Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Port Lympne Wild Animal Park News 2024

The Aspinall zoos are not only ZOOS, they are, despite a couple of rarities, some of the zoo-iest ABC zoos in the country with several out of date cages for enclosures. His anti-zoo rhetoric is harmful to the industry and their conservation work. Not to mention still going in with the gorillas, taking photo shoots with them and feeding them whatever they like, all of which the keepers have no control of. The Aspinall rewilding is mostly for show and largely unsuccessful. No where in Africa needs elephants reintroducing.
 
I meant about closing tho zoos :p

Which his father had been threatening to do since the mid-1990s, so nothing new. Rinse and Repeat.

Personally, I’d call his bluff and see what happens. The parks are a shadow of their former selves, with PL haemorrhaging money since the early 2000’s (hence the exorbitant “safari” lodges and experiences)
 
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The thing I find the most hypocritical is the boutique and VERY expensive hotel experiences. If he hates zoos so much then he should close his own ones down. Don’t charge people £1,350 to sleep next to the tigers whilst claiming that they shouldn’t even be in a zoo.

Neither would he charge punters sixty-five quid over and above the ticket price to ride around half the zoo in ancient polluting French Army surplus diesel lorries.
 
A while ago in an interview somewhere Aspinall called for *all* tropical marine aquarium fish to be 'rewilded.' All of them, presumably including captive bred varities such as 'designer' Clownfish. Presumably given his record what he means by 'rewilding' is 'dumping them all in the nearest harbour.'
 
3 Pieces of Early 2024 News Not Mentioned:

On March 29th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (6.0) African wild dogs to the Longleat Safari & Adventure Park in Wiltshire*.

Longleat

On March 30th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) margay to the Banham Zoo in Norfolk.

Banham Zoo

On April 9th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) drill to Africa Alive in Suffolk.

Africa Alive Reserve

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On May 24th, the zoo announced that a Javan gibbon named Sunda was born, as well as a Debrazza's monkey named Bello which are on exhibit. The zoo also announced that (0.0.2+) red-necked wallabies were born which are on exhibit.

The zoo also announced they acquired a fossa named Makira and a giraffe (species not specified) named Karamoja which are also on exhibit.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
Visit our new arrivals this May half term!

* Information partially given by @Tankyboi on the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park News 2024 thread (Page 3 Post #49).
 
Last edited:
Where is the announcement? I can't find it in socials or on the website. Wonder where the fossa and giraffe came from?
 
Wonder what their setup with giraffes is now.
They had a herd of Rothschild 1:2 Valentino(2012),
Luna(2011) & Lehanna(2011) and their 3 calves
Bakora(2016),
Mwezi(2016)
Kianga(2018)
Then last year a Rothschild bull arrived from Dublin obviously now to breed with Karamoja.
 
£ 65?:eek: Last time I went the Safari 'ride' was included in the entry price. Has that all changed now?

Having rechecked, it's £65 + entry fee to sit in back of a lorry and watch the Rhinos being fed. Various other cons - sorry, packages - are also available.

Safari Experiences

By comparison, Watatunga charges £70 all in for four people to do a self-drive buggy tour with a guide in a separate vehicle.
 
On March 29th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (6.0) African wild dogs to the Longleat Safari & Adventure Park in Wiltshire*.

Longleat

On March 30th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) margay to the Banham Zoo in Norfolk.

Banham Zoo

On April 9th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) drill to Africa Alive in Suffolk.

Africa Alive Reserve

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The zoo also announced they acquired a fossa named Makira and a giraffe (species not specified) named Karamoja which are also on exhibit.

.

Some more recent examples of their continuing interactions with other zoos/parks, all of which, from their proclamations, they appear to dislike so vehemently. Then there is a bull elephant from them at Noah's Ark, and a longterm rhino at Paignton just to name a couple of others I know of. (I don't count the bull Elephant Coco at West Midlands as I believe he's not owned by them, rather managed by the EEP, as is probably the Drill group too)
 
I'm visiting next Monday and I have wondered for a while now. Does anyone know why the truck Safari is not included on the map?. I know it used to be featured on the maps but I wonder why it was taken off.

Also what are the best ways to see the Water Buffalo, Takin, Wildebeest, Axis Deer, Sambars, Vicuna and hard ground Barasingha?
 
I'm visiting next Monday and I have wondered for a while now. Does anyone know why the truck Safari is not included on the map?. I know it used to be featured on the maps but I wonder why it was taken off.

Also what are the best ways to see the Water Buffalo, Takin, Wildebeest, Axis Deer, Sambars, Vicuna and hard ground Barasingha?

Regarding Sambar and Barasingha, unless they have been moved, there is a long path running down the 'pedestrian area' (west) side of their enclosure from which they should be clearly visible. Its much better than rumbling past in the trucks when they hardly stop. I think the Axis deer are in the main safari area though.

Don't be too sure they are 'hard-ground' Barasingha though. Have always been labelled as C.v.branderi (the hard ground subspecies) at PL but the provenance and claim may be dubious. Nowhere else in Europe claims to have this subspecies and the Port Lympne ones originated (I think) from East Berlin.
 
Last edited:
I'm also visiting on Monday to do a rhino experience and hoping to see various other species which the park has too of course, but I haven't been for years so not very familiar with it since the map doesn't appear to be very up to date.
 
Does Port Lympne or Howletts publish their annual animal inventories like some other zoo websites do to the public?
 
Back
Top