woburn elephant conservation centre » Woburn Safari Park

14-09-2007

Uh Oh.... So the major Asian Elephant breeding centre won't happen. I guess they will build an enlarged Elephant barn instead. Still, they obviously intend to obtain some more females...

14-09-2007

its good to hear of some news at what they are doing there, hope they can add a few more cows to the herd

16-09-2007

sad that the original plan isnt going ahead.

21-09-2007

Woburn are currently building a new elephant Barn- I believe to hold up to ten more animals. The structure is already up. The existing house for the three elephants they already have is VERY poor- a dark box-like structure with a tiny yard and no public viewing at all. The paddocks are simple but okay. The bull is not that large but he has small pointed tusks. All three were together in the paddock on my visit.

21-09-2007

Wonder when or IF they will get more cows ??

21-09-2007

They obviously intend too as they are building this new house for an increased herd. When and where they come from after its finished, I have no idea. Maybe if they cannot import from Thailand anymore, they could add animals from the European groups which are breeding.

Of course, there is the Twycross situation too- but I don't think those 4 females are going anywhere soon...

21-09-2007

in 2005 i went to woburn. i dont think its as good as whipsnade. for us aussies who havent been its basically a drive trhough zoo, which in itsel is superb, but doesnt take very long.
there is a smallish section which you can walk through, but its rather run down, and im sorry to say, a reflection of the mediocrish standards of many small english zoos...lots of rotten timber fences, wire and mud. it does have an outstanding lemur walkthrough though.
on the elephants...
the guidebook i picked up actuallu allocates a 5 page spread to the eles and their future role in the EEP. conceptual plans show a hugeish barn surrounded by vast paddocks, and set within an asian forest with a framework of timber bridges and boardwalks spanning pools and streams, accessible to the elephants.
in a clearing it featured an ampitheatre, and what appears to be an indoor cinema centre.
looked good on paper, will see how it translates down the track

21-09-2007

Glyn- for an update on this look on Page 3 of this thread and read Jelle's post.

It seems they haven't got the funding for any of this this and its no longer a reality.. Instead there is a new house going up to house a larger herd of elephants but not on the scale that you read about... That house is being built now.

22-09-2007

There are some very good things at Woburn:

*Walk-through squirrel monkey enclosure: a big hit with visitors, since copied by ZSL
*Walk-through Australian exhibit: another big draw and since copied by Marwell
*Drive-through bear exhibit: is this unique in the UK?
*Drive-through monkey exhbiit: becoming rare in safari parks these days!
*Elephant encounter: you get to touch the elephants
*Rainbow landing: free-flight aviary where you can feed lorikeets, since copied by Edinburgh (right down to the title!)

Sure it doesn't have the range of species that Whipsnade does but it's still got a lot going for it.

22-09-2007

Bears- of the carnivore drive thru's this was the best. The bears, there are a good number, showed themselves well, sitting or crossing the road. There are wolves in with them too so it is a pretty unique display. Its set on a hillside with rough grass and bracken.

Monkeys- very few monkeys were in evidence- I think they have four species but I only saw a few Barbary Apes and Patas. This would have been an empty reserve apart from the Bongo antelope..