Orana Wildlife Park old footage of the drive-through lion reserve

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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a 5 minute video from Campbell Live about the drive-through lion reserve at Orana Park in the 1970s-80s. The lion reserve was the core of the park when it opened, and what people went there to see. It was eventually closed in 1995, mainly due to modern cars being made of plastic and tinfoil rather than the solid vehicles of the 70s.

Orana Park?s drive-through lion enclosure - Story - Campbell Live - TV Shows - 3 News
 
Orana...

Couldn't get this to play, BUT how come we still have drive through Lion reserves in UK if it's not safe in Oz? I've never been eaten at Longleat.
 
FBBird said:
Couldn't get this to play, BUT how come we still have drive through Lion reserves in UK if it's not safe in Oz? I've never been eaten at Longleat.
Click to expand...
well, New Zealand isn't in Australia for a start :p

It is to do with Health & Safety issues but don't know the answer to your question otherwise. When the drive-through lion reserve stopped existing they also put a halt to the park being drive-through as a whole (formerly you could drive around past the exhibits on the gravel roads, although none of the other enclosures were drive-through). I actually think opening the drive-through lion reserve again at Orana would be a good business move, but have the passengers inside park buses rather than in their own cars. Especially now with the problems in Christchurch it would almost certainly increase visitor numbers dramatically.

I've heard all sorts of stories about the stupid things people did in the lion reserve, but I can't imagine it would be any different to stupid things people would do in the same set-up in England or elsewhere.
 
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