Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2010
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
Thank you for the personal insult.
Re-read the post. I said there were not many signs. For a centre that is pushing the education message there should be big informative signs explaining things to people.
The Ferrets have 2/3 small signs. The rabbits had a name plate. The porcupines had 2/3 small plates. The iguana enclosure was not labelled outside. The guinea pig exhibit outside had 2 very small name plates. None of which had significant information on. In fact the otter sign was a laminated piece of paper stuck to the glass with a couple of pieces of white tack.
In my opinion that isn't good enough.
We were not able to see inside due to lots of youngsters enjoying the bugs and spiders.
Re-read the post. I said there were not many signs. For a centre that is pushing the education message there should be big informative signs explaining things to people.
The Ferrets have 2/3 small signs. The rabbits had a name plate. The porcupines had 2/3 small plates. The iguana enclosure was not labelled outside. The guinea pig exhibit outside had 2 very small name plates. None of which had significant information on. In fact the otter sign was a laminated piece of paper stuck to the glass with a couple of pieces of white tack.
In my opinion that isn't good enough.
We were not able to see inside due to lots of youngsters enjoying the bugs and spiders.
scimiterhorned1
Member
also currently living in the tapir paddock are mara who r stayin for a few months cause there enclosure in animal adventure is being re done
All the Safari Parks in the UK are situated in ancient parkland, so in that respect I think they are all on a roughly equal footing, though different planning restrictions would be in force at each perhaps.
MARK
Well-Known Member
I dunno, if you've visited Longleat recentley you'll see they really do go high on their education; panels on sustainability and man's destruction of the Earth's resources are all over Animal Adventure, the talks both there and on the safari boat commentary carry strong educational messages, the safari park has both a guide book and free audio CD to make up for the inability to have signage in a drive-through reserve and the Park DOES work with conservational organisations such as the TUSK trust and the Diane Fossey Foundation (the latter of which visitors are encouraged to donate into the box after getting off the boats). And they're scope is certainly going beyond the usual safari park scope, with bongo, warthogs, nyala, siberian weasels and giant anteaters joining in recent years: And with the hopeful inclusion of more small exotics in the mini safari, and if animals such as cheetahs and elephants are indeed returning, then I think I can say things are looking up.
Just didn't think it deserved all it's stick.
EDIT: @Pertinax, then let Longleat have some. ;D
Do UK folk really go to Safrai parks to see Siberian weasels or large game type animals? hence the name "Safrai Parks". lol
Do UK folk really go to Safrai parks to see Siberian weasels or large game type animals? hence the name "Safrai Parks". lol
As a general rule people wont go to zoo's to se siberian weasels, but do go to see the large charismatic animals...But ( I think) I do understand your point. Its good to see safari parks diverge from the game type animals and explore more unusual species.
As some of you know I haven't been around zoochat much recently partly due to a computer problem and partly personal circumstances. However I have managed to borrow a laptop for this evening and can give a short update from a very pleasant afternoon at Longleat
The BBC has now moved onsite and filming for Roar has commenced for broadcast in 2011
There are now three baby Giraffes on show. One on the main East Africa reserve who I assume was Kaiser and two more in the paddock next to the Giraffe house. There may be more in the off show house
There are also three zebra foals. All of the mares bred this year
The park is still waiting for a male Tapir
Didn't see the new Otter pups although both adults are on show in the Prarie Marmots outdoor area in Animal Adventure. This is just a short term exibit for them as a new otter area is under construction in The Jungle Experience which will open in 2011
African Crowned Crane are now in the vulture aviary
There's at least one young Anokle in the Big Game Reserve
There was a sign up outside the Rhino yard today explaining that Mrashi was being kept on her own in the yard due to the park's ongoing breeding program. It didn't give any further info though. Unjarnu and Rzina were out together in the Big Game Reserve
Where is the Giant Anteater in Animal Adventure normally kept as I couldn't see him or an empty exibit where he would normally live?
Will try and borrow laptop again during the week and upload some photo's
Ask any questions
The BBC has now moved onsite and filming for Roar has commenced for broadcast in 2011
There are now three baby Giraffes on show. One on the main East Africa reserve who I assume was Kaiser and two more in the paddock next to the Giraffe house. There may be more in the off show house
There are also three zebra foals. All of the mares bred this year
The park is still waiting for a male Tapir
Didn't see the new Otter pups although both adults are on show in the Prarie Marmots outdoor area in Animal Adventure. This is just a short term exibit for them as a new otter area is under construction in The Jungle Experience which will open in 2011
African Crowned Crane are now in the vulture aviary
There's at least one young Anokle in the Big Game Reserve
There was a sign up outside the Rhino yard today explaining that Mrashi was being kept on her own in the yard due to the park's ongoing breeding program. It didn't give any further info though. Unjarnu and Rzina were out together in the Big Game Reserve
Where is the Giant Anteater in Animal Adventure normally kept as I couldn't see him or an empty exibit where he would normally live?
