Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park 2024

Jedd Cullinan

Jedd Cullinan

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
From Facebook
"
LONGLEAT NOW CLOSED
To help us prepare for another year packed full of fun and adventure, the park is now closed for a month. We'll be carrying out important work during this time, so keep your eyes peeled here on social media for sneaky peeks of what we get up to!
Our 2024 opening dates will be available on our website soon, but in the meantime, we'd like to thank everyone for an amazing 2023 season.
We can't wait to see you for more exciting days out soon
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Megan Jones said:
Spot the hippo has passed away
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We are very sad to announce that last week we said goodbye to our hippo, Spot, who died at the age of 49.

Longleat was her home for 47 years. She was loved by her keepers and made a big impression with our visitors.

The highlight of any trip to Longleat is the boat safari on Half Mile Lake, which offered the chance to glimpse Spot as she broke the surface of the water.

Spot shared Half Mile Lake with beavers, as well as sea lions and a variety of birds who would frequently use her as a rest stop or hitch a ride as she swam around the lake. She loved to be outside or in the lake, and could often been seen wallowing in the mud.

Like all the animals at Longleat, Spot was very special. She was a firm favourite with keepers and visitors, and she will be deeply missed.
 
I can’t imagine a world where they can keep them in the same situation, mixed with the sea lions etc.
However it does feel like they are a staple species for longleat much like gorillas so it will be interesting to see if they build a new facility for them as they did with the gorillas
 
JoeDK14 said:
I can’t imagine a world where they can keep them in the same situation, mixed with the sea lions etc.
However it does feel like they are a staple species for longleat much like gorillas so it will be interesting to see if they build a new facility for them as they did with the gorillas
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Why do you think it's unlikely they're kept with the sealions again?
 
Panthera1981 said:
Very sad, but at the age she was I’m assuming she was one of the oldest hippos in captivity?

The inevitable question now is does this represent a closed chapter or new opportunity for Common hippo at Longleat?
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Well the plans for the future for hippos as you might want to watch last year's episode of Animal Park for that
 
Embu said:
We are very sad to announce that last week we said goodbye to our hippo, Spot, who died at the age of 49.

Longleat was her home for 47 years. She was loved by her keepers and made a big impression with our visitors.

The highlight of any trip to Longleat is the boat safari on Half Mile Lake, which offered the chance to glimpse Spot as she broke the surface of the water.

Spot shared Half Mile Lake with beavers, as well as sea lions and a variety of birds who would frequently use her as a rest stop or hitch a ride as she swam around the lake. She loved to be outside or in the lake, and could often been seen wallowing in the mud.

Like all the animals at Longleat, Spot was very special. She was a firm favourite with keepers and visitors, and she will be deeply missed.
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That’s a shame for the zoo - some animals are an institution. I haven’t been to Longleat for many years but remember the hippos from childhood and it was quite something to see them from a boat. The keepers and team must be really sad to have lost both the hippos. What an age though.
 
Cat-Man said:
Why do you think it's unlikely they're kept with the sealions again?
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I would imagine this would depend on what path Longleat wish to pursue if they continue to house hippo. Breeding? Non-breeding? I would guess a full-blooded mature breeding bull wouldnt take too kindly to being pestered by sea lions, or being disturbed by a boat for that matter. Perhaps they would have to enclose part of the lake?
 
Sad. end of an era.

I hope they do get some more. I would like to see them move to a breeding situation if possible considering so few zoos here have them.
 
BBC iPlayer animal park seem to suggest they would be open to a new bloodline of hippos but dependant I think on sealion too, especially they are now breeding sealions again , I’m sure they would have to keep protection from the hippos hurting the sealions even if they wouldn’t eat them as they are vegetarian!
 
Rosie183 said:
BBC iPlayer animal park seem to suggest they would be open to a new bloodline of hippos but dependant I think on sealion too, especially they are now breeding sealions again , I’m sure they would have to keep protection from the hippos hurting the sealions even if they wouldn’t eat them as they are vegetarian!
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If anything I think a territorial bull hippo would be biggest threat. Many female hippos from what I recall are inconsequential in captivity and not too hard to train... as much as you can train a hippo. Even so sea lions are small and fast. Not that it completely negates the potential risk a breeding herd of hippos would pose...
 
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