Many people have asked how the wildlife are doing whilst the villages are so quiet, here’s an update with pictures from our teams on village.
The staff are ensuring that the wildlife is healthy and making sure they have enough food, just as our guests usually would.
Deer
Michael Reilly, our colleague who is currently supporting Security at Longford Forest spotted a lone deer whilst working (left deer image). Longford Forest is home to fallow deer, Ireland’s most widespread deer species. Fallow deer typically have a brown coat with white spots, but sub species are all white with dark eyes.
At Elveden Forest, muntjac deer are a guest favourite, with many curious enough to peek through lodge windows! Muntjac deer were first introduced from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century. A member of the team spotted this cute deer peeking through the bushes. (right deer image)
Badgers
Jason Budd, our colleague who works in the Security team is also a keen photographer! He spotted a badger exploring Longleat Forest.
Badgers live in groups of up to 14 adults and dig underground tunnels and nesting chambers called “setts”, where they sleep and rear their young. There are eight different species of badger, including the Hog Badger, American Badger and the Honey Badger.
Badgers have resided in the UK for at least 300,000-400,000 years and eat several hundred earthworms each night.
Ducks
The ducks are loving the extra freedom at Woburn Forest! Rebecca Wileman, the Village Director became the duck whisperer as they followed her around the village path.
Tom Blundell, a Technical Services Engineer at Sherwood Forest snapped this inquisitive (and photogenic!) duck coming to say hello.
Did you know that all ducks actually ‘quack’, it’s actually only female mallards that make the famous noise?
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, but very poor eyesight. Center Parcs is the perfect environment for hedgehogs, with up to 400 acres of woodland on each village for them to explore in.
Heidi Brain works at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest, and delivered 4 hedgehogs to the village this week; 3 males and 1 female (pictured left). She has been hand rearing them on puppy milk since September last year.
They have been placed in a hedgehog release pens where they we will spend a couple of nights before we will open the door allowing them to roam and forage for food themselves and setting up home in Woburn Forest.
Red Squirrels
Red squirrels are a native species dating back to thousands of years ago.
Whinfell Forest became a national red squirrel conservation area in 2002 and as is dominated by Scots Pine and Norway Spruce, which is a haven for the endangered red squirrel. Mike Harrison, Central Buildings Asset Manager spotted the red squirrel exploring the quiet village (left image).
Longford Forest is also home to red squirrels! Michael Reilly took this picture (right image) of a really photogenic squirrel, patiently waiting for its close up.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Center Parcs again soon, in the meantime, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
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