Drayton Manor Theme Park Drayton Manor Theme Park Zoo

Kifaru Bwana said:
No news beyond 2020?
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Because the zoo is inside a theme park, it is only open during school holidays in the winter and it was affected by the lockdowns as well. I couldn't manage a visit last year, but perhaps I will be able to go later this year. There was a lar gibbon born last year, following a breeding recommendation, and this is the latest blog post
We're tallying up all creatures great and small in annual zoo stock take | Drayton Manor Blog | Drayton Manor Park
 
Zoofan15 said:
Recent births/hatchings:

Five adorable new arrivals at Drayton Manor zoo after 'baby boom'
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/five-adorable-new-arrivals-drayton-25361596
Brazilian tapir (Felix)
Dik-dik (Lu’ay)
Northern tree shrew (Maggie)
Cameroon day gecko
Madagascar girdled lizard
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That is really good news but they have missed one thing in the Article as last night I have spoken to a colleague who works at Drayton Manor and she told me that they had two tarictic hornbill chicks hatch too
 
Went Drayton Manor last Sunday and had an excellent day weather was great again, are we sure it’s still winter ? The zoo was quiet compared to most main stream zoo, there was only about sixty or so cars in the car park which made the zoo feel cosy but not busy by any means all the animals made an appearance through out the day the fishing cat and red pandas where very active along with the tiger whom was attacking a a couple through the fence as they where taking photographs, not deliberately but is was so quiet the shutter noise of the camera was giving her enough to have a go at. The high light was the reptile house though which must has the largest collection of snakes I the uk I would think. For £10 inc parking it’s a must to visit on the of season and whilst twycross is offering tickets at reduced rates you could easily combine the two in a day as I don’t think they have many cross over species baring the tiger and meerkats, will post some pics up once I get a chance
 
J C said:
Went Drayton Manor last Sunday and had an excellent day weather was great again, are we sure it’s still winter ? The zoo was quiet compared to most main stream zoo, there was only about sixty or so cars in the car park which made the zoo feel cosy but not busy by any means all the animals made an appearance through out the day the fishing cat and red pandas where very active along with the tiger whom was attacking a a couple through the fence as they where taking photographs, not deliberately but is was so quiet the shutter noise of the camera was giving her enough to have a go at. The high light was the reptile house though which must has the largest collection of snakes I the uk I would think. For £10 inc parking it’s a must to visit on the of season and whilst twycross is offering tickets at reduced rates you could easily combine the two in a day as I don’t think they have many cross over species baring the tiger and meerkats, will post some pics up once I get a chance
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Dora, the female Sumatran Tiger, is very much like that. She gets stressed easily and it’s not so much cameras, but she is known to get worked up easily.
I was speaking to her keeper a couple of weeks ago and she said they monitor her behaviour as there has been many times kids roar at her or run up and down and it sets her off and they have to lock her in, as she gets herself very worked up. When it’s busy there, they often just give her access to the large house and outside holding area as she gets stressed.
It wouldn’t be the shutters upsetting her, you’ll see her leap or charge at the fence often when people are watching her, not just when facing a camera at her. Obviously a lot of people know this and use it to obtain pictures of her snarling and lunging, but it clearly doesn’t benefit her. She is getting on a bit in age now, but she’s on her own as she’s very aggressive and she has never really got on with other tigers, sadly.
 
I was just wondering whatever happened to Toto's enclosure after he left for Wales. Was it demolished or do other primates now call it home?
 
ZooTripper365 said:
I was just wondering whatever happened to Toto's enclosure after he left for Wales. Was it demolished or do other primates now call it home?
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I think there are macaques in there, (possibly Sulawesi ones, but don't quote me, as I was last there pre COVID!)
 
ZooTripper365 said:
I was just wondering whatever happened to Toto's enclosure after he left for Wales. Was it demolished or do other primates now call it home?
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Definitely now home to a group of Sulawesi black macaques
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You probably won't know this but when the chimps were moved from their old house, (which was awful,)into this enclosure the grass had to be partially covered in decking to allow the animals to get around.The reason for this was because for years the chimps only knew concrete as their flooring. Eventually the decking was removed once they had got used to the grass
 
We went here yesterday.
It never really occured to us to go, it's only a 40 minute drive, and the price of 10£ wasn't too much either.
Quite confusing though getting a ticket. Nowhere on the website I could find that you wouldn't be able to get a ticket at the gates (even for zoo only, unless I just really couldn't see it).
Because we're on a motorbike, and with the weather what it's been the past few months, we try and wait until the morning to decide to really go, in case the weather changes completely.
But to be on the safe side, we bought them online just before we left the house.
When getting there, it looked like you couldn't buy them anywhere at all? Not sure.

We were first there (and last to leave), and the maingate hadn't been opened (found out later someone forgot, as someone from the zoo actually asked us if we came through the big gate, and it was already 2pm by then). We walked passed the Lowland Anoa, and then had to take a left, cross the barriers over the train tracks, as there was no other way to actually get in, lol.
It was super quiet, it was like we were mainly on our own there.

Nice little place with a good variety of animals.
I was looking forward to the Silvery Marmosets as haven't seen those before (listed on website), but when you enter the Tamarin Trail, there's a massive sign with the path on it, and the enclosures and telling you what animal is where, and 2 name tags were torn off, and Silvery Marmosets weren't on it.

We saw all the animals, apart from the Red Panda's/Bruce's Green Pidgeon & Dusky Pademelon.
And looking at the website, I feel like we didn't see a lot of the smaller birds either.
For 5 seconds though we saw a Red Panda from afar, when one was on top of it's box, but by the time we got close enough it was back inside.

I'm not much of a reptile-house person (I like lizards and gecko's, but don't care for snakes, and hate [=read: terribly afraid] spiders), but I did enjoy this one, I do enjoy finding the animal, and then finding it somewhere so clearly "d'oh".

While at the Dik Dik's, a keeper came to us telling us about 2 little ones. One was mentioned in this thread, and I'm sure that's the one we saw, but he also mentioned a new 2 week old baby.

When going through the Parrot Walk, at the end of it, it was closed off, but we saw at least 2 other enclosures with signs on it.
And also next to the Scarlett Ibis, more to the back, where the Prevoost Squirrels are, we could see the enclosure and the sign, but it was closed off at the Flamingo's, so couldn't actually get to the squirrels.

All in all, a very nice day out. We've been much smaller places/places with much less animals in the past year that charge much more then 10£.
Will definately go back when they do their zoo-only days.
Just a shame there's no chance of getting a magnet or something like that anywhere as a little souvenir (could be done in the café). There's a penny-press machine, but neither of us had change (and couldn't pay cash at the café, otherwise would have asked).
 
Moorhunhe said:
And looking at the website, I feel like we didn't see a lot of the smaller birds either.
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The Australian finches are kept in small exhibit called 'Jewels of Oz' . The entrance door is between the macaques and the Parrot Walk and it's very easy to miss: it also has very restricted opening times, even at the height of the season, so it may not have been open at all when you visited. But I'm glad you enjoyed your visit anyway :)
 
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