West Midland Safari and Leisure Park West Midland Safari Park 2024

[Baringogiraffe12]

Do we know of any long term plans in terms of the white tigers and lions. I’m assuming they’re being phased out as they hold no conservational value however, it seems like when they’re gone and the sumatrans move to the zoo section there will be a lot of unused space.

They have two (elderly) male white tigers remaining (both born 15/06/07) - as for the lions, from my records, they held 0.10 which I assume will be less now, the male was euthanised in January 2022.

I agree that by the current white tiger setup is a lot of space - I know the old female Sumatran is still living up there (or was) but she is a similar age to the whites. Maybe they will become a holder for surplus Sumatrans or it may hold something different altogether.

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

Had a really lovely visit today, it was pretty busy given the school holidays and fairly nice weather, but very enjoyable nonetheless. There’s a few updates:

• As I’m sure many of you know by now, the Burchell’s zebra, ostrich, lechwe and Ankole cattle have been moved into what used to be the Asian Lowlands, now renamed African Lowlands, which feels a little on the empty side at the minute
• Only a few eland seem to be left, I only saw maybe half a dozen individuals or so
• Burmese brow-antlered deer are currently occupying both sides of the old cheetah enclosure
• The Javan banteng herd has been split up, with three adult males in the Wild Asia reserve and the rest of the herd down in the Borderlands
• The elderly Sumatran tiger is now occupying the largest of the former white tiger enclosures, with her old enclosure apparently empty
• Only one white tiger was seen (though the other could easily have been hiding or off-show)
• Coco was moving back and forth along the fence with Five’s enclosure, looking like he was scenting with his trunk in the air quite a lot, which I think means he’s taken an interest in her
• Malaika the rhino calf was out and about in the African Plains reserve, chasing seagulls and running all over the place, she’s even been approaching vehicles
• Construction on the new painted dog and hippo areas is well underway, and the site is being prepped for the additions to the currently off-show cheetah enclosure
• The lowland anoa are still in the paddocks between the African Lowlands and Wild Asia
• There are currently five hippos, one of which being kept separate from the others - I don’t know if this is unusual, but I’ve seen people saying they have only four hippos so I just want to clarify

 

[Olek]

The Javan banteng herd has been split up, with three adult males in the Wild Asia reserve and the rest of the herd down in the Borderlands

I'm pretty sure the banteng males have always been in Wild Asia & the rest in the other reserve but maybe not

 

[Olek]

There are currently five hippos, one of which being kept separate from the others - I don’t know if this is unusual, but I’ve seen people saying they have only four hippos so I just want to clarify

I think this might be Ernie who came from Flamingo land in December 2022

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

I'm pretty sure the banteng males have always been in Wild Asia & the rest in the other reserve but maybe not

That may well be the case, what’s more likely is I’ve just not seen them all out and about before, and if I had there’s a chance I may have confused them with the formerly-held water buffalo in my head.

 

[Olek]

the Borderlands

DOES ANyone even know what the borderlands is meant to mean

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

DOES ANyone even know what the borderlands is meant to mean

I think it’s just a generic name referring to the fact that it’s on the edge of the site, and I feel as though it might change in the future.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

• There are currently five hippos, one of which being kept separate from the others - I don’t know if this is unusual, but I’ve seen people saying they have only four hippos so I just want to clarify

They still had six hippos as of about this time last year, so one of the hippos must have died in the past year.

 

[Olek]

They still had six hippos as of about this time last year, so one of the hippos must have died in the past year.

Are the current 4 female hippos (Mavis, Hilary, Gussie and Friday) elderly or not?

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Are the current 4 female hippos (Mavis, Hilary, Gussie and Friday) elderly or not?

No they are not elderly. Most Nile hippos live about 40 years in captivity, and Mavis is 18, Hilary is 20, Gussie is 23, and Friday is 27, so they are not considered to be elderly yet.

 

[Olek]

No they are not elderly. Most Nile hippos live about 40 years in captivity, and Mavis is 18, Hilary is 20, Gussie is 23, and Friday is 27, so they are not considered to be elderly yet.

I would love it if they got a btreeding bull with the new expansion to the hippo habitat to see some adorable chubby baby hippos trotting around.

 

[cerperal]

I would love it if they got a btreeding bull with the new expansion to the hippo habitat to see some adorable chubby baby hippos trotting around.

Hopefully now everyone seems to need more hippos there will be reason to try and import more. And in a few years Hodor will need moving from Whipsnade, WMSP seems like a logical location (if he's cleared for breeding).

 

[Olek]

Hopefully now everyone seems to need more hippos there will be reason to try and import more. And in a few years Hodor will need moving from Whipsnade, WMSP seems like a logical location (if he's cleared for breeding).

