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Wildlife Park welcomes a cute addition
GONE FISHING: The fishing cat at the Curraghs Wildlife Park is one of only about 10 born worldwide this year
The Curraghs Wildlife Park is delighted to announce the birth of a fishing cat.
The new kitten was born a little over eight weeks ago and has not yet been sexed.
Visitors to the park can now see the kitten, which is regularly seen out in its enclosure with its mother.
It will not be fully weaned, however, until it is about six months old and will be fully grown in less than a year.
This is the second kitten born to the pair at the Curraghs Wildlife Park – the previous kitten, a male, was sent to another zoo to be included in a breeding programme.
Mother and kitten have been separated from the father because fishing cats are by nature solitary and males can be unpredictable and aggressive.
General manager for the Curraghs Wildlife Park Kathleen Graham said: ‘We are delighted with the new arrival. Loss of habitat now means that fishing cats are classified as endangered and there are only about 200 kept in zoos worldwide.
‘Fishing cats are one of the more difficult cat species to breed in captivity as they are easily disturbed. This kitten is only one of about 10 born in the past year worldwide – so this is incredibly exciting news.’
Kathleen added: ‘Fishing cats are protective of their young and because of that the kitten was a couple of weeks old before it was discovered by the keepers.
‘Needless to say, mum has done a fantastic job and we are all very proud of her.’
Juan Turner MLC, member with responsibility for the Curraghs Wildlife Park, said: ‘This is fantastic news. With so many developments going into the park and new animal arrivals, it really is the best family day out in the island in terms of value, education and entertainment.
The fishing cat is a medium-sized feline, about twice the size of a domestic cat. It is found in densely vegetated areas near water in marshes, mangroves, rivers and streams in the countries of South East Asia.
The Curraghs Wildlife Park is still open seven days a week until the end of the school half-term period and you can see the new kitten in the Asian Swamp area.
To keep up to date with all the latest news and events at the Park, visit its Facebook page www.facebook.com/curraghswildlifepark.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
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