Information and Communication Technology - Marwell Zoo

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Information and
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Education Service

Contents
An Introduction to Marwell Zoological Park
A Profile of Marwell Zoo and Marwell Preservation Trust
The Organisation
Departments at Marwell
Income and Expenditure
The Communications Department
The use of ICT within the Business
ICT and Communication with Customers
Screen Captures of ICT Programmes used at Marwell
ARKS and ISIS Database Screen Captures
Membership and Volunteer Database Screen Capture
PM 2000 Screen Capture
Ark Gift Shop Sales Group Graph
Marwell’s Technical Specifications
Specimen ARKS Report Sheet

An Introduction to
In 1969, Mr John Knowles bought Marwell Hall and the surrounding estate to set up a centre for the
preservation of animal species in danger of becoming extinct. The first animals to arrive were a pair
of Amur tigers.
Background
In 2006 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed 7725 species of animal as
being threatened with extinction (http://www.iucnredlist.org). It is very difficult to estimate the total
number of all species of animals threatened because many are not yet known to man and others
have not yet been evaluated, or there is limited data available. Over 1 million species of animal are
known to man, but there are probably many more.
Extinctions are caused primarily by the ever-increasing demands of the human population. Pollution,
habitat destruction and hunting can all result in the loss of species.
Extinction of species matters to humans for a number of reasons:
a) All living things are interdependent – they depend on each other in a number of ways. We
should not upset the balance of nature – we have no idea what the consequences might be.
b) It is morally wrong to intentionally cause a species to become extinct.
c) Some plants and animal species have a practical value for humans, for example in farming
or medicines. If we destroy them, we will never realise their true value.
d) Academic knowledge – pure study can often lead to practical benefits.
Conservation is the protection and wise use of anything we want to keep. If we are to safeguard the
future of many animal species in the wild, we must be more careful in our use of land and
resources. Without suitable habitats animals cannot survive.
Our Aims
a) Conservation Breeding: to breed animals to ensure the species does not become extinct.
Sometimes captive-bred animals can be re-introduced to the wild.
b) Outreach: to support in situ conservation projects, i.e. work going on in the animal’s natural
habitat.
c) Education: to stimulate concern about wildlife. If we cannot persuade people to alter their
attitudes today, the rest of our conservation work is of debatable value.
d) Research: to find out more about wild animal species. The more we know the better chance
we will have of saving them.
Conservation Breeding
We must ensure that captive breeding populations are self-sustaining, i.e. they must breed enough
to maintain numbers. If more animals die than are born each year, a species could become extinct
in captivity too. Successful breeding depends on many things.
Ideally animals should not breed with their close relatives. Where possible, matings should be
between unrelated animals. This ensures that the species remains as healthy and as varied as
possible. Sometimes animals are transferred between zoos for breeding. This can be difficult and
expensive, but the traveling time is always kept to a minimum.
Marwell, like other zoos taking part in breeding programmes, must record as much information as is
available about each individual animal involved. Records include details of sex, name, date of birth,
parentage as well as veterinary particulars. To help identify individuals, ear-tags or electronic tags
under the skin may be used.

