Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Something is coming...
- Thread starter hemsley
- Start date
They've updated it slightly... not sure what to make of it. :/ Something about a 'new customer experience' and 'next year when we launch the brand new Port Lympne experience.'
I think they could possibly be creating a walkway to the midway stop on the safari journey? as it is a little unfair to make people pay extra for the journey and it also isn't suitable for people with disabilities, perhaps it will be an overhead walkway or something? Just an idea?
Evidently its not a new animal species- the 'something' rather indicates that anyway. From the new information they've put up it sounds like visitors have been complaining about something- disabled access to the African Experience area perhaps?
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I would assume it has something to do with the proposed Callichtrids open air free-run enclosures, for which part of the part is being transformed and readied. But as I am just speculating from posts on their website ..., I could be way off ... 
RowanGreen
Well-Known Member
I don't think those are bear prints: I think they generally have a straight line of toes in front of the pad. Looks more like a canine of some kind, but then they seem to have a good range of those already...
Of course, there's no guarentee that they choose to illustrate it with the correct tracks anyway... It would be very strange to illustrate a coming tamarind walk through with tracks that are definitely those of a carnivore though!
Some sort of re-design rather than new species sounds very possible to me. There's a mention of 'new arrivals' (plural) so sounds like they might actually be bringing in several species.
Of course, there's no guarentee that they choose to illustrate it with the correct tracks anyway... It would be very strange to illustrate a coming tamarind walk through with tracks that are definitely those of a carnivore though!
Some sort of re-design rather than new species sounds very possible to me. There's a mention of 'new arrivals' (plural) so sounds like they might actually be bringing in several species.
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PeteOzzy
Guest
I actually went down yesterday and saw these signs and found this forum whilst trying to find out more.
The manager at the entrance admitted she knew very little about the changes but didn't think it would involve any new species. Apparently it's very customer service oriented which is a shame. Currently they aren't selling year passes as the pricing structure will be changing and they're not sure how that would affect is.
Details are very hard to find and even the staff were unsure. She even hinted that Howletts and Port Lympne will be seperating which would be a real shame, especially as my year pass would only apply to one park not two.
Anyway, none of this was confirmed and if anyone knows any more I'd love to know - new species would make my day
The manager at the entrance admitted she knew very little about the changes but didn't think it would involve any new species. Apparently it's very customer service oriented which is a shame. Currently they aren't selling year passes as the pricing structure will be changing and they're not sure how that would affect is.
Details are very hard to find and even the staff were unsure. She even hinted that Howletts and Port Lympne will be seperating which would be a real shame, especially as my year pass would only apply to one park not two.
Anyway, none of this was confirmed and if anyone knows any more I'd love to know - new species would make my day
RowanGreen
Well-Known Member
For anyone interested, here's a guide to some tracks.
http://www.rihunts.com/images/hunting/animal.tracks.jp
Definitely sounds like they just threw in some tracks without it being any particular species though...
http://www.rihunts.com/images/hunting/animal.tracks.jp
Definitely sounds like they just threw in some tracks without it being any particular species though...
Port Lympne to become a Safari Park?
Just had a letter from a friend who visited Howletts recently and had a long chat with a keeper whilst she was there.
The keeper said that there had been talk of closing Howletts but that the owner had decided against it.
The keeper then added that Port Lympne is to become a Safari Park, which would fit in with the 'customer service orientated' plans and maybe a split away from Howletts? (although can't see why the two wouldn't work alongside each other)
Just had a letter from a friend who visited Howletts recently and had a long chat with a keeper whilst she was there.
The keeper said that there had been talk of closing Howletts but that the owner had decided against it.
The keeper then added that Port Lympne is to become a Safari Park, which would fit in with the 'customer service orientated' plans and maybe a split away from Howletts? (although can't see why the two wouldn't work alongside each other)
i think we should just wait and see before speculating! i dont see how a safari park round the WHOLE site would work but it would allow visitors to see more of the park. how many people currently get round all 600 acres in a day at present? i definately feel the main site needs linking to the african area.
