Dasyurid2010
Member
Dear fellow ZooChatters, I have read a lot of negative comments and threads about Port Lympne Wild Animal Park over the past months, so I made an effort to visit the place and form my own opinions... and I'm very glad that I did. Arriving in the car park and walking over the road bridge to the entrance immediately gives the impression that the place is a little different to other zoos. Timber wolves can be seen alert and trotting around in a large forested exhibit at the top of the zoo, next to some Amur tigers and Barbary lions in decent exhibits. It was a cold, crisp winter day when I visited but I imagine the surrounding flower-beds would look fantastic in the spring. After a decent walk down the hill and into the zoo proper I then got on the much maligned ZooFari truck at the so-called 'Basecamp'. I can understand why some people (especially less mobile people, for example), may not enjoy this part of the experience but, for me, it was wonderful: even the male brown hyena chose to show himself briefly. Yes, the journey was bumpy and the seats were hard, but the zoo obviously feels that it must try something new and I enjoyed seeing cheetahs, African elephants, multiple black rhinos and many ungulate species, all in large enclosures, before heading into the 'African Experience' (AE). This 150 acre paddock contained four giraffe, a few ostriches, a few zebra and many African (and surprisingly, Asian) species of antelope and deer, running around in a magnificent setting, looking down over the marshes and out across The Channel towards France. Honestly, the view on a clear day, as I had, was stunning and was made even better surrounded by roan, wildebeest and eland. After the AE, the truck headed down past come empty boggy paddocks, which I think house the Asian water buffalo during the summer, and we chose to get off at Carnivore Territory. This pleasant route took us up past the European bison, P. horses, through a nice new Pallas cat exhibit towards an area full of small cat enclosures: namely, margays, ocelots, fishing cats, rusty-spotted cats, Indian desert cats and, additionally, a fossa. There were also Bengal tigers, Barbary lions and cheetah in this area. Honestly, I didn't see many of these cats: the enclosures are low-lying and dense with vegetation, but that's ok with me. I've seen these species multiple times before (usually in sparse enclosures), so to see such naturalistic enclosures was fine with me. The fossa was, however, very enigmatic and active. Walking up the (not insignificant) hill and we found the Malayan tapir house which we came back to when it was open for the public to enter in the afternoon. The staff inside were very keen, pleasant and helpful, answering questions about the species. It was also fantastic to get so close to such animals. Carrying on up the hill we passed golden-bellied mangabeys, the sifaka, colobus monkeys, lesser bamboo lemurs before reaching the magnificent Djala and his group at, 'The Palace of The Apes'. We were there for one of the public feedings and it was magical to see a family group of gorillas feeding, playing and climbing outside and in. Other highlights in this area included the moloch gibbons, the greater bamboo lemurs and drills, plus other primate species. Carrying on the tour, we came across binturong, clouded leopards in an enclosure set quite a distance back from the viewing path, bongo, diana monkeys and a huge group of guinea baboons in a large open paddock, many individuals foraging in the mud whilst others looked out from the treetops. It was great to stand and watch them for a while. Opposite this was my favourite enclosure: the Open Top enclosure, housing colobus and DeBrazza monkeys in a large wooded enclosure, giving them access to the tallest trees and bushes. I imagine this must be a stunning sight in the warmer months. We did hang around for a while and were able to see the groups of bachelor male gorillas in their outdoor paddocks, before walking up the last leg of the hill back to our car.
In conclusion, I can fully understand why Port Lympne is not considered the easiest 'zoo' to get around, but I think that is due to its location and topography, more so than the current changes. No matter what changes the management made, I think visitors would end up having to walk up the hill, as they have always done. This was my first visit to the park, so I cannot compare. I have read many negative comments about not being able to see many of the animals on exhibit but, as a passionate zoo visitor, this does not bother me in the slightest. The animals that are seen are in wonderful large, well furnished exhibits, many of which are the best I have seen for those particular species. Examples here would include the red pandas, gorillas (obviously), Malayan tapir and many of the small cats.
I do wish that the mansion had been open to the public and that we could have taken a more thorough looks around the gardens, but I understand that the building is now used as offices and solely for events?!
If you are open-minded and want to experience a very different UK 'zoo' then I would encourage you to visit Port Lympne and draw your own conclusions.
In conclusion, I can fully understand why Port Lympne is not considered the easiest 'zoo' to get around, but I think that is due to its location and topography, more so than the current changes. No matter what changes the management made, I think visitors would end up having to walk up the hill, as they have always done. This was my first visit to the park, so I cannot compare. I have read many negative comments about not being able to see many of the animals on exhibit but, as a passionate zoo visitor, this does not bother me in the slightest. The animals that are seen are in wonderful large, well furnished exhibits, many of which are the best I have seen for those particular species. Examples here would include the red pandas, gorillas (obviously), Malayan tapir and many of the small cats.
I do wish that the mansion had been open to the public and that we could have taken a more thorough looks around the gardens, but I understand that the building is now used as offices and solely for events?!
If you are open-minded and want to experience a very different UK 'zoo' then I would encourage you to visit Port Lympne and draw your own conclusions.
The hill and bottom path that gave the best viewing of the Lions- through glass windows- has also been closed off, but why?