Tyson, the honey badger at Howletts Wild Animal Park was given an extra sweet treat this week to celebrate his birthday.

Head keeper Jim Vassie explained: ‘Tyson is a favourite here with keepers and visitors alike. His seventh birthday gave us the opportunity to provide him with some birthday themed enrichment in the form of presents filled with his favourite honey. Enrichment is an excellent way of keeping animals interested as it offers them new experiences.’

The Honey badger is found in Africa, the Middle East and India. This omnivorous species is actually more closely related to the weasel than badgers. They have relatively poor eyesight, but an excellent sense of smell. Honey badgers are in decline due to being targeted by farmers and for their body parts which are used in traditional medicines due to their reputation for tenacity and fearlessness.

For further information on The Aspinall Foundation’s work and to find out how you can help please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org/aspinall

Hidden cameras are not only the domain of espionage and TV reality shows, they are also becoming an increasingly used and valuable tool in modern day biodiversity monitoring. Following on from a successful camera trap program in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park, The Aspinall Foundation (TAF) recently started a similar monitoring program in the Batéké Plateau region of Central Africa - where they have been doing conservation work for over 20 years.

The Aspinall Foundation, founded by conservationist John Aspinall, has been working in The Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) since 1987 and in neighbouring Gabon since 1998 on a project to protect the critically endangered Western lowland gorilla and the environment in which it lives. TAF, working in collaboration with the countries' respective governments, now protects nearly 1 million acres within the unique savannah ecosystem of the Batéké Plateau that spans these bordering nations.

Amos Courage, Director for Overseas Projects said: ‘The Batéké Plateau is an area of incredible biodiversity where many forest and savanna species can be found. Part of our commitment to conservation is taking concrete steps towards preserving areas along with protecting individual species. A large part of this project is building good working partnerships, for example, with the governments of both Congo and Gabon to ensure that this area is safeguarded for future generations.'

Camera traps are an effective and unobtrusive method for conservationists to measure wild animal populations and track the frequency and distribution of their movements. After a relatively short trial period these devices have already yielded a bounty of biodiversity data, including images of leopards, red river hogs, forest elephants, chimpanzees, sitatunga, forest buffalo and even the strikingly beautiful black serval.

Amos commented: ‘Footage like this reinforces the importance of protecting habitats and finding ways to extend this protection beyond the limits of national reserves. The camera traps have proved very successful in providing us with an idea of the amount of species in this area, their numbers and their movements.'

With this new monitoring program up and running, TAF is anticipating a host of diverse and exciting images which will help to showcase the vital conservation work that the Foundation is doing in this region as well as providing data for planning conservation management strategies. With a little luck it may even be the descendants of TAF's own reintroduced gorilla populations that one day graces these mini silver screens!

The Education Team at Howletts Wild Animal Park recently presented the animals with some unusual enrichment based on favourite childhood toys such as Kerplunk. 

Gorillas and elephants tried out Kerplunk whilst the tigers played with an especially constructed Weeble and lion tailed macaques got to grips with a giant rattle.

Enrichment is a way of providing variety for animals and to stimulate natural behaviours such as foraging, problem solving and play. The Aspinall Foundation’s Howletts & Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, in Kent, use enrichment as part of their commitment to the highest levels of animal care.

Keepers at Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent, are celebrating the birth of a Brazilian Tapir.

Born on the 27^th October, the male infant, who is yet to be named, has made his debut to the press and public. The infant was born to parents mother Corumba and father Yavari.

 The Brazilian Tapir is found in rainforests and swamps in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay. Tapirs are forest-dwellers who use their mobile snouts to browse on leaves, buds, shoots and twigs. Tapirs are water-loving animals and using their long snouts as a snorkel they can stay submerged for several minutes at a time. There are four types of Tapir: the Brazilian, the black and white Malayan tapir that can be seen at Port Lympne, the Mountain or ‘wooly’ Tapir and the Baird’s tapir Brazilian tapirs are a vulnerable species that is in decline due to deforestation and poaching.

In the wild, the infant’s spotted and striped coat would provide the perfect camouflage in the dappled light of the forest undergrowth. He will keep his unusual “watermelon” markings until he is about 6 months old and then will develop his adult dark brown colour the low erect mane running along the back of his neck.  Mother and son are currently separated from Yavari so that they can bond with but they will be introduced shortly.

The Brazilian Tapir is one of many species protected by The Aspinall Foundation, the conservation charity which manages Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks in Kent. The work of The Aspinall Foundation both at its Kent parks and overseas is funded entirely by visitor revenue and donations to the public, so just by visiting the new infant you will be contributing towards the survival of endangered species. For more information or to adopt a tapir from as little as £3 per month visit http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/