This was quite a detour on route to our Scottish holiday base in Linlithgow but the roads heading west from the M74 seemed sensible in their inclusion of overtaking lanes on a regular basis. I'd wanted to visit this place out of curiousity (as no-one I know had ever been) and to see the Caracals. Living in the Midlands means we're a long way from Caracals in any direction (I think Port Lympne and Porfell are the "nearest") and I couldn't let this opportunity (only a two-hour round trip detour) pass.
The final (say half mile) bit of road to the place was like driving up a badly maintained track to a private dwelling and even though it was sign-posted it felt like we were trespassing or had taken a wrong turn. By far the most tucked away zoo I've ever visited (except Heythrop, but that's private so doesn't really count).
The entrance "complex" was very reminiscent of Hamerton comprising a pay booth, restautarant, gift shop and toilet facilities all in the same large wooden shed-like building. Once through the entrance we encountered a small lawned area (roughly similar in size to the lawned area at Gentleshaw) surrounded by enclosures. These enclosures, which were largely of the "larch-pole and wire" variety (which I don't have a problem with as such) contained a very active, and vocal, pair of Asiatic Short-Clawed Otters, Bat-eared Foxes, domestics and wildfowl, albino Chipmunks and Asian Palm Civets (which unsurprisingly we didn't see).
Moving down a path from this area leads to a large circular route along which are various larger enclosures, these again were largely wood and wire (but all fit for purpose) and the best way to imagine it would be "Hamerton set in a slightly hilly wood". Along this route were a pair of Brazilian Tapir, Capybara, Rhea (including one fairly aggressive individual), American Tree Porcupine (blobs at top of tree) and European Lynx (including one individual which was by far the most obese specimen I've ever seen, it looked like it had been fused with a fat Labrador in a bizarre science experiment). Then I came to the Caracal enclosure which I understand was built with assistance from Chester. It's a nice enclosure giving good views of the (seemingly well-bonded) pair of cats which were very active and showy, they seemed smaller than I remembered Caracals from the past (Linton & Port Lympne) but a keeper I saw later said they were both full grown. Continuing along the path there were Anoa, Agouti, Raccoons, Owls (no unusual species) and Collared Peccaries. I then came to a large hillside enclosure which contained Maned Wolves which had bred about six months previous and I was lucky enough to get a good view of one of the adults patrolling the enclosure and a poor view (it really was a huge enclosure) of one of the offspring. Further along were Alpaca, Corsac Fox and Dhole (which made an impressive total of four canine species) and then I came to an old "half-pit cage" enclosure which, per a notice, had previously held Raccoons but to my mind looked very substantial and may have held something far bigger and stronger than raccoons in the probably distant past. This robust enclosure could have potentially held a chimpanzee or bear (though it would have been 60's/70's small) but less sensationally, and probably more likely, may have just been an over-robust enclosure for some kind of monkey. Ever onward I came to a classic style (low walls, enclosed trees) Red Panda enclosure (and actually saw the Red Pandas active at the foot of the trees) which was opposite a fairly sizeable mixed aviary with a severe rat-infestation problem (at least a dozen spotted) which gave me the opportunity to see a Kookaburra "killing" an already dead (presumably by the beak of the bird) rat in the traditional way of smacking it continuously against logs and posts. Whilst this was great enrichment for the Kookaburra I wince at the potential hygiene problems and threat to any eggs laid by the aviary inhabitants. Finally we walked past/through an enclosure containing Emu and Wallabies (Parma and Bennett's) before passing the other sides of the aforementioned Caracal and Tree Porcupine enclosures and back to the start of the circular route.
Overall, for a dedicated zoo-goer, it was worth the detour to get the chance to see Caracal, Corsac Fox, Maned Wolf, Dhole and (potentially) Civets and I'd say that it's the species list that elevates a collection that is otherwise very basic (in terms of enclosures, labelling, facilities). It's hard to imagine how the collection will progress in the future given it's unlikely, due to location, to get much passing trade but at the same time may also have a captive audience for those locals seeking an animal attraction in the area. On balance, I can imagine it rolling on gently as a backwater zoo with obscure species for the foreseeable future.
