Say Hello to Arthur!
Happy April everyone, the clocks have finally changed which makes a huge difference to us here at Swinton Green, not only can we spend more time with the animals we can also spend more time in the paddocks getting them ready for the summer months ahead.
If you’ve followed me here at Hannah, Little Alf and friends for some time you’ll know later this year I’m planning on opening up a visitor’s centre based at my home. The centre is planned to offer experience days, courses, education and also therapy intervention programmes with animals.
At Swinton Green I’ll be offering hands on experiences such as alpaca walking and meeting Little Alf alongside the rest of the animals who feature online with me and in the books.
It’s been all system go to get ready for visitors, my parents are a key part of the projects so we have all been getting our hands dirty since moving.
Before Easter we went along and collected a new stable for the alpacas which will be going in to the new alpaca paddock, they are due to arrive early May. I’m really looking forward to learning more about them as a species and beginning to train them.
Talking of new arrivals, last week the first Sulcata tortoise arrived here at Swinton Green, Sulcata tortoises are classed as giant tortoise’s. They are the third largest tortoise in the world and the biggest mainland tortoise. I’ve always been fascinated by them as a species and have been researching in to Sulcata for some time.
The new arrival is called ‘Arthur’ he is a male Sulcata tortoise and has been settling in to life well, Sulcata tortoises graze on grass and hay for 90% of the diet and also weeds, so since his arrival he has been enjoying munching on the leafy greens in the field, he also eats dark leafy greens such as gem lettuce and kale. Arthurs species originates from Africa, our climate conditions here in Yorkshire are a lot different to Africa so we have to make sure he is kept nice and warm on the colder days and if it’s below 10 degree he needs to come indoors to heat up.
Over Easter weekend I built Arthur a rockery inside his new pen in the field so he can explore and use his instincts like he would in the wild. It’s really important to provide him with plenty of enrichment.
I’m still learning lots about Arthur and excited to see his personality develop as we get to know each other.