West Midland Safari and Leisure Park West Midland Safari Park 2023

Other 2023 News:

On February 22nd, the zoo announced that they opened a new eatery, the Authentic Amigos Cantina, to the public.

West Midland Safari Park

Zoofan15 said:
0.6 Humboldt penguin have arrived:

Nine Manx penguin chicks sent to UK zoo
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On April 13th, the zoo announced the penguin's names; Kendal, Khloe, Kim, Kourtney, Kris, and Kylie.

New penguins at West Midland Safari Park | Have you seen our six new penguin girls, Kim, Khloe, Kendal, Kris, Kourtney and Kylie? ⁠ ⁠ They hatched last year at Curraghs Wildlife Park on the Isle... | By West Midland Safari Park | Facebook

On April 17th, the zoo announced that it celebrated its 50th anniversary of opening to the public.

WMSP's 50th Anniversary | IT'S OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY! On this day 50 years ago, West Midland Safari Park opened its gates for the very first time! Since then, we have... | By West Midland Safari Park | Facebook

On May 17th, it was announced that the zoo transferred (0.3) African lions named Emma, Hira, and Narla to the Blackpool Zoo in Blackpool.

We are delighted to introduce the 3 new lionesses Hira, Emma and Narla. They arrived a few days ago from West Midland Safari Park and have been settling... | By Blackpool Zoo - Facebook

On May 25th, the zoo announced that (0.0.2) barasingha and a (0.0.1) lowland anoa were born.

West Midland Safari Park

On June 24th, the zoo announced they acquired (3.0) Humboldt penguins named Krill, Whelk, and Wrasse from the Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire.

New Penguins Arrive at West Midland Safari Park | We've welcomed three new penguins from Twycross Zoo! The three new boys, named Wrasse, Whelk & Krill, have settled in well with the rest of the colony! | By West Midland Safari Park - Facebook
 
Did WMSP on Sunday, took a tour bus drive and are driver reckoned coco is due to arrive any day now however he believes, he has arrived already in the last few days by the way five has been staying around the house in the last few days trying to find a way in
 
Today the park announced that their new Lion lodges and enclosure would open on Friday 7th July 2023 under the name of 'Lion Ridge', seemingly situated on the land most recently used to house Ostrich. Previous to that, I believe it was the goat walk-through area, which closed during/shortly before the pandemic. It is the first time visitors will be able to see the species on foot in the park's history, and includes 4 lodges. It houses the 4 male cubs born at the zoo in 2019: Hodge, Harabi, Havoc, and Hercules.

4.0.0

Lion Ridge | New for 2023 at West Midland Safari Park
 
A few updates from my visit:

Ostriches still on site in the former cheetah enclosure in safari ,with the house been adjusted for the height. The goats from the African village are also there too as the huts in African village are being redone.

Philippine spotted deer does are now in the asian lowlands with the pere davids deer and other species . The buck remains in the enclosure in the wild asia opposite the Indian rhino.

Expansion to the African ungulate House has finished and now the mare grevys zebra is in the handstands. The two girls and the new foal are still out on the African plains

The new hippo male has been introduced with one of the girls, he's settling in well.
 
how many tigers white and yellow do wmsp hold now and does anyone know whats on the safari and if any are able to be viewed without the safari. cheers
 
As far as I know there are 2 white tigers which are both on the safari. 1 elderly female sumatran tiger also on safari and then a male female pair of sumelatran tigers in the new enclosure on the walk around area
 
Also great to here that the Ostrich are still onsite but it's a shame they are in the old cheetah enclosure. I hope that they won't be there permanently
 
The park seems to be going through a drastic period of change and upgrades, particularly in adjustment to modern standards and expectations for animal welfare and a public attraction. It's nice to see that every few months there is something new, or some sort of update to the park, and I'm sure the current ostrich situation is on their radar. I'd assume that they will either move them back onto the safari like they were a few years ago or adjust the enclosure further as the opportunity arises. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next, especially as I anticipate they are coming towards the end of the lodges developments. Hopefully, all of this is part of a larger, lesser-known masterplan of a future for the park, rather than purely a development of lodges. There are certainly lots of opportunities to be had, particularly as the lodges will inevitably increase revenue.
 
