I still haven’t made it to South Lakes, but I have been tempted a number of times. I would especially like to see their spectacled bears, but their siamangs, jaguars and lar gibbons would also be a highlight for me. Great photographs, I am now definitely pondering a visit in the near future.
South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes Safari Zoo 2018 news
- Thread starter Quincey
- Start date
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
It’s improving all the time and new staff seem to care and want to improve the collection.
I still have about 20 VIP packages from breakfast with the Giraffes to meet the Red Pandas and big cat feeds to use, so feel free to inbox me if you plan to go before start of March when they expire and I’ll happy transfer something of interest to you and saves you admission as well.
David wants £4m for the park which is fair and when the new owners can afford to buy it they will and then the place will really start to improve.
That’s definitely the impression that I get, that standards are rapidly improving. I believe you’re right, and once the zoo has been sold it will be like a complete rebirth.
And that’s a lovely offer, thank you! I’m not sure if I will get there before March now (Chester this week, Edinburgh next week, trying to save some money for my Czech Replubic trip) but I will certainly try!
And that’s a lovely offer, thank you! I’m not sure if I will get there before March now (Chester this week, Edinburgh next week, trying to save some money for my Czech Replubic trip) but I will certainly try!
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
Camels have left
Fruit bats are leaving
Some of the Arctic Wolves leaving
Pygmy Hippo will be leaving
Chin Chin the Tiger leaving
Mishka the Snow Leopard leaving
Vicuna I believe have now gone but if not gone yet, going soon.
Current exhibits constantly being improved and bigger and better ones being developed, so new species can be introduced.
Discovery Centre to replace old classroom to include Reptiles and display talks.
Once Chin Chin and Mishka have left, a major improvement will be done on the two Carnivore enclosures with a possible merge into one, to give the Jaguar's far better enrichment and space.
Yep, they have big plans but it takes time and money and given they've only just started charging again for entry, the latter is not over flowing. Membership is also way too cheap there at £40 a year.
I'm at Chester tomorrow for my 5th attempt to try and get snaps of the baby Otters and Hunting Dogs, most of my day will be spent around either so feel free to say hi if you're around.
Czech Republic sounds exciting, are you going on a bear hunt !
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Is there any sort of barrier between visitors and that pond yet? Approximately how large was the turtle?
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
There is no barrier and given it's all of about a foot deep at it's deepest and there is always a member of staff on hand, I don't think it needs a barrier. They are planning to remove the back barrier so they can bring the Sloth more forward towards people and so people can see the exhibit better.
It's hard to tell size as things often look bigger in water but I would hazard a guess that it's shell was about a foot. It was a very light grey and had a few white spots on it. Its head stayed in, until a fish came close, when it literally bombed out and grabbed it, which was most impressive and annoying I was too busy chatting to have camera snap it! It literally just looked like a large piece of rock in the pond and it was only when the lad told me it was a turtle and threw a piece of fish in towards it that I saw it as a turtle and not a rock! It shares the pond with a couple of small terrapins/turtles.
Excellent, I will do! I’m sure I don’t really need to leave any clues regarding the area of the zoo where I will be spending most of my time tomorrow
! Hope to catch you!Yes, my Czech plan is primarily focused around seeing all 7 sun bears remaining in the country in one trip.
Strange coincidence, I also had a new tyre in Kendal last year... probably from the same place!
Thanks for the update on what's happening at SL and the various departures.
The pygmy hippo will leave for Pairi Daizi in Belgium.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
Look at this trouble again! A criminal investigation is underway at Britain's worst zoo
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
This is the problem if you read or buy the rubbish scum of a newspaper that is known as the Sun.
Looking to stir up rubbish when they know nothing.
Yes Nero was poisoned by contaminated meat and South Lakes were in the process of sueing the supplier of the meat. I believe it was being settled out of court, but South Lakes have reported on 2/3 occasions what happened to Nero, and it was not their fault and it's disgusting and typical of the scummiest dirty paper that it is, to print such nonsense. How that paper hasn't been shut down by now I don't know.
The Zoo was not at fault in anyway for what happened to Nero, and I hope they take the Sun for every penny it has for printing such rubbish.
South Lakes changed their meat supplier after it happened and have taken legal action against the former supplier.
It stinks of someone who is not happy with the changes and good changes going on at the Zoo, trying to get rubbish printed to slur their name again. Disgusting.
Going uo to south lakes this week - excited to see the new changes and glad that a lot of stock is being rehomed (they always had too many) that being said, it leaves a few empty enclosures - anyone have any idea which new species they plan to introduce? (I know David Gill wanted African elephants in the old African paddock and gorillas at one stage but hoping/guessing they’re no longer a viable option) anyone know any more?
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
Hi John,
There is only one empty enclosure at present which is the Camel house and gravel area. That said it's hidden behind the Red Squirrel's, so unless you were a regular visitor you wouldn't have known there was an exhibit there, as there is no public viewing in the house.
The Tropical House has only just re-opened and the Bats are in the far corner. When these move on, a reptile species will be added into that exhibit.
I'm not sure when the Pygmy Hippo will leave but that exhibit does need a makeover. That said it could become a more ideal exhibit for the Maned Wolves who currently share with the Tapir.
The old entrance to the park has been non access for a long time, where the old Lemur Walkthrough was and the Pygmy Hippo paddock and pond (pond closed off) which is now part of the Giant Anteater enclosure.
Other species leaving is just surplus animals moving on, so those exhibits aren't empty as they still have those species on show.
I've always hoped they would do something with the two unused exhibits by the former entrance of the park, but crosses over David's house and driveway grounds so I expect nothing will be done there until the park is sold to the new company.
David has nothing to do with the Zoo anymore, he has no involvement and no financial responsibility. He purely owns it and the house, but an agreed price of £4m has been set for when the new team want to buy it.
I can't think of anywhere suitable that the park could house Elephants without massive restoration and they wouldn't have funding for anything like that.
Again I couldn't foresee anywhere Gorillas would come into park either.
I suspect in time, the two carnivore enclosures will merge, giving the Jags a massive enclosure.
The land by the Giant Anteater and old Lemur walkthrough will be developed into an exhibit for a small woodland type animal. (Badgers / Wolverines / Lynx could be possible),
The Discovery centre will house a number of Reptiles and a couple of extra species into the tropical house as well.
There simply isn't the funding or money at the park to start building or planning fancy new exhibits and areas of expansion is quite limited.
The first plan of funding the owners have is to buy the Zoo off David Gill, so I can't imagine there will be any huge changes until they own the park themselves.
I have popped a heads up into the TV forum, but in case you miss it there, and if you can bear to watch through your fingers, 'Trouble at the Zoo' is on BBC2 at 9pm tonight. Going by the two-sentence blurb it follows the zoo staff as they try to rescue the zoo's reputation following its negative publicity.
MOD: thread about the tv programme here - Trouble at the Zoo - documentary on South Lakes - BBC2
MOD: thread about the tv programme here - Trouble at the Zoo - documentary on South Lakes - BBC2
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The usual anti-zoo rubbish and exactly what does the MP want doing? The zoo are not responsible for a supplier giving them contaminated food. Maybe the MP would like the meat supplier investigated. They are to blame for the death of a lion, not the zoo. Ths Sun has the usual idiotic comments from people knowing nothing about zoos.
Zooreviewsuk
Well-Known Member
Aware of the goose and nope not a Matamata. I'm going back next week, I'll take a photo.
2 + 2 = ?