A UK Collection applies for Dolphins

Cat-Man

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
yes thats right, acording to Bongorob, a zoological park in the UK has applied for dolphins DEFRA (what is that?)

who is it, what do you think, even rob don't know, where to you think it is?

heck, what species is it, will it be the common bottolnose, mabey commersons, porpoise, for all we know, it could be a Killer Whale?????

It May be blackpool, the company they are owned by have lots of Dolphinariums, mabey the deep scotland, or West Midlands Safari Park?
 
I have no idea where a place in the UK would keep dolphins. They must be brave, think of the carnage from Born Free! I assume this is rumour right?
 
DEFRA is the government department which deal with animals (Department for Environment, Food and Rural activities if I remember correctly).

There's no point in randomly guessing collections or species. Someone made an "educated guess" when this topic was first discussed that it would be Blackpool due to the ownership, but nothing has come of that (as far as we can tell).
 
that was the orignal guess, oh, and my guess wernt random, blackpool zoo and the deep are ownded by the same company that own madrid zoo-quarium, which have a dolphinarium.
 
Where did the nomination for West Midlands Safari Park come from then? (and "The Deep" is in Hull, not Scotland by the way)

I can't see them arriving in the UK for quite a while. The animal activist "voice" in this country is quite loud (in my opinion, however not loud enough to do damage to the UK zoo community in general) and would hinder any attempt for a collection to import cetaceans. Look at the fuss they kicked up with Edinburgh (and Gordon Brown) for the panda plans...
 
There have been various proposals put into DEFRA in the past for cetaceans to be kept in the UK.
I hope that one will eventually be succesful providing they are kept in good size enclosures rather then glorified swimming pools like we had in the 70's and 80's.
I have heard a rumbling of a zoo which will remain nameless contemplating beluga whales for their collection, time will tell i guess!
 
I think the perfect cetacean enclosure for the UK would be Botos in Longleat's half-mile lake, but as there is only one in captivity and they woud have to be sourced from the wild, which would cause more than a few complications, it's only a wild dream. Cetaceans would definately have to be displayed in a way that is natural, educational and unique to the public; it will be hard to deter memories of dolphinarium suffering in the 1970's.
 
Id guess Blackpool aswell or perhaps there is plans to open the dolphnarium on a seperate site? People will probably not pay any extra to get into a zoo with dolphins but they will pay a similar fee if not more to see dolphins on their own... so it would make financial sense to have it as a stand alone attraction. It would need to be bloody good though, Im talking Seaworld standard to avoid valid criticisim. Re: Boto in half mile lake, they would require a hell of a heating system!:)
 
I think the perfect cetacean enclosure for the UK would be Botos in Longleat's half-mile lake, but as there is only one in captivity and they woud have to be sourced from the wild, which would cause more than a few complications, it's only a wild dream. Cetaceans would definately have to be displayed in a way that is natural, educational and unique to the public; it will be hard to deter memories of dolphinarium suffering in the 1970's.

:eek:
A group of Amazonian animals in a muddy Wiltshire lake? No-one would ever see them and after the first frost they'd all be dead anyway.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you want to see dolphins in the UK, go to Chanonry Point on the Black Isle and be patient - it's one of our very best wildlife sights. I have plans to go there again soon ;)

Alan
 
I think maybe blackpool as there new sea lion area is to be done which will be bigger and better and i was told by people it would be good enough for dolphins, they havent started it yet so maybe theres time.

This is not fact just speculation but you never know.
 
They are and think they may be extending it i have spoke to someone who has seen the blue prints and they said it looked amazing maybe good enough for dolphins.
 
i sure do hope some uk zoo will get dolphins as its been too long without them in the uk, but Born Free will do what they did last time and get rid of them all.
 
i know the guy's building it and have heard no talk of dolphins but then if its a secret i guess he wouldnt be able to tell me anyway :D
 
I have heard a rumbling of a zoo which will remain nameless contemplating beluga whales for their collection, time will tell i guess!

If this is the collection i think it is it was said as a joke by a senior member of staff,and it grew legs.;)
 
Back
Top