Knowsley Safari Park Knowsley Safari Park News 2012

Small update from today:

The latest batch of African Lion Cubs are now in with the pride and they were rampaging around the enclosure today. They are just shy of 4 months old, 3x Males, named 'Gold' 'Silver' & 'Bronze' (I kid you not!) - Very sweet indeed.

Spotted the Roan Antelopes - I counted 5 and they were in the last fenced off paddock on the Right hand side as you exit the safari drive over the cattle grid. The 5x zebra are in the next paddock fenced off once through the cattle grid - they were all very active in the spring sunlight too.
Babies abound in the hoofed stock - I saw several young Lechwe - there are now about 4 white ones too - they stand out like a sore thumb. A baby Eland and baby Wildebeest were also on show and mating season is definately upon us as my car got sandwiched between two amourous Eland - I reversed out sharpish - well 3 is a crowd after all :O)
 
karoocheetah said:
Small update from today:

The latest batch of African Lion Cubs are now in with the pride and they were rampaging around the enclosure today. They are just shy of 4 months old, 3x Males, named 'Gold' 'Silver' & 'Bronze' (I kid you not!) - Very sweet indeed.

Spotted the Roan Antelopes - I counted 5 and they were in the last fenced off paddock on the Right hand side as you exit the safari drive over the cattle grid. The 5x zebra are in the next paddock fenced off once through the cattle grid - they were all very active in the spring sunlight too.
Babies abound in the hoofed stock - I saw several young Lechwe - there are now about 4 white ones too - they stand out like a sore thumb. A baby Eland and baby Wildebeest were also on show and mating season is definately upon us as my car got sandwiched between two amourous Eland - I reversed out sharpish - well 3 is a crowd after all :O)
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You missed the baby camel then?

I didn't see a baby Wildebeest, where was that? :confused:

Probably not too long before the first of the Pere Davids are born now either.
 
Pootle said:
You missed the baby camel then?

I didn't see a baby Wildebeest, where was that? :confused:

Probably not too long before the first of the Pere Davids are born now either.
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Ah - no I saw the young Camel just omitted it from my flying report :)

The Wildebeest were in a fenced off paddock just as you loop around the bottom of the main rhino field near the huge lake by the stately home - the youngster was in there with the adults (unless they have created pygmy wildebeest it was definately a youngster)

Most of the deer and antelope were mating like crazy so hopefully another successful year on that front.
 
Oh right, the wildebeest have been there for some time now, glad to know it was successful separating them from the other animals, didn't stop to look a them for too long this weekend, that is good news.

In a few weeks time when the grass starts to grow quicker and thicker and the temperature gets 3-4 degrees higher I am looking forwards to seeing the Scimitar Horned Oryx out and about with their young from last year, the Roan out with their young, the Blesboks and the newly arrived Lesser Kudu. And as the year goes on one or two more species may arrive....
 
yes and the Bat Cave & Raptor experience are supposed to open for 1st April according to the leaflet I picked up at the weekend too.

Kudu & Blesbok are both attractive additions to the hoofed stock - I still want to see the Roans out and roaming (or roaning) free in the main paddocks - they will look great. I'm voting for Waterbuck next - my favorite South African large antelope - very attractive animal.
 
Spring Update

Short Spring update on what I have observed in recent trips.

There are about seven Pere David deer fawns now, the herd size has been reduced over recent years, so not as many young as in previous years. The Rhea have been having a go at laying a couple of eggs, but due to the cool weather no serious nest building as such.
Until recently there where two old Bennett’s wallabies living at Knowsley, now I think there may be only one old chap surviving. The 3 lion cubs Gold, Silver & Bronze are growing quickly and testing the patience of their fellow pride members. For several years the pride size appeared to me to average somewhere around the eighteen mark, but in recent months there are only about twelve or thirteen now, with the large castrated males appearing to have been the individuals ‘moved on’.
The male blackbuck has also been move on or died, I presume died (hope I can be corrected here), as I did see him appearing to be lying down looking rather odd in appearance several weeks ago. Nilgai and Chital have also had a few fawns this year to date. The Scimitar Horned Oryx (a species housed off show over winter) which have bred successfully over recent years have one very young just now. The newer species to the park the Blesboks and the Roan Antelope appear to be mixing well with other species in their section. Also the Lesser Kudu are now on show to the public, but not as yet actually loose in the safari drive around, they are in a kind of ‘half way house’ area, here they can see the other animals and cars, but have a fence in-between them and have a house to go into should they choose to, lovely new addition and looking species. In the same section, the Lechwe keep on breeding!. I read on here about a wildebeest calf being born, however I never saw it and if it did then sadly it must have died as the four adults are living in with the ‘rhino drive area’ now a days. The three rhino calves are getting big now, especially the young male, he has really has had a growth spurt in the last few months it seems. Unless I am mistaken the last of the American bison have now left the park too, I haven’t seen any for a few weeks and their numbers have been falling over the last two years anyhow. It is planned I believe that sometime this year (it nearly happened last year) a swap will take place with Boras Zoo (Sweden) for their bull African elephant and Knowsley’s bull heading in the other direction.
 
Agreed - it was possibly wet to start with as well (this is the north-west, after all!).
 
New Guide Book coming soon

Just a quick note - I popped in last tuesday and the gate staff inform me that due to the current rebranding - see link Knowsley Safari Park, Great days out & School Trips in the North West

The 40th Anniversary books issued for last year have been withdrawn and a new one will appear soon. In the interim I was given a fold out map and 2 sheets of animal stickers which you slap onto the map as you spot the animal on the drive.

For collectors I suggest that this map and last years book might well be quite limited as the run of them has been short. Mind you the map is in the new rebranding style so it could well continue for kids kind of thing?

also saw a second baby camel on the way around - they are rather sweet all wobbly on their backwards legs! :)
 
Just a heads up, that Knowsley will be closed all day on Friday 1st June due to the Olympic Torch passing through the park. Re-open as normal from Saturday
 
Nisha said:
Just a heads up, that Knowsley will be closed all day on Friday 1st June due to the Olympic Torch passing through the park. Re-open as normal from Saturday
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Here is a picture of a giraffe, the torch and Jane Campbell.
 
Evening Safari

On Thursday 21st June the park will be open until 8:30pm with last drive through at 8pm. Keeper talks and flying displays in the evening.

Lets hope the weather is kind.
 
It may have been asked before, but was at Knowsley last Thursday, what is going in the field behing Giraffes, next too lake, they appear to be building a animal house?
 
Knowsley has announced via Twitter, the arrival of four Waterbuck from Serengeti Park in Germany. They arrived on 8th June and are currently off show whilst they complete quarantine and settle in
 
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