The animals’ details are held on computerised studbooks. This information is used by studbook
keepers and species co-coordinators to organise breeding programmes at a national, European and
global level. Participating zoos share responsibility for the work involved, and different organisations
will hold different studbooks. Marwell organises the international or regional studbooks for Grevy’s
zebra, Hartmann’s mountain zebra and scimitar-horned oryx.
Breeding Successes
Most species at Marwell breed successfully, but some are especially notable. In the UK, we were
the first to breed nyala, addax, dama gazelle, maned wolf, secretary bird, babirusa, Somali wild ass
and mishmi takin. Other important births include okapi, pygmy hippo and a white rhinoceros. This
was a significant event for the captive breeding of this species as ‘Bhasela’ was the first full ‘second
generation’ rhino bred in the UK.
Re-introductions
Re-introduction is not just a matter of releasing animals into the wild, but involves many complex
factors. These include the availability of suitable habitat, the economic situation and willingness of
the country concerned, the co-operation of the local people and, most importantly, the elimination of
the threats, which made the species concerned rare in the first place. Education, habitat protection
and research must go alongside re-introduction for it to succeed. Where this is possible there are
great benefits not only to the species reintroduced, but also its habitat and all the other species that
share that habitat.
Although difficult, re-introduction has been successful for several species, and Marwell is proud to
have played an important role in several programmes. These include cheer pheasants (to the
Himalayan foothills in Pakistan), scimitar-horned oryx (to a reserve in Tunisia), golden lion tamarins
(to a reserve in the Brazilian rain forest) and sand lizards, natterjack toads, water voles and reddish
buff moths (to protected sites in the UK).
Conservation Abroad
The ideal situation, when possible, is to conserve animals in their natural habitats in their countries
of origin (in situ conservation) and Marwell donates part of its income every year to support field
conservation projects.
A major commitment is the Marwell Zimbabwe Trust, based at the Marwell Dambari Field Station.
This station is a base for conservation initiatives and research in southern Africa, including work with
black rhino. In 2006 Marwell also supported a number of projects, including the work of the
International Snow Leopard Trust and the Epulu Project, which works to conserve the elusive okapi
in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Animal Needs
The health and welfare of the animals is a priority at Marwell. Keepers clean and feed, whilst a vet
visits regularly to ensure the animals are fit and well. Enclosures are designed to allow animals to
move and behave naturally – climbing animals have trees, branches and ropes, semi-aquatic
animals have water, etc. and animals are kept in the correct social groupings. Each animal receives
a carefully planned and well balanced diet, and behavioural enrichment techniques are often used
to ‘challenge’ the animals and encourage natural behaviours where possible.
Visitors
Marwell Zoological Park is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation of endangered
species. In order to carry out our essential work, we must make enough money to house and care
for our animals, to pay staff employed at the zoo, and to support our overseas projects. Almost all of
this money comes from our visitors, so providing an enjoyable day out is very important.

A Profile of Marwell Zoo
The Organisation
Marwell Zoological Park is operated by two companies: The Marwell Preservation Trust, which is a
registered charity, owns the land and all other assets and deals with income and expenditure
relating to the operation of the park, including the upkeep and welfare of the animals and all visitor
services, conservation expenditure, and expenditure on education. Marwell Services Limited deals
with all trading activities, for example, income from the shop, and from hiring out the hall for
conferences and weddings.
Marwell Zoo is situated in a hundred acre park in rural Hampshire. It is within easy reach of several
large towns including Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Basingstoke. The
zoo plays a vital role in the worldwide conservation of animal species through captive breeding,
environmental education and scientific research. The zoo has an international reputation both in the
zoological world, where our work, both in-situ and in the Park, is highly regarded, and as a tourism
and leisure attraction. Education has always been a top priority at Marwell and the Conservation
Education Centre, opened in 1999, represents the fulfilment of a dream. The education service has
always had a two-fold mission, to reach both students and the general visitor.
Advantages of Charity Status
Marwell Preservation Trust is a non-commercial enterprise, i.e. not aiming to make a profit. The
Trust is a registered charity. This confers a variety of advantages when compared to a business.
These include:
a) If we make a surplus, we do not pay tax.
b) We do not need to put a value on the animals.
c) We do not pay Council tax.
d) If someone wishes to leave us a legacy in their will, that portion which they give to us is not
subject to Inheritance Tax.
e) Being a registered charity secures the future for Marwell Zoological Park.
Marwell Preservation Trust holds surplus cash to act as a contingency fund against fluctuations in
visitor numbers. If recession hits, or if there is a period of bad weather, fewer visitors come to the
park, but the animals still need feeding, care and attention, so bills need to be met. It is important to
the Trust to keep funds in reserve for such events.
Requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (amended in 2002)
A zoo is classified as “an establishment where wild animals …are kept for exhibition to the public
otherwise than for purposes of a circus…and otherwise than in a pet shop; also applies to any zoo
to which members of the public have access, with or without charge for admission, on more than
seven days in any period of 12 consecutive months.”
On application, the following must be specified:
a) The kinds of animals (by Order) to be kept, approximate number for each group, and
arrangement for accommodation, maintenance and well being.
b) Approximate numbers and categories of staff.
c) Approximate numbers of visitors and motor vehicles.
d) Details about access to the site / collection.

