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Title: Mother’s Day @ YWP Author: Yorkshire Wildlife Park  ID & Publication: 20120311025 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Branton  Subject: Environment

MUM’S the word! Spring has sprung early at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park as mums and their babies come out in twos – just in time for Mother’s Day.
The award winning park has been inundated with adorable new arrivals after the unseasonably warm start to the New Year.

Visitors to the 70-acre attraction, near Branton, Doncaster, can now see all the latest additions.

First to arrive was a cute new Mara baby. This baby lives in YWP’s South American Viva. Maras - known as Patagonia hares - are the fourth largest rodents in the world.

Next in YWP’s baby boom was the first of many gorgeous joeys seen peaking his head out of mum’s pouch in Wallaby Walkabout. The joeys seen in mums’ pouches in March are about 3 months of age. At around six months of age they will begin to leave the pouch for a bit of a hop and some grass. During the summer guests of YWP can enjoy watching the joeys trying to squeeze themselves back into a pouch – even when they look far too large to fit.

Visitors during March will also see the rest of YWP’s new brood: a tiny Lechwe antelope calf can be spotted on Africa Plains and two gorgeous marmoset infants are just beginning to clamber of mum’s back to practice their leaping and climbing skills.

Meanwhile, the park’s young ring tailed lemurs Diego and Dominique are still incredibly playful and continually delight guests with their antics despite now being eight months old!

YWP Director Cheryl Williams said: ‘It certainly has been a very busy start to the New Year!

‘For the perfect Mother’s Day gift, why not adopt one of our animals? Your gift will help us continue our very important conservation work as well as provide the best continued care for our expanding brood!

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