David Twamley's Animal World

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David Twamley's Animal World

A page for those interested in the survival of endangered species and zoos around the world.

This page is for David Twamley to share his extensive love and knowledge of endangered animal species and indigenous wildlife.

13/08/2026

Dublin Zoo now have a tamandua! I definitely need to see him soon along with the new armadillo and giant anteaters!

12/08/2026

On this day ten years ago, I made what for me is one of the most important visits I have made to Belfast Zoo to date. It was my first time ever taking the train up to Belfast, but the actual zoo visit was filled with some truly memorable moments. I had specifically wanted to visit to see then six-month old spectacled bear cub Lola, the first bear born in Belfast for over two decades, and I was fortunate to see her frolicking about the enclosure, climbing around on the poles and hanging out with mum Alice. Other highlights including seeing red howler monkeys for the first time, photographing a lilac-breasted roller for my sister, seeing wild rabbits in the vicuña enclosure, and getting closer than I ever did to a giant anteater (at the time).

The visit was such a joy that it inspired me to draw Lola and the other animals as cartoon characters, a concept I have been dedicated to for a decade now. I've always imagined developing an animated TV series based on this trip, and I've gotten as far as to make a short animation called "Lost and Found in Belfast Zoo", which you can find on YouTube. While the zoo may have gone a bit downhill (figuratively speaking) in the years since that incredible day, I do hope to one day tell stories to celebrate this bygone era of Belfast Zoo.

Please excuse the rather low quality of some of these pictures as I used an iPad for photos and videos during that trip.

08/08/2026

Had another visit to Fota Wildlife Park yesterday and was lucky with the sunny weather. I was hoping to see the recently announced tiger and lion cubs, but I was amazed to see a new Indian rhino calf out on the paddock with mum Maya (the yet-to-be-announced calf is the second birth for Fota and Ireland, I believe). While I saw the adult tigers and lions, I ultimately didn't see the cubs, but the Indian rhino baby certainly made my day. I also saw what I believe is the juvenile white-tailed sea eagle that was announced earlier this week, and boarded the panoramic wheel while it's there for the summer, snapping aerial views of the park and even Fota House from the outside. So overall, an enjoyable time as usual!

01/08/2026

As we drove home from Kerry to Mum and Dad's where I'll be sleeping for a few nights, we decided to stop by Wild Encounters Mini Zoo in Co. Limerick. I had known of this place for years from online research but this was my first time visiting. We stayed at the place for an hour, during which we saw a raccoon dog (likely a juvenile) relaxing in front of the window and allowing me to snap it. Other animals we enjoyed seeing included a chinchilla, a degu, emus, a barn owl, a little owl, and meerkats. While the mini zoo may not be the best place to see exotic animals in Ireland, it was still a pretty fun day out.

30/07/2026

Yesterday evening, my parents and I went for a late night drive through the Maharees to see if we could spot the natterjack toad, as this part of Co. Kerry is a major stronghold for the species in Ireland. As we drove down a narrow strip of road, Mum managed to spot one natterjack as it walked across the road while caught in our car's lights, and Dad and I got out to take some photos and a video as it headed for cover. Just moments later, we came across another toad resting at the edge of the grass in the middle of the road. Dad and I once again got out to have a look at it as it stayed there long enough for Dad to shine a light on it and me to snap the first photo you see here, before we ushered it to the safety of the hedge.

The natterjack toad is one of our three native amphibian species and is red-listed in Ireland, so we were really excited to see our first wild natterjacks. Previously, I had seen a live natterjack at Dublin Zoo's native species event (at the Fota stand) two years ago.

22/07/2026

Look what’s now at Dublin Zoo! Should definitely visit again soon to see these new arrivals!

26/06/2026

Today, I went out to Cobh for a little day trip and then stopped over in Fota, not to visit the wildlife park but to relax with a hot chocolate in Fota House for a change. However, on my way to the house I did see this free-ranging eastern grey kangaroo hopping around from outside the park, and as you can see in the photo she has a joey whose legs are sticking out of the pouch. I also saw one of the Sumatran tigers roaming about from outside the park, so if you ever decide to take the train to Fota Island but not to visit the wildlife park, there's always a good chance you'll see some of the park's iconic residents from outside.

21/06/2026

Yesterday, I had a superb trip to Dublin Zoo with my dad (Happy Father's Day, btw!) with the intention of seeing all the new arrivals since our last visit in December. With the South America House reopened (as the Rainforest House), I was happy to see the new additions like the pair of great curassow, a Hispaniolan boa, and especially Tony, the lowland paca. The paca isn't the only rodent species the zoo now keeps, as we also popped into the nocturnal house to see the new pair of Malagasy giant rats that now live with the aye-ayes. There are also some new bird species we saw besides the curassow, including the North African ostriches (an endangered subspecies) now living with the giraffes in the African Savannah, and we also saw two of the three bird species that now live with the flamingoes: the white-faced whistling duck and Eurasian spoonbill (the third species was black-crowned night heron, which we didn't see).

So far, this year looks to be a great year for Dublin Zoo with all of the new animals that have arrived, and with more new species expected in the coming months, the zoo will only get even better!

11/06/2026

My latest blog post chronicling last week's adventures in Hertfordshire is now public. Read all about my amazing visit to Hertfordshire Zoo, my journey to and from Broxbourne, and my enjoyment of making the most of BBC iPlayer during my stay.

https://davidtwamley.com/visiting-an-old-friend-in-hertfordshire/

Plus, here's another photo I got of Indera strolling around in Sun Bear Heights.

09/06/2026

Before I share my blog post about my Hertfordshire trip, I wanted to share this photo I took last week of a fox I saw in front of someone's garage as I was heading back to my accommodation from a walk and dinner. Then the following evening, just as I started to head back from another walk, I saw another fox (I believe its a different individual) on the other side of the river just outside the train station, but I didn't get to snap it. Still, seeing a fox two days in a row added to the enjoyment of my trip along with visiting Hertfordshire Zoo.

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