After visiting the Wales Ape and Monkey Centre we drove a couple of miles up to the valley to the Penycae Inn ( Pen y Cae Inn - Home ) . This 'gastropub' has a small zoo in the gardens and is apparently getting a zoo licence . There is a decent meercat enclosure - open-topped section , covered glass-fronted deep sand-floored area and house . An aviary type enclosure with decent house for a breeding group of white-fronted marmosets . Small paddocks for pygmy goats and breeding Bennett's wallabies . Pictures on the web-site show mara but I did not see them . A small aviary ( sign says temporary ) for trumpeter hornbills which were not visible . A small covered pond/aviary with smew , bufflehead , giant wood rail , Amherts and monal pheasant ( and a model crocodilian ) . A paddock with a newly-installed raised electrified fence with a number of small geese - red-breasted , emperor , Ross's snow ( I think ) and a small Canada goose species - plus a couple of red-crowned cranes , also a very large model giant tortoise . There is no charge to view the animals . The pub is in a lovely setting in the Brecon Beacons National Park and near to the very popular Dan-yr-Ogov Caves tourist attraction . I will post a few pics. later .
Someone here has a specialist interest it seems, the birds/duck and goose species (and the cranes) aren't run of the mill ones. It seems like they are being kept alongside other conventional 'attraction species' such as the Meerkats and pg's. There was a report on here of another 'pub with animal collection' somewhere recently. Are we seeing a rise in this type of collection in the UK perhaps?
There is a pub in Essex which breeds Lilac-breasted Roller in the garden! Keeps turacos, ducks, australian crested bronzewing too.
