Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2017

Plans for a water park and hotel complex are expected to be granted planning permission next week
Longleat hotel and water park set for approval

 

Here some amazing news about the rhinos. https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/Longleat-in-bid-to-save-the-worlds-rarest-rhino

 

Another article about the donation of the "rhino-eggs " :

UK zoo donates white rhino eggs in IVF bid to save species

 

Good news about attempts to save Northern white rhino, it has to be tried, but so far the success rate has been poor, with only one potential fertilisation - though the egg sadly failed to develop properly. So fingers crossed for this attempt, but it is truly the last hope for the species.
Looking back there were so many missed opportunities, in hindsight so much more that could have been done, earlier, when the chances were far better. Have zoos and conservationists failed to save the species? Well maybe so, but it is a tough lesson to learn.

 

No, it has been politicians and administration officials ..., if you are into any of that blame game theme.

In these cases usually a lack of political will will do the job, and other times bureaucracy and mind boggling paperwork is a great second.

 

I'm not into blaming anyone specifically, it is a collective failure from many involved early on, only since then have people realised it is almost too late.

 

Whereas, I agree a lot more could have been done early on. It is the old - and in my mind rather obsolete - old adagium that zoo and wildlife biologists' saw themselves as in opposing and separate conservation field arenas.

However, the only instance that real progress was made …, was forcefully and stupidly blockaded by Congolese government officialdom who was more preoccupied with hearsay than real down to earth conservation rationale of dividing the northern white rhino group into a field station and an assurance colony. What ensued is that all parties who had tried so hard to get all to the table fell away in disbelief, discontentment and with the end result that 2-3 years down the line all northern whites had been poached off Garamba by criminal poaching networks and rebel armies from Congo, Uganda and Sudan … and this despite millions being poured into securing the protected area and propping up the field management.

BTW: I am NOT saying we should not be supporting parks under pressure or attack from poaching syndicates' though. Unfortunately, for Garamba's future it is imperative we keep on supporting and propping up field management and rangers' on the ground (who keep on risking their lives for very small recompense to them and their families .., a recent event was a killing of a group of the Garamba field rangers' - R.I.P. field heroes -). A great new field project here is for Kordofan giraffe. If you feel the need to, you might want to give them a little nudge in kind or more constructively whichever is more convenient.

 

did you know that the new arrivals such as the seahorses, Kevin the Secretary Bird, Arabella the female Binturong and Aardvarks have settled in so well

 

The next series of Animal Park will start airing on BBC 1 from next Monday (31st July). An increase to 10 episodes this time rather than the previous 5

 

Just out of interest today`s Animal Park were talking about the lions recent squabbling mentioning Maliaka & Sweet Pea, Are Lunar & Yendi still in the pride as there were only about 7. Have there been any moves ? last moves that I know of were Ahmale, Boss & Samira to Newquay in 2015
& Hugo, Lunar & 4 x cubs to Folly Farm in 2014 (these were in the other pride i think)

Thanks for any information

 

What's become of the Dromedaries? I only noticed Bactrian camel on my last visit.

 

Having just watched Animal Park, Kaiser the Giraffe was put to sleep this summer after a short illness resulting in drastic weight loss. TB was ruled out

 

Saw that.. .. so sad. Did they determine what the source of infection was?

 

Update from messages on the Longleat Facebook page:
Hi, we have carried out a post mortem and we found that Kaiser had some underlying heart problems that could have contributed towards his illness - Jen

 

The final episode of Animal Park this morning confirmed the birth of a male Giant Anteater

 

Male Gorilla Alf had a visit from the dentist but he's fine now https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/gorilla-given-massage-during-dentists-visit

 

Red Panda cub is born in the summer and it's a boy and he's now got a name Turner https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/endangered-red-panda-cub-born-at-longleat

 

Check this out it's amazing Rising visitor numbers boost Longleat

 

Check the lions and monkeys out https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/longleat-monkeys-meet-their-match

 

The animals at Longleat are having fun with the leaves falling off the trees https://www.longleat.co.uk/news/longleat-celebrates-a-great-british-autumn