Flamingo Land Flamingo Land visit

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Bubbles

Well-Known Member
We made a last minute decision to visit Flamingo Land on Tuesday and were very pleased with the weather, which was hot and sunny.. a perfect day in which to look around. As I haven’t been for the last ten years, (the prices kept putting us off!), I was a little anxious about all the changes I would see, but hoped most of it would be positive. I really wanted to visit the Zoo as I needed to take quite a few photos to update my FPZ website and ended up taking 254, so more than enough to keep me going!:D

I'm not sure what kind of report you'd like me to give you, or even what photos you'd like to see, (animals, layout, etc), so please let me know and I shall provide! :)
 
Your impressions on interesting species seen, nice exhibits, the general status of the zoo cum amusement park .... That sorta thing in your own words ... :cool:
 
Sorry for the delay in posting the report..

We made a last minute decision to visit Flamingo Land on Tuesday, as it was the only day this week we could go, so prayed for good weather and got it! In fact, it was perfect.. hot, sunny and hardly a breeze, so no complaints there. We hadn't been to the Zoo for the last ten years, (the prices kept putting us off!), so I was a little anxious about all the changes I would see, but hoped most of it would be positive. I really wanted to visit the Zoo as I needed to take quite a few photos to update my FPZ website and ended up taking 254, so more than enough to keep me going!:D

I was actually thrown out of kilter the minute I walked through the Zoo, as nothing seemed to be where I remembered it. A lot of the animals and buildings seemed to have disappeared or been replaced. I couldn't even get my bearings until I was near Home Farm. I noticed the new grey, concrete-patterned path meandering up towards Muddy Duck Farm, so we made our way there first.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121401.jpg


Muddy Duck Farm is actually behind the wall of the Church and Rectory and is basically the Children's Farm as the name would suggest. It has everything from ducks, rabbits, guinea-pigs, hens, cows, goats, etc. There was a working tractor ride, but nobody seemed to go on it.


http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121711.jpg

You come out at side of the Hall only to realise it’s no longer used, (save for perhaps the rooms above for Staff accommodation), and when you venture round to the front of the Hall the neglect is obvious. It will soon have more plants growing out of the stonework than I have in my front garden! It does not give a very good first impression of the Zoo in its current state and it's a shame as I actually think it could be put to better use.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121801.jpg

After noticing the stone pillars and steps that were leading down towards the lake, I went to photograph them.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121871.jpg

It’s a shame someone hasn’t had a little foresight to try and preserve these dwindling ‘relics of the past’, before they’re lost for ever. It’s also a shame the view of the lake was hampered by a plant-screen, as the lake was originally intended to be seen from the Hall.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121841.jpg

We next ventured to the Walkway, which I was looking forward to seeing for the first time. I like walkways and this gives you a different perspective of the animals beneath.

You first encounter the red-footed tortoises, (there's more than one I spotted!)

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121891.jpg

This photo shows it's hut and enclosure..

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121921.jpg

Further on I managed to spot Agouti, Tapir, Rhea, Alpaca, Mara, etc.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122001.jpg

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92121971.jpg

I saw the new penguin pool, but was surprised to see it in its new location. For some reason, I imagined it to be where the old Bear Pit used to be, so was quite surprised to peer over the walkway and see it from there.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122111.jpg

In building the new walkway, they seem to have blocked off the pathway along where the vultures used to be, right up to the Lodge.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92124191.jpg

The walkway goes over the Flamingo lake, (so you can see the lake both sides), and continues past the Kangeroos and Wallabies.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122341.jpg

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122441.jpg

On the left-hand side, just past the lake, I had to stop and think where I was actually standing as the landscape has changed quite a bit here. I then spotted the Redwood tree so immediately got my bearings. The hill, (which never used to be there), was a bit of land with a slight incline, running alongside the lake and housing the wolves, etc.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122431.jpg

The walkway ends on the path running up to the Obelisk and old Elephant House, with the old back drive-way of the Hall still visible. The old Elephant house now houses fruit-bats at one end and chimps in the main part. However, the two chimps were outside enjoying the sunshine and you could only see them through the glass windows, unless you managed to take a photo near the fence...hence why the wire is in the way in my photo!

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122621.jpg

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122671.jpg

Next we went to see the Baboon Island, which is obviously far bigger than the old one and gives them plenty of space to run around. Apart from a brief spat, involving a baby Baboon who was misbehaving... (see photo below taken from the monorail!)..

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92123021.jpg

..... the Baboons seemed very subdued. I later passed a couple of signs saying a baby Baboon had died and its Mother was still carrying it around with her. I didn't see her, but here's a general shot of the group.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122701.jpg

There is now a Parrotsphere, which stands near the Hall..