Do you know how old Hodor is currently?

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Do you know how old Hodor is currently?

Hodor is six years old, he was born on July 21st, 2017.

 

[Olek]

Had a really lovely visit today, it was pretty busy given the school holidays and fairly nice weather, but very enjoyable nonetheless. There’s a few updates:

• As I’m sure many of you know by now, the Burchell’s zebra, ostrich, lechwe and Ankole cattle have been moved into what used to be the Asian Lowlands, now renamed African Lowlands, which feels a little on the empty side at the minute
• Only a few eland seem to be left, I only saw maybe half a dozen individuals or so
• Burmese brow-antlered deer are currently occupying both sides of the old cheetah enclosure
• The Javan banteng herd has been split up, with three adult males in the Wild Asia reserve and the rest of the herd down in the Borderlands
• The elderly Sumatran tiger is now occupying the largest of the former white tiger enclosures, with her old enclosure apparently empty
• Only one white tiger was seen (though the other could easily have been hiding or off-show)
• Coco was moving back and forth along the fence with Five’s enclosure, looking like he was scenting with his trunk in the air quite a lot, which I think means he’s taken an interest in her
• Malaika the rhino calf was out and about in the African Plains reserve, chasing seagulls and running all over the place, she’s even been approaching vehicles
• Construction on the new painted dog and hippo areas is well underway, and the site is being prepped for the additions to the currently off-show cheetah enclosure
• The lowland anoa are still in the paddocks between the African Lowlands and Wild Asia
• There are currently five hippos, one of which being kept separate from the others - I don’t know if this is unusual, but I’ve seen people saying they have only four hippos so I just want to clarify

It's so good to see updates from peoples visits seeing as havent been since february 2023 and probably wont able able to go until september.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

They still had six hippos as of about this time last year, so one of the hippos must have died in the past year.

Are the current 4 female hippos (Mavis, Hilary, Gussie and Friday) elderly or not?

One more thing; now that you have confirmed that these are the four cows that still live here, Helen (2004) must have died (much more likely) or gotten transferred in the past year.

 

[Olek]

Will the new cheetah viewing gallery open with the hippo & wild dog areas? And will those areas be in the african walking trail?

 

[pendraig_milnerae]

According to the website, it seems that the former cheetah area is being referred to as the 'Woodland Edge'. This is currently housing a herd of Burmese brow-antlered deer (Rucervus eldii), but their movement into this area combined with a name change could suggest this is an area they want to develop in the future.

Attraction Details

 

[Olek]

According to the website, it seems that the former cheetah area is being referred to as the 'Woodland Edge'. This is currently housing a herd of Burmese brow-antlered deer (Rucervus eldii), but their movement into this area combined with a name change could suggest this is an area they want to develop in the future.

Attraction Details

yEAH BUT WHERE WILL THE CHEETAH BE?

 

[Kates89]

Had a really lovely visit today, it was pretty busy given the school holidays and fairly nice weather, but very enjoyable nonetheless. There’s a few updates:

• As I’m sure many of you know by now, the Burchell’s zebra, ostrich, lechwe and Ankole cattle have been moved into what used to be the Asian Lowlands, now renamed African Lowlands, which feels a little on the empty side at the minute
• Only a few eland seem to be left, I only saw maybe half a dozen individuals or so
• Burmese brow-antlered deer are currently occupying both sides of the old cheetah enclosure
• The Javan banteng herd has been split up, with three adult males in the Wild Asia reserve and the rest of the herd down in the Borderlands
• The elderly Sumatran tiger is now occupying the largest of the former white tiger enclosures, with her old enclosure apparently empty
• Only one white tiger was seen (though the other could easily have been hiding or off-show)
• Coco was moving back and forth along the fence with Five’s enclosure, looking like he was scenting with his trunk in the air quite a lot, which I think means he’s taken an interest in her
• Malaika the rhino calf was out and about in the African Plains reserve, chasing seagulls and running all over the place, she’s even been approaching vehicles
• Construction on the new painted dog and hippo areas is well underway, and the site is being prepped for the additions to the currently off-show cheetah enclosure
• The lowland anoa are still in the paddocks between the African Lowlands and Wild Asia
• There are currently five hippos, one of which being kept separate from the others - I don’t know if this is unusual, but I’ve seen people saying they have only four hippos so I just want to clarify

We went on the same day picture of the baby rhino at the vehicle and the elephant with his trunk up and some of my favourite pics.

We come from right down South so it was my first time visiting but it was such a lovely wildlife park, although the drive though was wild to what Im used to with Longleat, quite a few broken down cars and we even had a car going the wrong direction at one point .