Staff at Amazon World in Newchurch have welcomed a new arrival at the zoo park – a female ocelot called Olijfje.
Manager Rob Westby and ocelot keeper Dale Coombes brought her back to the Isle of Wight from Eindhoven Zoo in the Netherlands. The animal, around twice the size of a domestic cat, crossed the Solent with Wightlink Ferries snug in an enclosure in the park’s van.
Olijfje will join Bow – the park’s male ocelot – when she has become accustomed to her new home and staff are hoping to hear the patter of tiny paws before too long.
Rob said:
“It took us 12 hours to drive back from Eindhoven to the Island but we had a good journey and the ferry crossing was a smooth one for Olijfje.
“Visitors will soon be able to see her for themselves here at Amazon World, once she has settled in with us”.
Wightlink’s Head of Marketing, Mark Persad said:
“Creatures of all kinds frequently cross the Solent with Wightlink but there’s no need for customers to worry, zoo animals are always safe, comfortable and secure on the vehicle deck of our ferries.”
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Native to South America, ocelots used to be hunted for their leopard-like fur but numbers in the wild are now on the increase. Amazon World is part of the zoos’ international breeding programme.
