Howletts Wild Animal Park Howletts news 2025

Pertinax said:
They have the same cage-style of design at Port Lymne. Folllowing public complaints, they added the large outdoor areas as unlike at Howletts they had the space to do so. But outside of the scatter feeds the gorillas rarely use them, mainly they just stay empty throughout the day. Gorillas like cover over them.
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I guess it seems strange that London is currently doing a big redevelopment when presumably just building a big old cage is cheaper than trying to make something open etc.

I mean, I'm not someone for whom great apes hold a great deal of appeal anyway!
 
Pertinax said:
Oh yes, that certainly wasn't their fault as both females they received were not suitable to breed from. Just pointing out they don't succeed with everything, Asian elephants was another example.
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I think you can say they failed with Elephants full stop at Port Lympne, Asian and African. It always struck me that their enclosure was in a bit of a silly place, they would have been more suited to the bison paddock or the water buffalo ones along the bottom of the park.

JoB198 said:
I wasn't a great fan of the enclosures at Howletts for the gorillas. I guess they must do something right if they've bred so easily but they felt very... cage-like.
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This has been discussed often on this forum, especially in the early days. Although they aren’t natural, they certainly do a good job of stimulating the natural environment by providing plenty of climbing and providing a canopy in the form of the mesh. As Pertinax has already stated, the Gorillas at PL rarely use their garden enclosures, they’re spacious but imo a bit rubbish - they don’t provide much climbing opportunity or cover.
 
Cat-Man said:
I think you can say they failed with Elephants full stop at Port Lympne, Asian and African. It always struck me that their enclosure was in a bit of a silly place, they would have been more suited to the bison paddock or the water buffalo ones along the bottom of the park.
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Agree, a windy, cold hillside wasn't conducive to a happy herd I don't think. As you said, the flat ground at the bottom of the park bordering Romney Marsh would have been far more suitable.
 
Pertinax said:
Agree, a windy, cold hillside wasn't conducive to a happy herd I don't think. As you said, the flat ground at the bottom of the park bordering Romney Marsh would have been far more suitable.
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Yep, the location was bad and the hilly nature of the enclosure really wasn’t suitable. They had some other issues outside of their control I believe but they didn’t help themselves with the enclosure. It’s a shame.
 
JoB198 said:
I guess it seems strange that London is currently doing a big redevelopment when presumably just building a big old cage is cheaper than trying to make something open etc.
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London's redevelopment of the gorilla area is to provide additional space for a seperate group (e.g. males) rather than focusing on a larger outdoor area. They already have that, as like most zoos they provided a large outdoor enclosure as that is what visitors expect to see. I think it is actually better used at London than most as the current silverback Kiburi was used to being outside a lot at his former home, Loro Parc in Tenerife- I think they were shut outside for daytime display- and I believe he tends to lead the group outside more than usual, which is a bonus for the zoo. Some silverback males hardly venture outside at all, given the option.
 
Cat-Man said:
Yep, the location was bad and the hilly nature of the enclosure really wasn’t suitable. They had some other issues outside of their control I believe but they didn’t help themselves with the enclosure. It’s a shame.
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And now they have an Indian rhino living somewhere up there afaik. Again, the low paddocks would have been ideal for this species, which is a riverine/flat floodplain dweller in the wild.
 
Pertinax said:
And now they have an Indian rhino living somewhere up there afaik. Again, the low paddocks would have been ideal for this species, which is a riverine/flat floodplain dweller in the wild.
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I wasn’t aware of that. Seems odd. It was talked about in this forum for a long time how suitable the water buffalo enclosure would be for Indian rhinos!
 
Cat-Man said:
I wasn’t aware of that. Seems odd. It was talked about in this forum for a long time how suitable the water buffalo enclosure would be for Indian rhinos!
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Some while back now Aspinalls were offered a group of Indian rhino by the Indian government- these were 'rogue' rhinos that were persistently being troublesome by wandering outside of national park/reserve areas or becoming dangerous etc. Howletts(PL) rather oddly refused to take them, on the basis it seems of their recent failure with the Sumatran rhinos. This seems odd given we know Indian rhino is a very easily managed species in captivity, unlike the Sumatran. The low paddocks at the bottom of PL would have been ideal for them but it never happened.

The bull they have now is a surplus male from Europe. He lives somewhere on the hill where the elephants were.
 
Pertinax said:
Agree, a windy, cold hillside wasn't conducive to a happy herd I don't think. As you said, the flat ground at the bottom of the park bordering Romney Marsh would have been far more suitable.
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Location was the least of that group’s problems!

On the few occasions I visited when Lympne had the Asians I remember it being a slog to get to the paddock and, once there, I never felt safe.
 
Panthera1981 said:
Location was the least of that group’s problems!

