South Lakes » South Lakes Wild Animal Park

07-10-2007

Woh! Another big fan... This guy sure has some admirers...

Someone said South Lakes looks like a 'flat pack' zoo. I've seen numerous photos and it does look rather as if its all been thrown together in a great hurry. I think perhaps thats its main fault, that its been developed too rapidly. But hey, I've never been so is that fair comment?

07-10-2007

Yeap it does seem a little thrown together a little too quickly.

08-10-2007

Yep, that's the feeling I got from looking at photos. I like the description of the 'flat pack' zoo... I think it has probably grown faster than any other comparable sized UK zoo- probably because Mr Gill has a lot of money available to put into it. But he does seem to have a few problems too, primarily with escapees (and carparks).

08-10-2007

why what animals have escaped??

08-10-2007

Coatis I think.

08-10-2007

I think they may have become established in the surrounding district, or perhaps they have been recovered or controlled by now.

I think there may have been something else too but don't quote me as I can't name it. Did a rhino get out once?

08-10-2007

Lets have a thread on Animal Escapes. I'll start one now...

08-10-2007

Yes a rhino escaped in 1997 and was shot dead.

Locals are convinced there's a healthy population of coatis living in the Furness area. Gill denies any of his animals are missing, and even the council refuses to believe there's a problem despite the reported sightings. Last summer Gill himself tranquilised a coati that was discovered in a local resident's garden.

They have also had ring-tailed lemurs escape recently.

In fact the council attached a number of new conditions to the zoo's licence last year, including a complete review of enclosure design and the zoo's procedures for dealing with escaped animals. There were particular concerns about the possibility of animals using the elevated walkways as a means of escape, and about vegetation growing near the perimeter fence.

They also had a number of hygiene and public safety concerns regarding the bat flight exhibit and walk-through vulture/condor aviary.

It all suggests that the enclosures are thrown up without much thought given to the safety of animals or visitors.

08-10-2007

.. THat is exactly what I thought from everything I've seen and read so far..

09-10-2007

The bat aviary appears this way. Is the condor aviary really a walk through, thats a bit dngerous isnt it??

09-10-2007

One thing I didn't like about South Lakes was the free-ranging lemurs wandering about in the picnic area. That seems to be asking for trouble.

09-10-2007

The Condor aviary is only walk in at certain times of day but luckly they don`t have a female which from my experience are always more aggressive then males.

10-10-2007

I've always thought that a walkthrough condor aviary seemed a bit ill-conceived. Doesn't EAZA guidelines forbid a walkthrough with birds of prey etc? I remember once looking through something like that (may've been Biaza).

10-10-2007

The lemurs in the picnic area seems unhygeinic aswell doesnt it, this is probably why im not a fan of walk throughs ??

10-10-2007

When the council reviewed South Lakes's zoo licence in 2006, one of the new conditions they attached was that the condor aviary should only be walk-through when a member of staff is on hand to supervise. I don't know whether this was in response to a particular incident.

They also stipulated that the zoo should provide hand cleaner dispensers at the exit of all the walk-through exhibits.