Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park 2024

I thought the summer series last year got rid of a lot of the filler. I think it helps the new presenting team with Megan and Hamza are more naturals at presenting with wildlife and so there's no need to try and add anything except the goings-on of the park.

This series will hopefully continue that as there should be plenty to discuss, with several notable deaths and births.
 
The full Animal Park series dropped onto BBC iPlayer this morning. Spoiler for episode 3 below

Episode 3 (Wednesday) - a major update on one of the Lion prides. Klaus and Simba (pride males) are being retired offshow this year due to old age. Zuri (adult female) has recently been reintegrated with that pride after previously being ousted. They still have the castrated males in that group so any new imports are unlikely for the foreseeable.
 
A few months ago I remarked that it felt like a changing of the guard at Longleat, what with the passing of giraffe Thorn, the hippos and other big changes in recent years such as the loss of the timber wolves. But somehow that news is something different altogether - maybe it's because they are the symbol of Longleat, and both were almost always sat next to the road. I'm guessing they intend to breed again in the future because of this change? Very good age for both the boys, anyway. I'll miss seeing them.
 
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cerperal said:
I thought the summer series last year got rid of a lot of the filler. I think it helps the new presenting team with Megan and Hamza are more naturals at presenting with wildlife and so there's no need to try and add anything except the goings-on of the park.

This series will hopefully continue that as there should be plenty to discuss, with several notable deaths and births.
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Speaking of animal park what happened to the third pride of lions as it says in animal park that there’s only two prides
 
jayden said:
Speaking of animal park what happened to the third pride of lions as it says in animal park that there’s only two prides
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The 3rd pride was created in 2011 and was disbanded completely in 2019. Some of the castrated males were kept seperatly when they were younger I believe but have now been integrated back with the pride. ALL the lions(unless any were brought in) at Longleat should be able to be traced back to a pride of 3 from 2004(1:0Kabir & 0:2 Lunar & Yendi(both born 2001)
 
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Episode 8 and 9 spoiler

Episode 9, A male North American Tree Porcupine has arrived from a zoo in Germany. Castrated male Lion, Ghost has been PTS due to ill health

Episode 8, Cheetah - Xena (female born at Longleat in 2018 to Wilma and Carl) has been introduced to male, Lunis (one of the new males from Stuttgart) with hopes of future breeding
 
Really enjoyed this series of Animal Park so far!

I do have a burning question of which I begun to research after my visit 2 weeks ago. They mention in episode 2 that they aim to reunite the Fennec (whether permanent or temporary I'm not sure) but do they have the capacity in the enclosure to do this? I have always thought parts of Animal Kingdom are small - especially the beginning sections and areas near the Sloths - are there any plans for this section?
 
Great to see Xena the cheetah being introduced as the new potential breeding female.
She was born here in about 2018 and hand reared but was she the only cub born that year or was she a twin or triplet but the only survivor?
 
Can anyone remind me which episode of the previous series had the lion with the skinned paw pad? Also, can anyone confirm that introductions with Terry the wolf didnt work or is he still on site ?
 
Embu said:
Great to see Xena the cheetah being introduced as the new potential breeding female.
She was born here in about 2018 and hand reared but was she the only cub born that year or was she a twin or triplet but the only survivor?
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im 90% sure she was a twin i feel i remember a male cub not surviving ? It was definitely captured on the series could probably Youtube an old clip of them being bottle fed.
 
Mfuwe said:
im 90% sure she was a twin i feel i remember a male cub not surviving ? It was definitely captured on the series could probably Youtube an old clip of them being bottle fed.
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I know a 1:0 was born in 2016 with Poppy & Winston but DNS.
 
Visited Longleat Today and Ran into a keeper who I met on my last visit who gave us some eucalyptus to take home, Well anyway Saw him in the croc house and I was lucky enough to feed the chiclids and throw enrichment into the pool for the crocs! about 6 years ago I also fed the Emus apples slices in Family Farmyard. The Keeper was Very knowledgeable and we had a great chat with him that lasted about ten minutes!
 
Embu said:
Great to see Xena the cheetah being introduced as the new potential breeding female.
She was born here in about 2018 and hand reared but was she the only cub born that year or was she a twin or triplet but the only survivor?
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She was a twin. Unfortunately the second cub died soon afterwards

Her mother (Wilma) gave birth again fairly soon afterwards to 2.2. One of the female cubs didn't reach adolescence but the other three did. The female cub went to Basel in 2020 (she later bred herself, but has since died) and the boys went to the Big Cat Sanctuary late 2023 or early 2024.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Who is currently in the Longleat giraffe herd?
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Females that I know of(unless some have died) :

Ella: born 2004 Kwaheri x Jolly
Gertrude: born 2006 Kwaheri x Becky
Kate: born 2010 Doto x Becky
Mary: born 2012 Doto x Eliza
Tara: born 2015 Thorn Jemima
Piper: born 2015 Thorn x Kate
Nora: born 2013?
Shelly: born 2018 Thorn x Gertrude
Thea: born 2019 Thorn x Ella

Persumably Ella is still alive
 
Embu said:
Females that I know of(unless some have died) :

Ella: born 2004 Kwaheri x Jolly
Gertrude: born 2006 Kwaheri x Becky
Kate: born 2010 Doto x Becky
Mary: born 2012 Doto x Eliza
Tara: born 2015 Thorn Jemima
Piper: born 2015 Thorn x Kate
Nora: born 2013?
Shelly: born 2018 Thorn x Gertrude
Thea: born 2019 Thorn x Ella

Persumably Ella is still alive
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Thanks for the update!

How likely is the introduction of a new unrelated bull?
(It is about time .... since Thorn's passing, don't you all think)!?
 
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