elephant400
Well-Known Member
In Wales there's only one elephant, Valli an Asian Elephant, she lives in a Hindu Monastry, i just want to know if anyone has been to visit her, i hear she has a lot of room but im not quite sure.
Valli the Elephant alone in Wales
- Thread starter elephant400
- Start date
easytigger
Well-Known Member
They are currently trying to raise funds to buy another elephant, poor thing must be having a very lonely existance, but as its a religious subject people don't want to do much about it!!
Skanda Vale
From pictures I have seen their facilities are at best basic! I would like to hear from people that have been there as well though
Skanda Vale
From pictures I have seen their facilities are at best basic! I would like to hear from people that have been there as well though
jacks zoo
Well-Known Member
I went to skanda vale a few weeks ago, the elephant accomodation is fairly basic and consists of a double barn with 2 small inside areas and an outside yard. It is quite small although we also saw a large new hotwired paddock where she is exercised. Also she is walked around the grounds every day.
There are indeed plans to bring in another female elephant, but we saw no mention of this at skanda vale and didnt manage to ask anyone.
Im not sure where they would obtain another elephant from?
There are indeed plans to bring in another female elephant, but we saw no mention of this at skanda vale and didnt manage to ask anyone.
Im not sure where they would obtain another elephant from?
Is there a single zoo in Wales that is actually above average? Most of the photos in the ZooChat gallery from zoos, sanctuaries and wildlife parks in Wales show some extremely dodgy establishments.
Historically there has never been a major Zoo in Wales at all. The nearest established ones are outside the pincipality, Chester and Bristol. For many years large numbers of schoolchildren from the urbanised parts of South Wales used to be brought to visit Bristol Zoo in order to see wild animals. As mentioned here already I believe Folly Farm & the Tenby collection are now rapidly upgrading though.
jacks zoo
Well-Known Member
The place isnt widely advertised..so u prob. wudnt have heard of it! it is a temple foremost, and animals are rescued. In the case of the elephant it was presented to Skanda Vale in 1981, and has been kept there since.
I would imagine that they hold DWAL for the elephant.
I would imagine that they hold DWAL for the elephant.
@jacks zoo: there are plenty of crappy roadside zoos in North America, but they are getting slowly phased out of existence in many areas and I'm not sure why you brought them up on a Welsh thread.
@Pertinax: thanks for the info. Just as I suspected there is no major zoo in Wales. I guess that Folly Farm could be the premier collection in the nation.
@Pertinax: thanks for the info. Just as I suspected there is no major zoo in Wales. I guess that Folly Farm could be the premier collection in the nation.
Well there are only (really) 3 actual zoos here (Colwyn bay, Folly Farm and manor house), and all of them seem perfectly acceptable, although I have only visited Folly farm so I can't really judge the other two. And Valli isn't at a zoo, she's a temple elephant.
I'm surprised we don't have a big zoo that's on a par with, say, Bristol. I think one would do well in Cardiff or Swansea, maybe even Newport.
I'm surprised we don't have a big zoo that's on a par with, say, Bristol. I think one would do well in Cardiff or Swansea, maybe even Newport.
jacks zoo
Well-Known Member
QUOTE @jacks zoo: there are plenty of crappy roadside zoos in North America, but they are getting slowly phased out of existence in many areas and I'm not sure why you brought them up on a Welsh thread.
You have consistantly made comparisons between UK and US collections, and often on uk threads!
You have consistantly made comparisons between UK and US collections, and often on uk threads!
@Pertinax: thanks for the info. Just as I suspected there is no major zoo in Wales. I guess that Folly Farm could be the premier collection in the nation.
Folly Farm & Tenby(Manor Park) are in South Wales, Welsh Mountain zoo is at Colwyn Bay, which is North Wales.
Welsh Mountain is long established but collectionwise it can probably be regarded as in the '2nd league' of UK zoos. Folly & Tenby seem to be competing rather(maybe not consciously though
) to see which can become the foremost in their region....Originlly the elephant was held neither under a Zoo License or DWA license. The residents of the comune argued that she was a 'religious icon' and not a 'wild animal'. I don't know if it is still the case.
A couple of years ago Skanda Vale got a lot of publicity when DEFRA wanted - and finally succeeded - to remove a bullock infected with TB for slaughter . During all of the TV and press articles I do not recall one mention of their also having an elephant - 'the only Temple Elephant in the West' .
Although not very far from where I live I have not visited as I would feel uncomfortable being a 'pilgrim' .
Although not very far from where I live I have not visited as I would feel uncomfortable being a 'pilgrim' .
I think I'd just joined this Forum then and posted the same observation- the Elephant was definatly never mentioned at all- I wondered if she was never 'discovered' by the press as they surely couldn't have resisted mentioning it otherwise.
elephant400
Well-Known Member
@jacks zoo: there are plenty of crappy roadside zoos in North America, but they are getting slowly phased out of existence in many areas and I'm not sure why you brought them up on a Welsh thread.
@Pertinax: thanks for the info. Just as I suspected there is no major zoo in Wales. I guess that Folly Farm could be the premier collection in the nation.
HEY!, the Welsh mountain zoo, up north, is called the National Zoo of Wales, thats a well established zoo.
I guess it has some right to that claim as its been there a long time...