Africa Alive , Kessingland , Suffolk .... This Establishment began life as Suffolk Wild Life and Country Park in May 1969 ... it was originally opened by Mr Lawrence F Wright on his farm and in the 1970 guide he states that he opened it on part of his family farm ... in 1970 there were Birds , Lion , Wallaby, Baboons , Squirrel Monkeys , Deer, Artic Fox ,Raccoon, Coatimundi and farm animals .... By 1973 there were all the above plus Llama , Guanaco , Capuchins, Macaques , Tigers , Pumas , Civet Cat , Wolves , Dingos, Malabar Squirrel , Porcupines , Crocodiles , Reptiles ... Lawrence Wright passed away in 1985 and the park was put up for sale due to tax demands ... By December 1985 the future of the park was assured and was taken off the market ... However in 1986 the owner was reported as Brian Le Grys as he was thinking of selling the park in November 1986 ( so possibly he is the reason the park did not close in 1985 )... there was a Zoo Consultant report put in about the Zoo in July 1989 and changes were made to the Park in September 1990 as a result of the report... In April 1991 discussions took place about the future of the park and by 13 th September 1991 it was announced that the Park was up for sale and 2 weeks later the Animals were sold.... It was in 1991 that Banham Zoo purchased the Suffolk Wild life and Country Park ... by 2006 it was rebranded as Africa Alive and by 2013 the Zoological Society of East Anglia was and still is running both Banham Zoo and Africa Alive and hopefully it will continue to run as an excellent facility that it is now the guide pictured is from 1970 and the Photo is of the Founder Mr Lawrence Wright
