MARK
Well-Known Member
Not sure who is bigger it would be more of a matter of better which I was looking at, If Longleat get back into the main game with elephants ect they could well become one of the best in the UK again
Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2010
- Thread starter Nisha
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Not sure who is bigger it would be more of a matter of better which I was looking at, If Longleat get back into the main game with elephants ect they could well become one of the best in the UK again
Not sure who is bigger it would be more of a matter of better which I was looking at, If Longleat get back into the main game with elephants ect they could well become one of the best in the UK again
Ahh, but do Longleat need elephants to be the best? Woburn has had some negative press recently with their sealions, surely the 'best' is based on the animal welfare and breeding successes, not which animals are kept?
MARK
Well-Known Member
I think you may of mis-read my point, I stated a few days ago that Longleat in it's day was the leader in the UK as safari parks go (long before you were born)
, It had one of the better collections placed in some really good exhibits, When Longleat was among the best SF in the UK they did have a "larger range of species including elephants" so I am not saying JUST having elephants makes them better but it's just one of many things that had them as one of the better places to see
I think you may of mis-read my point, I stated a few days ago that Longleat in it's day was the leader in the UK as safari parks go (long before you were born)
Ahhh, gotcha. Altogether, my favourite would probaby be Blair Drummond (closely followed by West Midlands and Longleat). I was too young on my last visit to Woburn, so can't comment on that one. From what I remember of Longleat though when I went, they did have quite a diverse collection, but that was about 5-10 years ago, so maybe it has dwindled a little?
MARK
Well-Known Member
AGAIN you miss my point
.I not taking about what Longleat was like 5-10 years ago, as I said it had a good animal collection in it's early days which I am sure you never got to see unless you can travel in time like Dr Who lol
AGAIN you miss my point
I not taking about what Longleat was like 5-10 years ago, as I said it had a good animal collection in it's early days which I am sure you never got to see unless you can travel in time like Dr Who lol
Ahhh, I didn't realise how long ago you meant
. Wish I could do a doctor who and visit the Javan Rhino that London had .Out of interest (I can't quite remember) when did Longleat open (60's?), and what was the collection like back then?
as I said it had a good animal collection in it's early days which I am sure you never got to see unless you can travel in time like Dr Who lol
Sorry about mentioning it, but Longleat was so diverse even he was there till a few years ago lol.
Longleat safari park opened in 1966 with just lions and the pets corner, but because it was all new the crowds came flocking, and by the next year they got elephants, giraffes, zebras and the lake animals and it just kept on growing basically. In the early days the Safari Park was only african animals though, according to a guide I have from the early seventies.
MARK
Well-Known Member
Ahhh, I didn't realise how long ago you meant
Out of interest (I can't quite remember) when did Longleat open (60's?), and what was the collection like back then?
Longleat opened in 1966 and was stated to be the first (zoo) "Safari Park outside of Africa", the whole estate (not the SFP) is 9000 acres.
The name Longleat became very well known for it's Lion prides which were one of the main attactions in it's day, hence the name "The Lions of Longleat".
From what I cam remember they had one of the very first "herds" of White rhino a few years later in the Uk (I think I can remember six), even at that time Whipsnade only had two White rhino at that time, (they imported 20 in 1970 from South Africa).
Most zoos at the time had Hippos in rather small pools, Longleat put theres in a large lake which was really unknown at that time in animal collections that I know of.
Getting out of your car in one of the animal reserves with Zebra, Giraffe's, (large herd) and a small herd of baby African elephants was something I had never seen before in any other collection.
Later more animals were added like Tigers and other species in later years, I still have a Guide book from way back then.
Wow, it does sound like it was immense back then, I didn't realise. I knew it was the first of its kind and I knew about the lion prides (I remember animal park talking about them, and at the time there were objections from the locals since they thought the lions weren't kept securely, if I remember correctly?).