With regard to the suggestion that howletts was possibly to close as mentioned above, this might not be that bad an idea if running 2 parks is financially draining the aspinall foundation. there is A LOT of repitition between the 2 sites and consolidating on one large site mite be a very effective use of resources and allow more effort to go into transport around the site. some of the deer species and asian antelope arent endangered at all so could be disposed of and their paddocks in the centre used for rarer asian or african hoofstock or open air primate enclosures. there is more space, and i feel more potential, at the port lympne site that could make if all the focus was there it really could become a world class zoo. Howletts could become a private back up/breeding facility or house amuch smaller collection of animals, e.g. just the african elephants, dholes, macaques and amur tiger breeding area? thoughts?
With regard to the suggestion that howletts was possibly to close as mentioned above, this might not be that bad an idea if running 2 parks is financially draining the aspinall foundation. there is A LOT of repitition between the 2 sites and consolidating on one large site mite be a very effective use of resources and allow more effort to go into transport around the site. some of the deer species and asian antelope arent endangered at all so could be disposed of and their paddocks in the centre used for rarer asian or african hoofstock or open air primate enclosures. there is more space, and i feel more potential, at the port lympne site that could make if all the focus was there it really could become a world class zoo. Howletts could become a private back up/breeding facility or house amuch smaller collection of animals, e.g. just the african elephants, dholes, macaques and amur tiger breeding area? thoughts?
Howletts and Port Lympne firstly seperating would be a huge shame and for Howletts to close would be even worse.
Howletts and Port Lympne were designed to be of one collection, where animals could be swapped too and throw, to get the best conditions and family inwhich to live in, For a split to occur in my opinion it would go against the entire principle inwhich it was formed.
And for Howletts to close would be a terrible thing, it is an inspirational place! A place with such notable achievements that has stunned the zoological world and the awe of the public.
I wonder how Aspinall would think of this, perhaps for Howletts to close under public view might not be considered to bad as that is how it started but since then its work in educating and inspiring its visitors aswell as providing a completely different experience has been very valuable, but to seperate both parks, I would not like to think.
In my opinion, a very sad issue, and to make Port Lympne a Safari Park would be again in the words of Aspinall a very bad move, Having said in many places that they where places of 'entertainment' and of an unnatural measure.
Howletts and Port Lympne were designed to be of one collection, where animals could be swapped too and throw, to get the best conditions and family inwhich to live in, For a split to occur in my opinion it would go against the entire principle inwhich it was formed.
And for Howletts to close would be a terrible thing, it is an inspirational place! A place with such notable achievements that has stunned the zoological world and the awe of the public.
I wonder how Aspinall would think of this, perhaps for Howletts to close under public view might not be considered to bad as that is how it started but since then its work in educating and inspiring its visitors aswell as providing a completely different experience has been very valuable, but to seperate both parks, I would not like to think.
In my opinion, a very sad issue, and to make Port Lympne a Safari Park would be again in the words of Aspinall a very bad move, Having said in many places that they where places of 'entertainment' and of an unnatural measure.
There was a rumour once before some years ago that Port Lympne was going to be sold off, but it didn't happen. However, this seems like rather a different option.
As there are service roads all around Port Lympne already, they could transform it into a 'drive-in' park(similar to Whipsnade) and with modifications some of the ungulate paddocks could become drive- throughs also. Maybe the African Experience area would then take cars instead of the present lorries? So in concept it would still contain much the same animal collection, but perhaps slightly differently presented?
Or maybe the changes will only affect the African Experience area, not the whole park.
i think the african adventure becoming a safari would be a good idea. it wud enable lots more visitors to see all the african wildlife (+1 water buffalo that apparently beat up its brother in the water buffalo paddock). the current 'african experience' set up is appaling for visitors - both ease of access and cost wise. but then i bet theyd charge a fortune for cars to go through anyway.
does anyone know if portlympne own the fields just north of the african experience? could they expand into that area?
also, will the roan antelope and greater kudu move into the drive thru? it would make sense!
does anyone know if portlympne own the fields just north of the african experience? could they expand into that area?
also, will the roan antelope and greater kudu move into the drive thru? it would make sense!
I have a thought of what this new improvement could be. Instead of paying for the park and paring for the safari, they might do it separately so that you can pay for the safari and leave in a truck from the car park instead of trailing through the park. This would be a good idea considering their recent cranking of prices.