The final (say half mile) bit of road to the place was like driving up a badly maintained track to a private dwelling and even though it was sign-posted it felt like we were trespassing or had taken a wrong turn. By far the most tucked away zoo I've ever visited (except Heythrop, but that's private so doesn't really count).
The entrance "complex" was very reminiscent of Hamerton comprising a pay booth, restautarant, gift shop and toilet facilities all in the same large wooden shed-like building. Once through the entrance we encountered a small lawned area (roughly similar in size to the lawned area at Gentleshaw) surrounded by enclosures. These enclosures, which were largely of the "larch-pole and wire" variety (which I don't have a problem with as such) contained a very active, and vocal, pair of Asiatic Short-Clawed Otters, Bat-eared Foxes, domestics and wildfowl, albino Chipmunks and Asian Palm Civets (which unsurprisingly we didn't see).
Moving down a path from this area leads to a large circular route along which are various larger enclosures, these again were largely wood and wire (but all fit for purpose) and the best way to imagine it would be "Hamerton set in a slightly hilly wood". Along this route were a pair of Brazilian Tapir, Capybara, Rhea (including one fairly aggressive individual), American Tree Porcupine (blobs at top of tree) and European Lynx (including one individual which was by far the most obese specimen I've ever seen, it looked like it had been fused with a fat Labrador in a bizarre science experiment). Then I came to the Caracal enclosure which I understand was built with assistance from Chester. It's a nice enclosure giving good views of the (seemingly well-bonded) pair of cats which were very active and showy, they seemed smaller than I remembered Caracals from the past (Linton & Port Lympne) but a keeper I saw later said they were both full grown. Continuing along the path there were Anoa, Agouti, Raccoons, Owls (no unusual species) and Collared Peccaries. I then came to a large hillside enclosure which contained Maned Wolves which had bred about six months previous and I was lucky enough to get a good view of one of the adults patrolling the enclosure and a poor view (it really was a huge enclosure) of one of the offspring. Further along were Alpaca, Corsac Fox and Dhole (which made an impressive total of four canine species) and then I came to an old "half-pit cage" enclosure which, per a notice, had previously held Raccoons but to my mind looked very substantial and may have held something far bigger and stronger than raccoons in the probably distant past. This robust enclosure could have potentially held a chimpanzee or bear (though it would have been 60's/70's small) but less sensationally, and probably more likely, may have just been an over-robust enclosure for some kind of monkey. Ever onward I came to a classic style (low walls, enclosed trees) Red Panda enclosure (and actually saw the Red Pandas active at the foot of the trees) which was opposite a fairly sizeable mixed aviary with a severe rat-infestation problem (at least a dozen spotted) which gave me the opportunity to see a Kookaburra "killing" an already dead (presumably by the beak of the bird) rat in the traditional way of smacking it continuously against logs and posts. Whilst this was great enrichment for the Kookaburra I wince at the potential hygiene problems and threat to any eggs laid by the aviary inhabitants. Finally we walked past/through an enclosure containing Emu and Wallabies (Parma and Bennett's) before passing the other sides of the aforementioned Caracal and Tree Porcupine enclosures and back to the start of the circular route.
Overall, for a dedicated zoo-goer, it was worth the detour to get the chance to see Caracal, Corsac Fox, Maned Wolf, Dhole and (potentially) Civets and I'd say that it's the species list that elevates a collection that is otherwise very basic (in terms of enclosures, labelling, facilities). It's hard to imagine how the collection will progress in the future given it's unlikely, due to location, to get much passing trade but at the same time may also have a captive audience for those locals seeking an animal attraction in the area. On balance, I can imagine it rolling on gently as a backwater zoo with obscure species for the foreseeable future.
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