On the few occasions I visited when Lympne had the Asians I remember it being a slog to get to the paddock and, once there, I never felt safe.
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Maybe he wanted to give them a view over the English Channel, which is why he designed the first gorilla bachelor quarters with that funny tower. He did things like that, a true English eccentric.
 
Cat-Man said:
I think you can say they failed with Elephants full stop at Port Lympne, Asian and African. It always struck me that their enclosure was in a bit of a silly place, they would have been more suited to the bison paddock or the water buffalo ones along the bottom of the park.



This has been discussed often on this forum, especially in the early days. Although they aren’t natural, they certainly do a good job of stimulating the natural environment by providing plenty of climbing and providing a canopy in the form of the mesh. As Pertinax has already stated, the Gorillas at PL rarely use their garden enclosures, they’re spacious but imo a bit rubbish - they don’t provide much climbing opportunity or cover.
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Unfortunately, whatever we may think ... the Aspinall Parks are now at a stand still. There is no real development and no long term plan other than a misplaced out of Africa colonial (M)experience.

IMO: The current gorilla enclosures ... (for lack of a better word) are a visit to the Seventies plus. It is high time they sorted their design process and develop more natural and aesthetically pleasing gorilla exhibits. Truth be told ..., in all fairness the bachelor groups cage like structures ... well that seems like a "Belmarsh" high security prison to me... (honestly, looking at them now ..., it is a total disgrace for gorilla management in the 21st Century around the 2025's)!

The elephant paddocks ..., well all has been said already ... pretty disfunctional at best and the location up the hill and far out along the wind swept heights overlooking the Kent coastline and beyond. What a massive view from up there, just .... animal well being and welfare which unsuitable for elephant herd and good husbandry management.
 
Panthera1981 said:
Location was the least of that group’s problems!

On the few occasions I visited when Lympne had the Asians I remember it being a slog to get to the paddock and, once there, I never felt safe.
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I hope this doesn't come across as confrontational (I'm only asking because I'm interested), but could you please elaborate on why you felt unsafe up there?

Kifaru Bwana said:
IMO: The current gorilla enclosures ... (for lack of a better word) are a visit to the Seventies plus. It is high time they sorted their design process and develop more natural and aesthetically pleasing gorilla exhibits. Truth be told ..., in all fairness the bachelor groups cage like structures ... well that seems like a "Belmarsh" high security prison to me... (honestly, looking at them now ..., it is a total disgrace for gorilla management in the 21st Century around the 2025's)!
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This isn't going to happen, but is there a reason it has to, beyond personal aesthetic preference? I far, far, prefer an immersive exhibit, but the setup at the Aspinall parks seems to work quite well for the Gorillas. I'd even say they're better than many enclosures that would be perceived as more modern.
 
Cat-Man said:
I hope this doesn't come across as confrontational (I'm only asking because I'm interested), but could you please elaborate on why you felt unsafe up there?
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You’ll have to forgive my recollection, as it was the early 1990’s!…Just general setup. The paddocks, hard standing and stables were, more or less, terraced along the hillside. They were incredibly exposed and the separation barriers felt very basic to withhold a large group of elephants! Those with better memories may elaborate further on this, and there are a few photos of the group on the PL media pages (I wish there were more!)
 
Panthera1981 said:
You’ll have to forgive my recollection, as it was the early 1990’s!…Just general setup. The paddocks, hard standing and stables were, more or less, terraced along the hillside. They were incredibly exposed and the separation barriers felt very basic to withhold a large group of elephants! Those with better memories may elaborate further on this, and there are a few photos of the group on the PL media pages (I wish there were more!)
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Thank you. It’s interesting to hear this perspective. I’ve only visited PL over a decade ago so can’t remember too much about the specifics of the setup beyond its strange location!
 
Panthera1981 said:
You’ll have to forgive my recollection, as it was the early 1990’s!…Just general setup. The paddocks, hard standing and stables were, more or less, terraced along the hillside. They were incredibly exposed and the separation barriers felt very basic to withhold a large group of elephants!
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Correct. It was a strange location to put elephants. There was a raised viewing area over the top of the 'stables' that looked down into a concrete yard. Then the bull(s) had seperate housing and yards. The main paddock stretched up the hillside above. I believe the Spectacled bears now have at least some of this area.
 
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Cat-Man said:
This isn't going to happen, but is there a reason it has to, beyond personal aesthetic preference? I far, far, prefer an immersive exhibit, but the setup at the Aspinall parks seems to work quite well for the Gorillas. I'd even say they're better than many enclosures that would be perceived as more modern.
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No it won't happen. I am sure there will be few major building developments at the parks from now- at least for the animals! They do seem to focus on 'guest' amenities nowadays- more luxury high-priced cabins and pods etc for visitors to stay in. I think the infrastructure for e.g. the gorillas will not change- the enclosures work well enough and as we know they are effective if somewhat unsightly. They seem to have downsized their groups significantly too since the days of Aspinall Snr. I think basically they only have so many enclosures for them at his behest.
 
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