South Lakes Wild Animal Park Safari Zoo 2016
- Thread starter jaffaraf
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Visited today.
The Rhino were being moved to the other house near new entrance by crane. Doors to new house remained closed all day. The monkeys were locked inside certainly until we left and they didn't seem too happy about it. Hopefully the old Rhino house will now become a new monkey house.
Walkways near the snow leopard and wolves looks to be permanent and they don't seem to be fixing. The extended platforms out the back of the old cafe have now gone.
There is a new path running from near the giant otters to the Rhino house, cutting across the monkey/maned wold/tapir/capabara enclosure.
The two red panda's were stuck indoors in an end enclosure with no access to outside. I spent ages looking in the outside enclosure to find them, but where they are there is no way they can reach it. I hope this is a temporary measure as they didn't look too impressed.
The Rhino were being moved to the other house near new entrance by crane. Doors to new house remained closed all day. The monkeys were locked inside certainly until we left and they didn't seem too happy about it. Hopefully the old Rhino house will now become a new monkey house.
Walkways near the snow leopard and wolves looks to be permanent and they don't seem to be fixing. The extended platforms out the back of the old cafe have now gone.
There is a new path running from near the giant otters to the Rhino house, cutting across the monkey/maned wold/tapir/capabara enclosure.
The two red panda's were stuck indoors in an end enclosure with no access to outside. I spent ages looking in the outside enclosure to find them, but where they are there is no way they can reach it. I hope this is a temporary measure as they didn't look too impressed.
Two young giraffes remained with the bigger hybrid males. I wondered if they were finally admitting the parentage of the younger two was questionable, or if they were remaining there because they were male?
You mean the Baboons ??
Yes, the baboons which live in a corner of the old rhino house
I wonder what the move means for the African Elephants they're getting this year - are they to be housed with the rhino, giraffe, zebra etc in the new enclosure or moved into the old paddock now housing the baboons/male giraffe? If they're in the extension, it seems a lot of animals all in the same place (particularly indoor housing wise)
Hexaprotodon
Well-Known Member
Visited SLSZ for the first time in 15 years yesterday. It was packed with visitors. I've only visited twice before, once when the zoo had just opened, then in 2001. It does keep changing. I've always been uncomfortable with some of the less conventional mixed species exhibits and I felt the same way following this visit. Why are there red ruffed lemurs wandering around all over the place for example? And random alpacas? However, things had certainly improved in general.
I enjoyed the huge walk through flights for new world vultures and parrots. They seemed to work well. The new white rhino and giraffe accommodation was also pretty good (although I did not look inside the houses). Big cat accommodation generally good also. The enclosure for giant anteater was excellent.
The whole place could do with being sympathetically planted to 'soften' the appearance of some of the enclosures. There were some piles of rubbish here and there and the primate house could do with an upgrade, as could the penguins, but overall it seemed nothing like as bad as I have heard about over the years. No doubt the beautiful sunny day helped show off the park at it's best.
I enjoyed the huge walk through flights for new world vultures and parrots. They seemed to work well. The new white rhino and giraffe accommodation was also pretty good (although I did not look inside the houses). Big cat accommodation generally good also. The enclosure for giant anteater was excellent.
The whole place could do with being sympathetically planted to 'soften' the appearance of some of the enclosures. There were some piles of rubbish here and there and the primate house could do with an upgrade, as could the penguins, but overall it seemed nothing like as bad as I have heard about over the years. No doubt the beautiful sunny day helped show off the park at it's best.
Some baby news from Facebook
"5 Arctic Wolf cubs just venturing outside, Snow Leopard cubs just born"
"5 Arctic Wolf cubs just venturing outside, Snow Leopard cubs just born"
Another recent zoo visit:
Meerkats are sharing an enclosure with yellow mongoose
No Red Pandas seen - seem to have disappeared along with fennec foxes
Rhino and giraffes moved to new site
New rules about bringing food into park - NO food or drink permitted past the playground area near entrance. New pop up drinks/food carts selling popcorn and ice cream are everywhere. I'm pretty sure that stopping people from carrying water is borderline illegal?
With new rules, pushchairs are now allowed in walk through area
Lots of annoying cockerels roaming free near playground. Lots of scared children screaming when they try to come and steal picnics
Baboons still remain locked inside and old rhino house/baboon house locked and closed to public
Fence on old Africa field seems to be pulled down. This may be why baboons aren't allowed out. They don't seem in a hurry to complete the work.
Giant otters not seen asked keeper who 'didn't know' anything about the otters.
Will return in a couple of weeks and hope for vast improvements. Many areas particularly on old site are blocked off with no signs and generally run down
Meerkats are sharing an enclosure with yellow mongoose
No Red Pandas seen - seem to have disappeared along with fennec foxes
Rhino and giraffes moved to new site
New rules about bringing food into park - NO food or drink permitted past the playground area near entrance. New pop up drinks/food carts selling popcorn and ice cream are everywhere. I'm pretty sure that stopping people from carrying water is borderline illegal?
With new rules, pushchairs are now allowed in walk through area
Lots of annoying cockerels roaming free near playground. Lots of scared children screaming when they try to come and steal picnics
Baboons still remain locked inside and old rhino house/baboon house locked and closed to public
Fence on old Africa field seems to be pulled down. This may be why baboons aren't allowed out. They don't seem in a hurry to complete the work.
Giant otters not seen asked keeper who 'didn't know' anything about the otters.
Will return in a couple of weeks and hope for vast improvements. Many areas particularly on old site are blocked off with no signs and generally run down
You are extremely optimistic.
We can dream but seriously I'm concerned for the welfare of some of the animals and if the baboons are still locked inside I may make a formal complaint. They've been shut in for weeks.
Big Rob
Well-Known Member
They were definitely out roaming the enclosure on Saturday 16th with the Giraffes and REINDEER!
The well-known reindeer of the African savannah!
It's educational for the children innit! At Britain's officially most family friendly attraction.
And if you disagree I'll move you nearer to the M6.
FunkyGibbon
Well-Known Member
A little known subspecies, first described by the esteemed naturalist Toto. I believe the direct quote is: "I bless the reindeer in Africa".
Sim really needs to implement a "like" button when his long-delayed overhaul of the forum software takes place....
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