Will try and borrow laptop again during the week and upload some photo's
Ask any questions
lechweoryx
Well-Known Member
Were there Axis deer as some from Knowsley have supposed to have gone there.
sealion
Well-Known Member
That is so cool! Probably the vuvuzuelas! I can understand why he doesn't like Eastenders, but animal park?? Hasn't someone told him?
Giraffes: I thought someone on here had detailed all the giraffes at Longleat before. Any idea which females have calved and sex of calves?
Any more due?
Rhinos: to my knowledge they are called Njanu (M-I), Marashi (F-I) and Razina (F-II). Any idea anyone what the plan really is with the new South African lot?
Incidentally, when did the old bull Winston pass away?
lechweoryx
Well-Known Member
Imagin has given birth to a male who is featured on the website. Don't know the sex of the other two calves and who their mothers are. I think there is one more calf due.
The plans with the rhinos was for them to breed but it is taking longer than expected.
A female Giraffe calf was born on 13th August. Mother is unconfirmed, at least one more calf had been born last week.
Winston died September 2009
They have been trying for a calf since the new trio arrived in 2003. They are hoping to source another 2:0 but it will take time
lechweoryx
Well-Known Member
Why would they want another 2.0? They will then have 3.2 and will have to keep all the malesd seperatly. Do they have enough paddock space to house 3 bulls seperatly?
The new bulls will act as stimulants to hold territory .., hence hormonal levels up et cetera. The winner takes all ....
Anyway, the mistake here is to LET the bull grow up with the females. You get the same behaviour that has precluded breeding of F1 captive-borns. Platonic brother-sister relationsships will preclude any breeding. I would swap the male for 2 new bulls of minimum 9-12 years.
Happily for you: it is not that difficult to source available males from within the EEP. There used to be a lack of suitable reproductively able females, the situation is getting better now (in terms of young females imported from the wilds of Southern Africa).
Footnote: I WOULD similarly advocate to swap out all non-breeding females for non familiar females of suitable breeding age in order to stimulate the non-breeding females to breed at a different location (it is imperative and desirable to have the imported females breed before they are 15+ years of age at least). Again, non-breeding females (like f.e. in the group at Bewdley exhibit the classic brother-sister behaviour ..., that is why the first set of females do not breed to the bull imported at the same time ... I suspect that similarly the dominant female at Blair Drummond is surpressing the less dominant female from breeding successfully ... in both cases either swap the bull or the female for an unrelated unfamiliar female.
lechweoryx
Well-Known Member
I believe the park may have aquired axis deer. Look out for them and post if u see them.
Have a good trip.
Have a good trip.
OK, had a fab day, brilliant sunshine and not too busy. 
Lechweoryx, no sign of any axis deer. Certainly strange to see the male-less lions and lone tapir, but here's hoping the new ones come soon. But I think today's highlight had to be getting to meet and stroke one of the ridiculously cute hand-reared otter cubs, something I'm not gonna forget easily. 
I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but I was surprised to find Old Joe's Mine has had a complete facelift since the last time I visited, the bat's area extended to encompass pretty much everything beyond the entrance point, knocking most of the walls to create a huge area including an outside cage, meaning there's lots of daylight in there. All the clue trail elements have been removed, making it basically just a walk-through bat enclosure with a few side exhibits for the cave fish, tarantulas etc. Which is good, but now means it could do with a few more enclosures to fill the wide space at the beginning. We also saw Johnny Pitts and Rani from the CBBC show Roar filming a couple of times, so that's well underway.
We ended up speaking to loads of staff throughout the day, who were all very friendly and helpful. You can already feel the management, by little things like better-stocked shops and more cleanliness, and from a couple of staff members we heard they are talking about bringing back drawcard animals like elephants and penguins in the near future (and presumably the cheetahs mentioned at the start of the thread) so it all seems to be going well so far.
Lechweoryx, no sign of any axis deer. Certainly strange to see the male-less lions and lone tapir, but here's hoping the new ones come soon. But I think today's highlight had to be getting to meet and stroke one of the ridiculously cute hand-reared otter cubs, something I'm not gonna forget easily. I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but I was surprised to find Old Joe's Mine has had a complete facelift since the last time I visited, the bat's area extended to encompass pretty much everything beyond the entrance point, knocking most of the walls to create a huge area including an outside cage, meaning there's lots of daylight in there. All the clue trail elements have been removed, making it basically just a walk-through bat enclosure with a few side exhibits for the cave fish, tarantulas etc. Which is good, but now means it could do with a few more enclosures to fill the wide space at the beginning. We also saw Johnny Pitts and Rani from the CBBC show Roar filming a couple of times, so that's well underway.We ended up speaking to loads of staff throughout the day, who were all very friendly and helpful. You can already feel the management, by little things like better-stocked shops and more cleanliness, and from a couple of staff members we heard they are talking about bringing back drawcard animals like elephants and penguins in the near future (and presumably the cheetahs mentioned at the start of the thread) so it all seems to be going well so far.
Is Woburn bigger than Longleat?
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