Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2018

Maybe sea otters, Inca turs or maybe some other semiaquatic animal

 

I would normally agree with this straight away, but there is the fact Longleat have brought in 6 koalas and hairy-nosed wombats so I wouldn't rule anything out, the world of Longleat has nothing beyond limits any more! (Hyperbole! ) And to be fair, Longleat have probably got the money and patience, as well as a high public profile, to go through all the red tape to bring in a species such as sea otter...

But to be honest, no, I don't think it's likely to be sea otters!

 

Ive only seen this exhibit on TV, but could it be redeveloped for Pygmy hippo?

If not, netted over for Puffin?

 

Don’t think it would be suitable for Pygmy hippo, puffin would be a nice idea though

 

I would be willing to bet that the penguin area becomes some sort of sea life type attraction, they already have the rays in the same area.

 

If anyone is going to Longleat this Christmas just remember this is going to be your last chance to see the penguins as you may have heard that in January 2019 The difficult decision is to close Penguin Island.

 

Acquiring Tufted Puffin is difficult but not impossible. Living Coasts attempt to bring in Fairy Penguins (they were due to use the Auk cliff exhibit) seemed to stall just before Weymouth received theirs and the L Coasts group are depleting now. Another puffin group would be great though! Sea Otter are 'impossible' to obtain & LC would have had them by now....

 

The L Coast group of what are depleting?

 

Apologies; that was written badly. Living Coasts Tufted Puffin group are depleting.

 

I counted 7 of them when I was there the other day. Never before realised Puffins went completely Black in winter.

 

They don't, not the European ones anyway. Tufted puffin is all black all the time.

 

Really ? The images at Living Coasts show their Puffins with White Heads in the spring in summer ? I got the impression they were only all black in Winter, and get white heads in spring and summer from the display notices at LC.

 

Given that puffins are considerably more difficult to keep than penguins....

 

Misunderstanding. I thought you meant in relation to their bodies. Yes, Tufted puffin loses white head in winter according to images. So you are correct.

 

Unfortunately that’s true isn’t although they would make a brilliant exhibit.
Thinking about it now I doubt it will be another bird species due to the reason behind closing penguin island being multiple out breaks of avian malaria.

 

Could a species of reptile work? Maybe split interior and exterior into 2 exhibits and have crocs inside?

My thoughts were of marine iguana, but probably impossible to obtain!

 

Chinese alligators would make a nice seasonal exhibit, a few places in Europe keep or have kept them with intermittent outdoor access.

Sea otters would be easier, and that would probably take a year or two at least!

 

I noticed the website says that the drive round Longleat can take up to 3 hours, compared to around 90 minutes on the bus. How big is it compared to West Midlands and Woburn? I'm not a huge safari drive through fan, but am considering it for tomorrow.