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122831.jpg

with the Meerkat enclosure nearby..

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92122851.jpg

I was looking forward to seeing the old Dolphin House, which was my place of work in the 70’s, but it’s been a Sea-lion show for a number of years now. It’s also undergone a radical change, with the cladding matching the adjacent Lion enclosure. The show was held outside in the sunshine, but they do use the indoor seating when the weather is poor.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92123261.jpg

There were four Giraffes in the main enclosure, one near their shed and another 2 in a paddock opposite the log ride, which you can spot in the photo.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss58/DebbieDrumstick/Flamingo Land 2010 - med/P92123531.jpg

All in all, it was a good day out. We arrived at 10.00am and apart from two 15min breaks and a ride on the little train, people mover and monorail, it was almost 4.00pm by the time we called it a day.

The one big change I noticed was that there’s a lot less animals than in the 70’s. From memory alone, the following have disappeared (unless I’m corrected otherwise!) there’s now no dolphins, killer whale, bull elephant seal, elephants, polar bears, bears, bison, orangutans, various monkeys, gibbons, dingoes, wolves, huskies, puma, panther, cheetah, leopard, serval, springbok, eland, vultures, storks, heron, crane, various species of owls, (apart from the two we saw in the bird show!), lots of different birds, otter, skunk, porcupine, racoon, artic fox, several types of turaco, toucan, ibis, etc.

Also missing or perhaps we just couldn't see them... Llama, emu, camels, gunanaco, linx...

Btw….you could only see a lion from the water flume.. (how bizarre!), and you wouldn’t know there were fruit bats and chimps in the old Elephant house as we saw no signs for them.

I am doing an extended report with lots more photos on my website, which should be made available after the weekend, so I'll put the link up when it's finished. :)
 
Hi Bubbles, an excellent review. There are emus there, in fact you photogrpahed the enclosure, it is opposite the wallabies and kangaroos (has a small thatched hut in it). There are scarlet and sacred ibis in an aviary near the rhinos. The herd of bactrian camels are in a sloping enclosure which runs from the back of the baboons down past the tiger enclosure to the train track.
 
Thanks, Blossom!:)

aaah yes, I remember the Emus now, but obviously completely missed the Ibis and camels. Still, I don't think we did too bad really, considering we just 'roamed' as hubby had put the map in his pocket and forgot it was there! :rolleyes:

btw.. I've just been looking at an old map of '81 and on the back it says the admission prices...

Adult: £1.50
Children: £1
Children under 3: Free

...now it's £25 !
 
They only have 2 chimps? Oh wow... I went in the summer and didn't actually see any chimps, but I'm shocked that a good sized enclosure like that only holds 2 chimps, thats a big surprise to me. I could see the enclosure housing about 10 chimps quite comfortably.

I will admit that the animal side of the park let me down, its a very average collection with rather average enclosures, theres nothing attention grabbing about it at all, they really need to work on the animals or just get rid of them, Chessington has a fantastic small collection, they really need to take some inspiration from there...
 
Well, James, it's like this... we only spotted two on the day, but that's not to say there were ONLY two.. some might have escaped. ;) lol There may well have been more, but we didn't them. Maybe someone can enlighten us?

As for there being nothing attention grabbing, the fact is..they've got rid of a lot of the animals... Dolphins, killer whale, bull elephant seal, elephants, polar bears, bears, bison, orangutans, various monkeys, gibbons, dingoes, wolves, huskies, puma, panther, cheetah, leopard, serval, Llama, gunanaco, linx, springbok, eland, vultures, storks, heron, crane, various species of owls, (apart from the two we saw in the bird show!), lots of different birds, otter, skunk, porcupine, racoon, artic fox, several types of turaco, toucan,, etc.

I'd like to see Elephants, Gorillas and Pandas but I'll dream on.. lol

I wouldn't want them to get rid of any more... I thought it a good little Zoo despite there being none of the above mentioned animals. They've re-landscaped a lot of the enclosures the past few years and I can see a lot of improvements.

People's perceptions and opinions vary a great deal in what Zoos should/shouldn't put in them, but I think we really need to embrace all the hard work they do in on-going improvements and conservation, because we'd never get to see the animals close-up otherwise. :)
 
ISIS list 0.2 chimpanzees. I wouldn't be so surprised if Flamingoland were either phasing them out, or were finding it difficult to obtain additional animals. The park does not have a good history with this species, with an escape from the current enclosure leading to the animal being shot dead a few years ago, and at least one drowning when the last enclosure (a moated pit, as an addition to the old chimp house) was opened. I don't believe they have had much successful mother-reared breeding, consequently the social cohesion of the group has never really been ideal, and the numbers have dwindled. Back when I last saw the collection around 1993, there were still eight or so chimpanzees, but with few females and 2 males kept separately from the group, rotated out with the others (I think there were 3 groups at the time).

