roe deer, chevreuil, or simply roe deer or roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe deer is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. The species is widespread in Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, from Scotland to the Caucasus, and east to northern Iran and Iraq. It is distinct from the somewhat larger Siberian roe deer.

Red fox species of mammal

The red fox is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It is listed as least concern by the IUCN. Its range has increased alongside human expansion, having been introduced to Australia, where it is considered harmful to native mammals and bird populations. Due to its presence in Australia, it is included on the list of the "world's 100 worst invasive species".

Conservation

The British Wildlife Centre claims to educate and encourage others to participate in wildlife conservation activities and participate in captive breeding programmes.

Captive breeding is the process of maintaining plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that are being threatened by human activities such as habitat loss, fragmentation, over hunting or fishing, pollution, predation, disease, and parasitism. In some cases a captive breeding program can save a species from extinction, but for success, breeders must consider many factors—including genetic, ecological, behavioral, and ethical issues. Most successful attempts involve the cooperation and coordination of many institutions.

Various animals are fed throughout the day, and regular keeper talks are held at these times. The talks are at approximately 30-minute intervals, with some of the morning talks being repeated in the afternoon.

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References

  1. ↑ "Our Story". britishwildlifecentre.co.uk. Newchapel, Surrey: British Wildlife Centre. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.

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