According to their website they are holding an Open Day on 25th August , when a limited number can visit their big cats . They are only allowed 6 open days a year - presumably a planning restriction .
can anyone answer what shorts was saying, have whf got drive thru or was it a maistake and meaning wmwp??
Having been to WHF today I can confirm there is a largish enclosure which will eventually hold the whole pride. This has a dirt track on the inside of the enclosure which is for there own mini bus (very old school one) that will drive lodge guests around.
Thanks for the clarification. I've got to say it all seems a little bizarre, both the enclosure concept and the fact that (public funded) armed forces provide free labour to an organisation that (generally) isn't open/accessible to the public. If they've got the spare time maybe the army can come and help renovate my new house and tidy the garden.
I couldn't agree more, Shorts. There is a hundred acres of land at Whipsnade behind the hippos that has never been developed - a couple of footpaths, some chain link fencing to keep in a few Przewalski's stallions, and a couple of basic aviaries for Eagle Owls and the like would get that area in use. If the Army will do that for WHF, maybe they would for ZSL if someone asked nicely!
Padmini the elderly Bengal tiger was pts on 19th July. She was 21 and her condition was sadly getting worse. Thoughts are with the keepers and Bruno (now on his own). Ares the male jaguar left WHF for Paradise Wildlife Park on Wednesday (21st), just in time for Jaguar week. He arrived safely and has settled in nicely.
When I was there, they said they had tried to breed the two jaguars, but the male was never interested in her. Maybe they will bring in a new male to replace Ares as a potential mate for the female black jaguar?
I must have missed them announcing the 2nd litter of white lion cubs at WHF so they now have 6 in total. Ares is due back in a few weeks once his enclosure has been refurbished. EDIT: He's back along with a couple of white tigers from PWP (I assume they're both white but only saw a photo of one).
yep paradise no longer have jags because they are at whf and so is narnia . this means paradise have another empty exhibit.
They are having a series of open days, where the public can visit without signing up for a special tour. (Normally a private tour is the only way to get into the park). Dates are July 17-20, 2014. Cost is 10 pounds.
ENDANGERED CATS BREEDING PROGRAMME OPENS GATES IN JULY This July, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation (WHF) will open its gates (not its cages), allowing visitors to see the lions, leopards, tigers and cheetahs in the big cat sanctuary – as well as the conservation work that’s helping to protect them. The sanctuary in Smarden, Kent, breeds endangered cats in captivity. The aim is to breed animals that fall within the European Endangered Species Programmes (EEP) and, eventually, re-introduce them into their natural habitats. There are over 50 big cats in the sanctuary and the site itself is being developed into a haven for native UK wildlife. The WHF participates in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) for big cats from all over the globe, including Amur leopards – the rarest cat on our planet, with only around 30 left in the wild and 100 left in captivity. LIONS AND TIGERS AND… LEOPARDS Critically endangered Sumatran tigers, of which there are fewer than 200 left in the wild, are also offered some protection by the breeding programme, as well as endangered snow leopards, ‘vulnerable’ white lions and ‘near-threatened’ jaguars and Pallas cats. Visitors will be able to walk around the 38-acre site and learn about all the cats, including the threats to their population and what’s causing them. Tigers, lions and large carnivores are all in open-topped enclosures while the smaller climbing cats, such as leopards and jaguars, live in roofed enclosures. There are 18 breeding enclosures in total but – in case the cats themselves aren’t enough for you – there will also be face painting, a barbecue, arts and crafts stalls and a bouncy castle to keep you entertained until the lions wake up (they can be inactive for around 21 hours per day). The open days will be held over four days, from Thursday 17 July to Sunday 20 July, with doors open from 11am to 5.30pm. Tickets cost £10 (under-fives go free) and must be pre-booked online through the WHF website.
afaik a collection can open for up to 7 days a year without obtaining a zoo licence-this article says they will be open for 4 consecutive days in July. *This was in response to bigcat speciali's original question of whether WHF were in breach of zoo licensing by opening to the public-this part of his post has now been deleted.
It was great a few years ago. They used to have one midweek ~May/June and one during the holidays. Now they're all pretty much in the holidays (close enough that parents won't care about taking the kids out of school). I do have a photography workshop next Thursday though.
Female Amur Leopard, Zeya will shortly be moving to a collection in the USA (no further details given)