To my knowledge, no new chimpanzees have been acquired for some years. It is a shame in some ways, as the current enclosure would be fine if they had the stimulation of a large group.
 
JamesB said:
I will admit that the animal side of the park let me down, its a very average collection with rather average enclosures, theres nothing attention grabbing about it at all, they really need to work on the animals or just get rid of them, Chessington has a fantastic small collection, they really need to take some inspiration from there...
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I haven't visited since 1993, so maybe my perception of how much the park has improved is not so accurate. To me, the collection was in full decline back then; overpopulated groups of 'hardy', 'wildlife park' species (ie the ones that often breed well under varying levels of husbandry and accommodation), such as deer, bison, zebra, rheas, macaques, peccaries, baboons, wallabies, etc, and tougher species of birds of prey, parrots, big cats, etc. I wonder what you would have made of the collection in 1992? Sure, there was an elephant (Jangolie, thankfully destined for Chester after her companion died), polar bears with cubs (see the gallery for what the enclosure looked like), and a couple of rarities which IMO had lived on from the era where the zoo was able to acquire whatever it liked (sooty mangabey, 'toque' (Tonkean) and stump-tailed macaques, Wapiti deer, Andean condors, but it didn't feel like they were special to see, as they were just part of what felt like a very worn-out and forgotten stock of animals. Hill mynahs occupied the aviary labelled for Toco toucans. The waterbird aviaries had the odd night heron, 2 sacred ibis and a silver pheasant in them. But you'd see the peccary enclosure and it was teeming with them, with several nursing mothers, but IMO not a lot of space.

From what I have seen since then, penguins, pelicans, rhino, hippo, giraffe, ostrich, tapir, antelope, lemurs, bats, kangaroos, vicuna, alpaca, saki monkey, capybara, meerkats, tamarins, white-capped mangabey, and now Sumatran tigers, have arrived.
 
Does Flamingoland still have the Andean condors? How much of the old bird walk is off-limits now? Also, does the park still keep lar gibbons?
 
I've always thought of Flamingo Park as the 'Chessington of the North.' with similar good/not so good aspects.
 
and at least one drowning when the last enclosure (a moated pit, as an addition to the old chimp house) was opened
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Whereabouts was the moated pit? I remember the Baboon Island had a moat and the current Baboon Island also has a moat, but a chimp one? :confused:
 
Does Flamingoland still have the Andean condors? How much of the old bird walk is off-limits now? Also, does the park still keep lar gibbons?
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I didn't see any Condors.. not sure about the Gibbons. The Bird walk is all off-limits.... from the Lodge, right up to near the Hall.. you have to use the walkway now. I didn't see any birds there, certainly couldn't see any from the walkway.
 
Bubbles said:
Whereabouts was the moated pit? I remember the Baboon Island had a moat and the current Baboon Island also has a moat, but a chimp one? :confused:
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It was at the back of the chimp house, I think it was added in 1987. The public viewed the enclosure from a long wall, looking down into the enclosure. Solid walls enclosed a small grassed area, with I think one dead tree at the front of it. Across the front of the enclosure was a water moat. The top of the tree was about eye level with the top of the wall.

As you faced the exhibit, your back would I think be facing a cage containing servals, with a mangabey cage the other side of that, and the baboon island maybe 100 metres away. Left of the moated chimp exhibit was the back wall of the bear enclosures.
 
Having read your description of where the chimp 'island' was, I remember looking at my '92 map a few days ago and wondering what the heck the drawing of a 'green mound', (with a couple of black blobs on!), was supposed to be .. now I know! So thank you! :)

My map of '87 doesn't show it and neither can I remember it, although my other map, which is '92, does have it on.. stuck between the side of the bar (Hall) and what used to be the old chimp house, but with a cage on the end. Across from the chimp moat is the old Baboon Island, so yes.. exactly where you say it was.

Also, there appears, (on the '92 map), what looks like a square fish pond or something :confused: round the corner from the chimp 'island'..and at the end of the Hall, with Baboon Island across the way. Anyone remember what this actually was?

The maps never quite got things right.. the '92 map is supposed to have numbers on it, corresponding to what they are, but doesn't! So you have to guess. Half of them don't even have the Reptile House showing. :rolleyes:
 
Great review Bubbles,

Personally really appreciate you going to the trouble of adding photo links with your review.
 
