Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure that they also kept marabou and macaws,in the past although that could have been howletts and I've got the two confused with old age.
Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Port Lympne Wild Animal Park News 2024
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Pretty sure that they also kept marabou and macaws,in the past although that could have been howletts and I've got the two confused with old age.
I agree...the hilly site was a poor choice and the barns and paddock exposed to the elements. Indoor housing for the elephants is/was very primitive anyway. I think maybe it was the amount of space available that decided their choice.
Taken from facebook
The upcoming May half term has so much to offer, we're starting off with this exciting announcement!!
Get ready for some serious cuteness! Our wildlife family just got bigger with the arrival of two precious lion cubs! Born to our beloved lioness, Oudrika, and our majestic lion, Hunter, these little bundles of joy are now eight weeks old and absolutely irresistible. It's time to meet the newest members of our pride! Visit us at Port Lympne and experience the magic firsthand in our expansive 8-acre lion enclosure, the largest in Europe!
The upcoming May half term has so much to offer, we're starting off with this exciting announcement!!
Get ready for some serious cuteness! Our wildlife family just got bigger with the arrival of two precious lion cubs! Born to our beloved lioness, Oudrika, and our majestic lion, Hunter, these little bundles of joy are now eight weeks old and absolutely irresistible. It's time to meet the newest members of our pride! Visit us at Port Lympne and experience the magic firsthand in our expansive 8-acre lion enclosure, the largest in Europe!
Have they finally given up using the “Barbary” tag for their lions now?
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Dont think I’ve ever been less excited about a new breeding cross ( unrelated). If they felt the need more cubs - which may or may not find their way to Africa- why not breed Kulinda or Binti? I just think 4 litters in 5 years borders on irresponsible breeding for Lilly/ Oudrika. Not to mention it contradicts the whole “I run sanctuaries not zoos- zoocratics are cruel and I’m better” argument we keep seeing.
I've never understood that. Lympne and Howletts can call themselves what they want but I've been to both and they are no better or worse than any other zoo in the country. Small cages for some carnivores, the gorilla enclosures at Howletts being quite possibly the worst ape exhibits I have seen. Although in the main I do think both parks are very good. Yet recently I've been made aware of an article from the owner giving his list of the worst zoos in the country.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
It's a Times article (which uses Bailey the African lion as an illustration as Colchester is one of those named as breaching EAZA standards) which you can't read without subscription, but it's summarised here
UK zoos found to have multiple breaches of animal welfare
Aspinall runs multiple zoos which keep and breed captive animals and then finds 'issues' in every other zoo and even in the concept of them existing. Hypocrisy at it's best. A spokesman for his foundation also describes the EAZA as a pointless organisation.
The breaches mostly appear to involve leaving animals outside in their enclosures. I assume here they mean the zoo kept bears in an enclosure and a hippo with no pool, vs the researchers, sentence wise.
In another article summarising the report, someone has used AI to show a bear in a concrete enclosure and then said so. Journalism at it's finest
Chester responded among others
The last line may refer to a recently produced report by them criticising the conditions certain animals are kept in, in specific zoos. The majority of examples cited were in European zoos but places like Chester, Colchester and other UK locations are included. Some/most(?) seemed to refer to animals that are(or were at the time) denied indoor access or shelter during the daytime.
Its curious how they have always made, and still continue to do, many exchanges or received/sent animals to 'other' zoos. Bachelor male Geladas to Bristol is a recent example. Though I know they inspect (or they used to)in advance the enclosures for any of their animals being sent away to other locations. If they don't approve they won't send them. But with all the intense critisism they heap on other zoos generally, its a strange( but probably vital) relationship nonetheless.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Say one thing do another should be the logo on their park entrances. It's interesting how the other zoos can bear to do business with them. But in the scheme of things the zoo staff probably aren't taking an animal from a zoo on the one hand and having a pop at the zoo when they go and collect it.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
It is worth noting that this is by no means new - Aspinall has been criticising zoos to the same extent for over a decade now.
His hypocrisy is either a publicity stunt or blatant delusion. There have been several times over the past couple of decades (I have linked some of the articles relating to it) in which he has called for all zoos to be closed despite owning and actively expanding upon two of his own. It is beyond me why any other zoo would want to exchange animals with him after publicly attacking them.
What particularly infuriates me is the fact that, when called out on this by some journalists in the articles, he responds with something along the lines of "we need somewhere to release them to, and charging for admission is the best way to get funds for this," as though doesn't already have ample funds and isn't adding more and more species with no plans of releasing them. Not only that, but the releases he has planned seem to have no conservational value - I recall that he planned to release the Howletts elephants to Kenya, where the population has doubled over the past few decades, while in other countries they are on the verge of vanishing entirely.
The title of the third article ('we need to abolish all zoos says Britain's most famous zoo owner Damian Aspinall')
Zoo boss urges people to stop paying to see wild animals in captivity | Daily Mail Online
Wildlife park owner Damian Aspinall's daughter calls for all zoos to be closed down
'We need to abolish all zoos', says Britain's most famous zoo owner Da
London Zoo should close because it is 'sign of our failure as a
His hypocrisy is either a publicity stunt or blatant delusion. There have been several times over the past couple of decades (I have linked some of the articles relating to it) in which he has called for all zoos to be closed despite owning and actively expanding upon two of his own. It is beyond me why any other zoo would want to exchange animals with him after publicly attacking them.
What particularly infuriates me is the fact that, when called out on this by some journalists in the articles, he responds with something along the lines of "we need somewhere to release them to, and charging for admission is the best way to get funds for this," as though doesn't already have ample funds and isn't adding more and more species with no plans of releasing them. Not only that, but the releases he has planned seem to have no conservational value - I recall that he planned to release the Howletts elephants to Kenya, where the population has doubled over the past few decades, while in other countries they are on the verge of vanishing entirely.
The title of the third article ('we need to abolish all zoos says Britain's most famous zoo owner Damian Aspinall')
Zoo boss urges people to stop paying to see wild animals in captivity | Daily Mail Online
Wildlife park owner Damian Aspinall's daughter calls for all zoos to be closed down
'We need to abolish all zoos', says Britain's most famous zoo owner Da
London Zoo should close because it is 'sign of our failure as a
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A lot of bridges were burnt when his father was alive, though some were repaired after he died. Some through necessity, others because the parks had lost their main income from the gambling winnings. Damian seems to be doing pretty well at torching any goodwill accrued since his father’s death, however maybe he needs to take a look in the mirror, particularly considering the history of staff welfare
You are both right @Panthera1981 and @Kalaw.
I might want to do a critical review of all their current breeding programs at some point. Nothing much has happened on the front of all the ex situ endangered species breeding programs. The parks are in serious decline ... Don't know about his present financial situation, but I assume the situation is not all that rosy...and Damian has certainly commercialised the brand for both parks, while not adding anything of conservation value whatsoever.....!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The thing I find the most hypocritical is the boutique and VERY expensive hotel experiences. If he hates zoos so much then he should close his own ones down. Don’t charge people £1,350 to sleep next to the tigers whilst claiming that they shouldn’t even be in a zoo.
Don’t give him any ideas!
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
I doubt he ever would.I meant about closing tho zoos
He is fully aware that he is being a hypocrite by declaring all zoos as morally wrong and yet keeping two of his own open - he simply wants the money which their admission fee brings him. Hence why he feels the need to defend his own zoos as being 'sanctuaries' or 'wildlife parks' as opposed to 'zoos' (as though the word is automatically negative), and to make up blatant lies about how the only reason his collections are still open is to generate funds for eventual releases to the wild, which will likely never happen.