Governance and Management of the Zoo
Board of Trustees
Marwell Preservation Trust is run by a Board of fourteen Trustees. The Board meets six times a
year and is helped in its work by Advisory Committees, which are chaired by individual Trustees,
and composed of experts in their fields, who advise the Director and the Trust on issues and
matters relevant to their area of expertise.
The Director
The principal duty of the Director is to control and direct the operations of the park. The Director
deals with management issues and in so doing operates policies laid down by the Trust and the
Board. The Director is advised by the Trustees, and especially by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee meets weekly and works with the Director on planning and general
operations of the zoo. The Executive team is made up of Department Directors, who feed
information down to their staff and in turn pass on any communications from their staff to the rest of
the Executive.
Departments within the Zoo
Curatorial
This department is involved in the welfare and day to day management of the zoo’s animal
collection. The curators advise the Director on all animal matters and have control over the head
keepers, who in turn are responsible for their keeping staff.
Finance
The Finance department is responsible for the administration of wages and salaries and maintaining
accounting records.
Education
This department is responsible for formal and informal education for schools, colleges, universities
and the general visitor.
Visitor Services
Visitor service departments include Gate Admission, Retail, Catering, Trains (road and rail) and
Environmental Services.
Communications
This includes the Marketing, Volunteers, Media and PR, Adoptions, Fundraising and Annual Pass
departments.
Maintenance
Maintenance staff members maintain and help build the animal enclosures and other buildings in
the park. There is also a qualified electrician within this department.
Grounds
Ground staff members maintain and develop the landscape and grounds of the park.
Conservation
The Conservation department organises scientific research and in situ conservation in the UK and
abroad.

Financial
Controller
Finance
Director
Assistant
Financial
Controller
Finance
Assistant
IT &
Telecomms
Manager
General
Curator
Deputy
Curator
Senior Section
Manager
Manager, Assistant
Manager and Keepers
for each animal
section
Animal
Services
Registrar
This diagram has been produced for use
by schools and colleges only. It is not
necessarily an exact representation of the
staff structure at Marwell Zoological Park.
Director of
Conservation &
Education
Conservation
&
Wildlife
Management
Staff
Education
Staff
Departments at Marwell
Head of Plants
& Grounds
Grounds
Staff
Foreman
Grounds
Staff
Chief Executive
Communications
Director
Marketing
Manager
Adoptions
Media &
PR
Officer
Volunteer
Coordinator
Fundraising
Annual
Passes
Animal
Information
Liaison
Officer
Promotions
Distribution
Graphic
Designer
HR Manager
Retail
Manager
Assistant
Retail
Manager
Retail
Staff
Train
Staff
Guest
Services
Manager
Commercial
Director
Admission
Staff
Catering
Manager
Assistant
Manager
Supervisors
Catering
Staff
Env
Services
Staff
PA to
Chief
Executive
Corporate
& Events
Manager
Assistant
Manager
Porter
Receptionists
Facilities
Director
Clerk
of
Works
Head of
Maintenance
Maintenance
Staff

Income and Expenditure
In order to carry out our essential work at Marwell, we must make enough money to house and care for
our animals, to support our overseas projects and also to pay staff employed at the zoo.
Income
Incoming resources:
(A comparison of year ending December 2006 with year ending December 2005)
Type of Income 2006 Total Funds (£) 2005 Total Funds (£)
Voluntary income
Donations, legacies and grants 1,677,271 1,531,516
Adoptions 77,200 69,416
Trading activities 1,956,774 1,055,134
Activities for
generating funds
Functions 163,181 197,444
Other activities (e.g. art sales) 15,626 22,014
Income from
charitable activities
Operation of the park (admissions)
Education activities (e.g. children’s
summer camp)
4,175,419
6,478
3,580,374
7,784
Investment income 140,064 117,324
Profit on disposal of fixed assets 475 4,768
Expenditure
Total incoming resources 8,212,488 6,585,774
During 2006, 84% of expenditure (not including trading expenditure) was devoted directly towards the
Marwell’s charitable activities - the vast majority going on the operation of the park – primarily the
upkeep and welfare of the animals, including an ongoing programme of refurbishment of enclosures.
7% was spent directly on in situ and ex situ conservation projects. Only 1% of such expenditure was
spent on governance costs.
Resources expended:
(A comparison of year ending December 2006 with year ending December 2005)
Type of Expenditure 2006 Total Funds (£) 2005 Total Funds (£)
Costs of generating voluntary income 740,706 492,300
Costs of activities
for generating
funds
Trading activities
Functions
1,783,645
91,989
761,174
180,904
Operation of the park 3,464,090 2,800,259
Charitable activities Conservation 333,110 357,090
Education activities 378,318 363,086
Governance costs 66,638 85,523
Total resources expended 6,858,496 5,040,336