JamesB said:
They only have 2 chimps? Oh wow... I went in the summer and didn't actually see any chimps, but I'm shocked that a good sized enclosure like that only holds 2 chimps, thats a big surprise to me. I could see the enclosure housing about 10 chimps quite comfortably.

I will admit that the animal side of the park let me down, its a very average collection with rather average enclosures, theres nothing attention grabbing about it at all, they really need to work on the animals or just get rid of them, Chessington has a fantastic small collection, they really need to take some inspiration from there...
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An interesting point, just goes to show what fantastic animal collections we have in the UK. When an animal collection with common hippo, two griaffe enclosures (one for Rothschilds and one for non-breeding hybrid females), white-crowned mangabey (one of only two groups in the UK), a 7 acre mixed-species South America exhibit (possibly the largest agouti exhibit in the UK), vicugna, scimitar-horned oryx, the UKs largest Humboldt penguin exhibit, the UKs largest lion house, two tiger subspecies and one of the few (if not only?) aviaries for crowned cranes that allows them to perch about 15-20ft up and one of the largest captive groups of yellow-collared macaws in the World (according to ISIS), red and grey kangaroos, one of the largest flamingo flocks in the UK, the only UK zoo to exhibit common and alligator snapping turtles and one of only 3/4 groups of Hamadryas baboons in the country, can be considered average!
 
Blossom said:
An interesting point, just goes to show what fantastic animal collections we have in the UK. When an animal collection with common hippo, two griaffe enclosures (one for Rothschilds and one for non-breeding hybrid females), white-crowned mangabey (one of only two groups in the UK), a 7 acre mixed-species South America exhibit (possibly the largest agouti exhibit in the UK), vicugna, scimitar-horned oryx, the UKs largest Humboldt penguin exhibit, the UKs largest lion house, two tiger subspecies and one of the few (if not only?) aviaries for crowned cranes that allows them to perch about 15-20ft up and one of the largest captive groups of yellow-collared macaws in the World (according to ISIS), red and grey kangaroos, one of the largest flamingo flocks in the UK, the only UK zoo to exhibit common and alligator snapping turtles and one of only 3/4 groups of Hamadryas baboons in the country, can be considered average!
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Whilst I agree it has some impressive exhibits (I love the Baboon island myself) and spectacular species (especially for Joe Public) I think the reason the collection is ultimately average is that it has no depth (in number of species/exhibits). Basically you've listed over half the collection and that doesn't really add up to much to look at beyond 3 or 4 hours (I'm being generous there). When compared to a significant number of collections that take way over half a day to view Flamingo Land can only really be classed as average. That said, I like the place and would visit more often if the entrance price wasn't so high due to the theme park.

Two final picky points. Last time I visited, admitedly a few years back, the Lion enclosure whilst huge didn't really have many viewing points -which rather negated its vastness (compare this with the rather brilliant Lion enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park which is still huge, very nicely landscaped and has great viewing virtually all round). Finally, Trotters also has both Alligator & Common Snapping Turtles).
 
Shorts said:
Whilst I agree it has some impressive exhibits (I love the Baboon island myself) and spectacular species (especially for Joe Public) I think the reason the collection is ultimately average is that it has no depth (in number of species/exhibits). Basically you've listed over half the collection and that doesn't really add up to much to look at beyond 3 or 4 hours (I'm being generous there). When compared to a significant number of collections that take way over half a day to view Flamingo Land can only really be classed as average. That said, I like the place and would visit more often if the entrance price wasn't so high due to the theme park.

Two final picky points. Last time I visited, admitedly a few years back, the Lion enclosure whilst huge didn't really have many viewing points -which rather negated its vastness (compare this with the rather brilliant Lion enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park which is still huge, very nicely landscaped and has great viewing virtually all round). Finally, Trotters also has both Alligator & Common Snapping Turtles).
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Interesting, I wonder what the avergae length of stay is in UK zoos? It may well be 3/4 hours. In which case Flamingo Land is certainly average, although I often stay longer, if for no other reason than to see the other 113 species they keep not mentioned in my previous post.
 
Blossom said:
Interesting, I wonder what the avergae length of stay is in UK zoos? It may well be 3/4 hours. In which case Flamingo Land is certainly average, although I often stay longer, if for no other reason than to see the other 113 species they keep not mentioned in my previous post.
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I'd probably also stay longer than 3/4 hours (but then again neither of us are probably average zoo visitors). I know Flamingo Land really have more than twice the animals you mentioned, though not many more major exhibits (I was exagerating slightly:D for effect).
 
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