Smaggledagle said:
On May 25th, the zoo announced that (0.0.2) barasingha
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According to Zootierliste the herd of Swamp Deer At WMSP originated from Port Lympne, who in turn imported them from one of the Berlin Zoos. I am not sure when WMSP got them but for some years until recently it appeared to be a 'females only' herd, presumably to control numbers. At the same time Knowlsey SP also exhibited this species, but by 2018 or so, they were down to a single animal which subsequently died. In October that year they acquired a new trio- 2 females from Port Lympne and a male from Whipsnade. To my knowledge this probably represented the first time these two lines had the potential for crossing. However & sadly, the two PL females both died not long after arriving at Knowsley, leaving the single Whipsnade-bred male alone.

Then in 2021 this single stag was transferred to WMSP. Fortunately some of the females were still of breeding age and in 2022 three calves were born. So, perhaps more by chance than planning, these represented the first actual mixing of the two lines.

I don't know if any more calves, over the two mentioned above, have been born and gone unreported this year at WMSP but its good news that this herd now has an infusion of unrelated blood from the ex-Whipsnade stag, even if he comes from a very inbred herd himself.
 
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Going to add some more information to the Tiger cub birth.
Today, WMSP announced that a 0.0.1 Sumatran Tiger cub was born on Tuesday 4th July. This is the first in the Park's 50 year history, and provides a momentous moment for the conservation of the subspecies, with only 400 individuals left in the wild. The last tiger cub born at the park was 16 years ago, which I believe was a Bengal tiger. Sexing is expected towards the end of August when the cub will be given a name beginning with the letter 'L'.

General facts
  • Parents: Nakal 1.0 (9 years) & Dourga 0.1 (11 years)
  • Dourga was introduced to the park in August 2022 as part of an EEP, residing in the new Tiger Tropics habitat alongside Nakal, who has been at the park since 2016.
  • Born at 2:36am 4th July 2023
  • Initial meeting was reported to be extremely successful, and mating was recorded around March of this year
  • Uncertainty on when the cub will become visible to the public, as it remains in the off-show area.
PRESS RELEASES AT WMSP
 
Some great news

We're thrilled to announce the birth of an endangered red panda cub to first-time mum, Mei Lin!

Keepers heard tiny squeaks coming from a nest box on 16th June, and have since caught some glimpses of the cub when Mei Lin has moved boxes, which have been caught on camera too!

Red pandas spend the first few months of their lives growing in their dens with their mothers, therefore it's unlikely that guests will be able to see the cub until it is about four months old, when it will start emerging to explore its new home
 
Does anyone have a link to the tiger and lion enclosure build permission? I can’t seem to find the council that the park is under.
 
If anyone visiting WMSP could take a few photos of the Swamp deer herd and post them in the gallery, I'd be very grateful.

And does the Blackbuck herd still have no males and therefore no young ones?
 
Pertinax said:
If anyone visiting WMSP could take a few photos of the Swamp deer herd and post them in the gallery, I'd be very grateful.

And does the Blackbuck herd still have no males and therefore no young ones?
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I believe there is still only female blackbuck from what I remember. What I was told was they aren’t planning on bringing in a male because when they had one he was very successful at breeding and nearly all of the females had young and they were a bit overrun with blackbuck.
 
Pandaboi said:
I believe there is still only female blackbuck from what I remember. What I was told was they aren’t planning on bringing in a male because when they had one he was very successful at breeding and nearly all of the females had young and they were a bit overrun with blackbuck.
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Presumably, for the sake of the herd's continuation, one will have to be brought in at some point. (That or artificial insemination).
 
Pandaboi said:
I believe there is still only female blackbuck from what I remember. What I was told was they aren’t planning on bringing in a male because when they had one he was very successful at breeding and nearly all of the females had young and they were a bit overrun with blackbuck.
Click to expand...
My early visits there were several males in the herd and plenty of young. The herd grew large so they discontinued the males to prevent excess breeding. Finally there was just a single male, a castrated one so he stayed fawn-coloured like the females and not black. But the number has slowly declined since then I've noticed.
 
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