Thanks for the info
Thanks for the info
the phrase Mark used, "(long before you were born)" may have been a hint thereJavan Rhino said:
you don't need a TARDIS to see Javan rhinos you know...they still live in Java
Bele, indeed. In the good ole days Longleat SP was a progressive place. I suppose it is with any zoo exhibitry: the first 10 years an exhibit is progressive and modern for its age, the second 10 it is moderately appreciable and the third 10 it is old age and down-trodden ....
I cannot help but regard Longleat SP nowadays as one of those classic examples of the first safari park concept era ... which nowadays alas look pretty dated. Or fenced and barren ... open spaces .... ahum grassland areas with wild animals on them.
I do however look forward to diversification of the animal collection and more imaginative presentation in exhibitry more approaching this decade's tastes and perceptions. Mind you ..., I do care and would like to see a much more imaginative Longleat SP. I do hope the new CEO gets the freedom of movement and operational responsibility to make that vision come true. And I do think, elephants, cheetahs and many other rarer species are both needed to increase its appeal to the average visitor as well as perform more inclusively its role as a conservation breeding facility (and not the white tigers + of this globe ...).
I cannot help but regard Longleat SP nowadays as one of those classic examples of the first safari park concept era ... which nowadays alas look pretty dated. Or fenced and barren ... open spaces .... ahum grassland areas with wild animals on them.
I do however look forward to diversification of the animal collection and more imaginative presentation in exhibitry more approaching this decade's tastes and perceptions. Mind you ..., I do care and would like to see a much more imaginative Longleat SP. I do hope the new CEO gets the freedom of movement and operational responsibility to make that vision come true. And I do think, elephants, cheetahs and many other rarer species are both needed to increase its appeal to the average visitor as well as perform more inclusively its role as a conservation breeding facility (and not the white tigers + of this globe ...).
new man
I can tell you the new man has nothing to do with what is going on this year,But one of his plans is to introduce public feeding of the giraffe,this is pregnant giraffe.And giraffe that are feeding baby's,now tell me that is ok,this is only one of his plans,the man should not be let near animals.
I can tell you the new man has nothing to do with what is going on this year,But one of his plans is to introduce public feeding of the giraffe,this is pregnant giraffe.And giraffe that are feeding baby's,now tell me that is ok,this is only one of his plans,the man should not be let near animals.
The risk of spreading germs and bacteria to animals through public feeds should mean there banning in my opinion.
Plus there are too many idiots about who wont think anything of feeding the animals unsuitable crap from their cars (can just imagine a chav waving about a packet of monster munch under a giraffes nose), rather a turn back in time i think.
Plus there are too many idiots about who wont think anything of feeding the animals unsuitable crap from their cars (can just imagine a chav waving about a packet of monster munch under a giraffes nose
), rather a turn back in time i think.Plans like general public feeding of is clearly not such a grand idea ... unless you have permanent staff on hand to oversee and caretake of Joe Public (of which alas a certain segment is completely ignorant or stupid in the face of what public feeding DOES to most animals.
As per the rest of your comment: Can you now clarify what his plans are exactly? And whom is the architect or operator of a major overhaul of the animal collection (incl. bringing back elephants, cheetahs ... et cetera)?
One thing that interests me is how the flagship 'Lions' at Longleat have shrunk to the small currently male-less groups at present (I know new male(s) are coming) In the old days they had much bigger multi-male prides of Lions, 20-30+ in a reserve- one postcard I have shows no less than 7 maned males plus lionesses and cubs.
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MARK
Well-Known Member
That is a very good point Pertinax Lions WERE Longleat it's a real shame this park is not as good as it used to be
I think the main reason they first had all these mature, fully maned lions was due to them taking any lions they could get when it first opened. I think they mentioned it on Animal Park when they started going into the archive footage. Nowadays its more focused on social structure and keeping a settled pride rather than having a huge bunch of lions all together
Longleat is to receive a female white rhino called Ebun from the Allwetterzoo in Munster, Germany, she is due to arrive in October.
Allwetterzoo Münster - News September 2010 - Ebun wird Engländerin
Allwetterzoo Münster - News September 2010 - Ebun wird Engländerin