Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park 2024

cerperal said:
How is the gene pool in the US looking? Personally I don't see that happening if just for the costs and difficulties involved as you mention, but I can think of worse solutions. Fritz surely can't be much different in age to Hodor right? All I know about that pod in America is that they are struggling for space
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Yeah, did have a hunch. Just like I said, wanted to get it off my chest and hear other's opinion on the idea.
 
Quick Google (in hindsight should have done that before posting my other comment) gives Fritz an age of 2 and a bit at the minute, which I think categorically rules him out for now at least. Male hippos typically don't mature until 4-5 at the earliest, and even then that's rather young. It sounds like Longleat intend to hit the ground running with a self-sustaining group, so if they can source a bull of at least 7 or 8 I think that will be their aim.

AthleticBinturong said:
How are the hippos actually contained surely there’s some form of barrier on the safari and house sides of the lake?
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A mix of sheer drop, deep water and electric fence on the side of the house. It's also aided by the lack of food that side, the railway having steel plating to form a barricade and the distance from the grazing area.

The safari side is fenced in to give the 7-ish acres of grazing space, with the general security of that area upgraded following the frolick a few decades ago that resulted in one rather scared farmer. There's also a stretch of thick woodland, again fenced in, along with the road and weir to prevent the hippos getting to the main entrance and car park
 
Panthera1981 said:
I have vague recollections of this. Why did this plan never get going? Were the bears meant to be part of the drive-thru or off-show?
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They were meant to be in a final drive-thru section, after the wolves. I'm not entirely sure why it fell through because I distinctly remember they even had banners up at the end of the drive-thru advertising them, plus there's some articles online. I suppose they went to more logical homes, being rescues?
 
According to the BBC news, the new Hippo House will feature, indoor pools,a classroom for educational talks, plus behind the scenes tour and group visits. The plans were submitted to Wiltshire County Council on Friday.
 
cerperal said:
The hippos have never been contained at Longleat, and have shared the lake with the sea lions since the 60s. Longleat last bred hippo in the 90s, and there were 3 distinguishable sets of calves that were born having effectively free-roam (admittedly the mortality rate was high, but times have changed).

The fact they're building the new house on the site of the old one tells me it'll be a similar if not same process to the previous hippos. Yes, bulls can be grumpy, but they can tolerate crocodiles in the wild which are somewhat more threatening than a couple of nosey sea lions.


How is the gene pool in the US looking? Personally I don't see that happening if just for the costs and difficulties involved as you mention, but I can think of worse solutions. Fritz surely can't be much different in age to Hodor right? All I know about that pod in America is that they are struggling for space
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The Hippos arrived at Longleat in 1967.
 
Embu said:
*Exciting development announced*

We're hoping to bring hippos back!
We were home to Spot and Sonia for almost 50 years before their passing, and we’ve all missed seeing them grazing the paddocks, wallowing in mud baths and swimming in Half Mile Pond.
Today we're excited to announce that we've submitted plans for new 21st century accommodation for a pod consisting of a bull, females and any potential offspring.
Please keep your eyes peeled for more updates on our social media over the coming months.
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This is really exciting news and about the hippos I went to West Midlands Safari Park in 2010 and saw a large pod of hippos especially the bull
 
From the way I'm reading the plans, it seems that the park still plan to allow the Hippos access to the lake? The two yards attached to the house seem to have fenced in access to the lake whilst the large paddock seems to lead straight into the lake? Will be interesting to see how they manage this situation.

Edit: the design and access document does state 'reintroduction of hippopotamus to Half Mile Pond' - so I guess that's that confirmed! It also goes into further detail about how they plan to achieve this later in the document.
 
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If I remember rightly from my last visit won’t the second paddock run along side the return road from the safari drive possibly giving views to this paddock if this is possibly intended to be a bull paddock
 
J C said:
If I remember rightly from my last visit won’t the second paddock run along side the return road from the safari drive possibly giving views to this paddock if this is possibly intended to be a bull paddock
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It would be ideal if they built a stopping point with viewing for the gorillas and hippos. It would be relatively easy for them to add a viewing platform on the gorillas enclosure.
 
JamesB said:
It would be ideal if they built a stopping point with viewing for the gorillas and hippos. It would be relatively easy for them to add a viewing platform on the gorillas enclosure.
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I was thinking the same thing it would be nice if there’s a small car park for people who would like to view the gorillas, hippos and potentially sea lions without having to queue up for the boat or train. On my visit last weekend the queue for the boat was over an hour and the train is booked up for Santa meet and greets so we didn’t get to see the sealions or gorillas on this trip.
 
I would imagine there must be building/environmental restrictions. Otherwise, surely, Longleat would have initiated something by now
 
Other Summer 2024 News Worth Mentioning:

On June 27th, the zoo announced that another (1.0) California sea lion was born on June 14th which is on exhibit.

https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/another-one-joins-the-raft

On July 31st, the zoo announced they transferred a (1.0) red panda named Everest to an unspecified facility in Sweden. On August 4th, it was announced that the zoo transferred another (1.0) red panda named Forest to the Woodside Wildlife Park in Lincolnshire.

Longleat
https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/international-red-panda-day
Woodside Wildlife Park on Instagram: "NEW ARRIVAL Forest the Red Panda has joined us here at Woodside as part of a European breeding program to join Rose in their home together! #redpanda #lincoln #lincolnshire #lincolnzoo"

On August 23rd, the zoo announced that 2+? Chilean flamingos hatched.

Longleat
https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/a-growing-flamboyance

Smaggledagle said:
On June 10th, the zoo announced that the foxes were sexed as (0.2).

Longleat
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On August 30th, the zoo announced they named the foxes Dot and Other.

Longleat

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On November 28th, it was announced that the zoo transferred 6 adult and 4 juvenile Chilean flamingos to Drusillas Park in East Sussex.

Drusillas Park
 
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