Marwell's Income for 2006
Marwell's Expenditure for 2006
Operation of the park (e.g. admissions and education
groups)
Donations, legacies and grants (including grant from
Local Authority for Education sessions)
Adoptions
Shops
Catering
Guidebooks
Train tickets
Amusement and rides
Functions
Other activities (e.g. art sales, selling old printer
cartridges)
Education activities (e.g. summer camp)
Investment income (interest)
Profit on disposal of fixed assets
Staff costs
Marketing
Cost of functions
Other fundraising costs
Cost of goods sold
Animal feed and bedding
Conservation projects
Conservation donations
Education (Wild Theatre and other Education projects)
Adoption funds
Plants
Veterinary costs
Utilities
Building maintenance
Equipment
Stationary and office supplies
IT
Bank charges
Professional fees
Travel, conferences, books and subscriptions
Support costs (e.g. insurance, telephone & postage)
Other direct costs

The Communications Department
The Communications Department is made up of the following teams of people:
Marketing
Manager
Marketing
Media & PR
Officer
The main purpose of the Marketing Manager is to deliver marketing initiatives in all categories of visitor
markets in order to deliver the admission revenue and visitor number targets set out in the business
plan.
The Marketing Manager does this using the 4 P’s marketing mix (PLACE, PRODUCT, PRICE and
PROMOTION).
Another important aspect of this role is to undertake market research exercises as required in order to
evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities. In 2007 the following market research studies will
take place:
a) Segmentation study – customer profiling
• Desk based research
• In park research
• Qualitative information from focus groups
b) Brand study – with the aim to re-brand the organisation
• Staff consultation process and workshops
• Creation of a brief for a branding agency
c) Price review
Communications
Director
Fundraising Volunteer
Coordinator
Promotions
Distribution
Annual
Passes
Adoptions
Animal
Information
Liaison
Officer
Graphic
Designer
A number of stakeholder panels will then be created and these will be used for on-going, future
research.

The Marketing manager is required to produce promotional materials and, with the help of the
Promotions Distributor, ensure that they are distributed around the region. A wide range of materials
are used to promote Marwell, including:
a) Advertisements:
• Television, radio, newspapers, vehicles, internal
b) Brochures and Leaflets:
• Leaflet distribution to other attractions, libraries, hotels, Tourist Information centres,
doctors & vets
c) Internet
• New website was developed during 2006 and launched in March 2007.
d) Press Releases
• Local and national newspapers and magazines
e) Merchandising
• Sale of Marwell merchandise
As well as advertising, a number of other methods are used to help promote Marwell:
a) Direct Marketing:
• Demographic profiling of customers and targeting of leaflets, fliers, mail-shots, emails etc
b) Public Relations:
• Image and branding – how we communicate with visitors and local community
c) Sales Promotions:
• Competitions, special offers, vouchers and free tickets
d) Sponsorship & Adoptions:
• Animals and enclosures
e) Personal Selling
• Demonstrations – school outreach work, volunteer outside visits, show trailer, public
talks

The use of ICT within the Business
Here we will look at the use of technology within the business from the view point of the animal
collection and the routine running of the business.
A.R.K.S.
Animal Record Keeping System (ARKS) is a database designed for the storage and retrieval of
information on animals kept in captivity. Various reports can be generated on the current state of
species within a collection.
I.S.I.S
International Species Information System (I.S.I.S.) is an international internet-based database system
for wild animal species held in captivity. The homepage can be found at www.isis.org.
SPARKS
Single Population Analysis and Animal Record Keeping System (SPARKS) is a database used by
studbook holders and species coordinators to monitor the population of animals in their region.
Population Management 2000
This is a piece of software used by studbook keepers to analyse the captive population of an
endangered species.
Cash Factor
Cash Factor is an accounting package used at Marwell to record our income and expenditure. A
separate system is used for Marwell’s payroll.
Marketing and Public Relations Software
Design and presentational packages are of key importance to the Marketing Department at Marwell.
Communication is also very important to help distribute Marwell’s mission to the wider community and
to help portray the organisation in a positive way.
EPOS
Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) is a piece of software used by the Visitor Services Department. The
number of visitors that we receive and how much money they spend is vital in forecasting budgets and
expenditure.
Membership, Adoption & Volunteer Databases
Marwell’s Membership, Adoptions and Volunteers database contains all the personal details of
members, adopters and volunteers. This information is required for a variety of reasons.
Education Database
Information on schools and their visits is recorded in a database. This can be used for marketing or for
repeat bookings and resource requirements.

