COUNTING the different species at Cotswold Wildlife Park can be a mammoth task – especially when the animals keep on breeding.

According to the latest animal count conducted at the wildlife park near Burford, it was home to 1,279 animals from 272 different species at the end of the year.

Over the past 12 months, there were 332 new arrivals from 62 different species, including some very significant births.

Park curator Jamie Craig said he expected there would be more births in the coming year and added: “We are waiting for the cold weather to pass so that we can count our Prairie Dogs.

“Quite sensibly, they have taken to their burrows following the recent freezing weather.”

Last summer, the bird section successfully bred one of the most endangered and iconic bird species – the Bali Starling.

The Starling can only be found on the Indonesian island of Bali where there are thought to be no more than a dozen left in the world, and keepers were delighted when three new chicks arrived last year.

And 2011 also saw the birth of Visayan Warty piglets Pebbles and BamBam.

The species is almost extinct in the wild and the two piglets were the first litter born to parents Fred and Wilma.

The park is one of only six in the UK to keep the unusual pigs, and the piglets attracted large crowds in July.

Mr Craig added that last year the park received three critically endangered Belted Ruffed Lemurs and two Abyssinian Ground Hornbills that were rescued by the RSPCA.

The most productive species was the Helmeted Guineafowl with 87 birds successfully reared.

And the most productive mammals were the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs with 10 pups reared.

Meerkats, Lemurs and Asian Small-clawed Otters also successfully produced offspring last year.

Once the animals have been counted, the data is logged on the park’s computer system called ARKS (Animal Record-Keeping System).

It contains every aspect of any creature’s history, including illness and vaccination records and how often, with whom, and when it has mated.

The park is also looking forward to a new resident – a giant tortoise named Darwin, who has been donated by the Seychelles Government.

It is the first time the Government has donated a tortoise to the UK and is part of a conservation project with the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens.

Darwin is 25-year-old Aldabra Giant Tortoise – relatively young for a species which can live up to 150 – and becomes the fourth at the park.

The animal was named after scientist Charles Darwin, who was one of the first people to propose that Aldabras in the Seychelles become protected.

Mr Craig said: “We are delighted to welcome Darwin to the Cotswolds and to create links between the Park and the Seychelles.”

The official handover of Darwin will take place at Cotswold Wildlife Park on Wednesday.

* For further information visit cotswoldwildlife.co.uk.