ICT and Communication with Customers
ICT is often used as a means to communicate with our customers.
Website:
The Marwell Zoo website (http://www.marwell.org.uk/) provides users with information about all areas of
the park from the animals that they may see, the conservation and education work that we do, to future
events and what goes on behind the scenes.

Screen Captures of ICT Programmes used at Marwell
ARKS (Animal Record Keeping System) Database screen capture
ISIS (International Species Information System) screen capture

Marwell’s Membership Database screen capture – Personal detail record
Marwell’s Volunteer Database screen capture – Volunteer training record

PM 2000 Screen capture: Age distribution
PM 2000 Screen capture: Animal Selection

250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
Ark Gift Shop Sales Group Graph
Books Films/Batts General Gifts Hats & Bags Ornaments Pic 'n Mix Soft Toys Stationery Sweets Toys
Books Films/Batts General Gifts Hats & Bags Ornaments Pic 'n Mix Soft Toys Stationery Sweets Toys
Excel graph from EPOS data

Marwell’s Technical Specifications
Servers (8) - windows 2003 server
(sql, external mail, exchange, terminal server, backup, infogenesis (catering EPOS),
ticketing(EPOS))
DELL
Client pc's - 100 Windows XP
Everything networked via Ethernet - 100Mb in buildings with a 1Gb fibre link right round the park
DELL

Report Start Date
Report End Date
01/01/1999 Specimen Report for MARWELL / SPECIMEN 29/09/2003
Taxonomic name: Equus grevyi
Family: Equidae
Common name: Grevy's zebra Order: Perissodactyla
Current information
Sex: Female Sire ID: 2763 at Marwell Zoological Park
Birth type: Captive Born Dam ID: 3534 at Marwell Zoological Park
Birth Location: Marwell Zoological Park Rearing: Parent
Birthdate-Age: 1 Jan 2000 - 4Y,8M,29D Hybrid: Not a hybrid
Time since last Acq: 4Y,8M,29D as of report end date
Date in
Acquisition - Vendor/local Id Holder
1 Jan 2000 Birth
MARWELL /
SPECIMEN
Date
1 Jan 2000
Date
1 Jan 1999
1 Jan 2000
1 Jan 2001
15 Sep 2001
2 Nov 2001
1 Jan 2002
21 Mar 2002
22 Mar 2002
23 Mar 2002
23 Mar 2002
25 Mar 2002
31 Mar 2002
4 Sep 2002
6 Sep 2002
27 Jan 2003
1 Feb 2003
Date
1 Jan 2000
6 Sep 2002
Date
1 Jan 2000
Date
1 Jan 2000
1 Jan 2000
1 Jan 2000
Identifier type
Identifier
House Name ZEBRA
Note type
Location
Disposition - Recipient/local Id Date out
Note THIS IS A SPECIMEN RECORD THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED AS AN EXAMPLE ONLY. NONE OF
THE INFORMATION IS A TRUE ACCOUNT.
Birth note Born overnight. No abnormalities detected.
Fecal check/worming Panacur worming x 3 days
Parasitology Faecal sample analysis
No worm eggs or parasitic forms found
Diet Diet increased for entire herd
Fecal check/worming Panacur worming x 3 days
Medical note Lethargic and not eating.
Medical note No improvement - looking unwell
Medical note Examined by vet. Nothing specific found. Suspect bacterial infection. Blood sample taken. Advise course
of antibiotics.
Medical treatment Given antibiotics once daily x 7 days
Bacteriology BLOOD SAMPLE RESULT
See ref 01589
Medical note Much improved. Eating well.
Aggression Showing aggression towards another female in the group
Animal management note Moved to another enclosure
Stereotypic behavior Pacing continuously
Enrichment Note Environmental enrichment: Boomer balls put on to hard stand. Pacing behaviour decreased significantly.
Enclosure
HORSES 00:00:00 - Born
WEST 00:00:00 - Moved due to aggression
Sex
Female
Rearing
Parent
Sire 2763 MARWELL
Dam 3534 MARWELL