I think it is silly that the combined Zoo/themeparks can't organise a year-round seperate and cheaper ticket just for the Zoo. If they did it they would overall get more visitors with the (admitted) minority who only want to go to the Zoo and possibly making repeated visits too. It is perfectly easy to seperate access to the rides etc but presumably the cost of actually doing that outweighs the necessity, and the minority who would like to visit just the zoo- in decent summer weather- are just not catered for. I always think it is rather calculating where reduced admission is offered in the winter-time when the rides are closed- a bit like saying- 'yes, you are welcome to come and see just the animals now, in the winter, but we don't want you in summer when we are rolling in visitors'.!
There are some areas of the park it just wouldn't be feasable to police ppl who have only got zoo wristabnds. There have been plenty of vouchers in the papers for reduced admission. Last time i visited the hot house was closed. They must of still of had animals in there as u could see the steam through the window. Have they all been moved on or was it just having a re furb?
2 for 1 Animal Encounter at Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo knocks admission down to £24.50 plus you get to choose to feed the penguins meerkats or lemurs
Regarding Lambton Lion Park, after the first couple of years Jimmy Chipperfield parted company with the Lambton Estate who then ran the park themselves, as much as I enjoyed going there as a teenager in fairness the place went down hill, it got worse every year, a real shame as it would have been good to still have been visiting the place today. I sometimes stand and look at it today when in the area dog walking, reminiscing and also wondering what it would be like today if it was still open, alas, not to be. I think it would be fair to say that Flamingo Park Zoo also became run down in the eighties, I recall visiting there at the time when I was able to visit in my own car after passing my driving test. The fairground rides started about then in a small way, as did a small circus, from then onwards the rides became more and more, bigger and more spectacular, the zoo almost became secondary and I do recall that at one point there was even talk of their zoo license being revoked. Obviously today the zoo side has improved enormously, the housing is good as what you see in any other well run zoo, but I still wonder if the visitors are in the right frame of mind, is it not the case that good zoos in this day and age have a duty to inform and educate their visitors about the animals in their care?, I don't think this is entirely possible at a zoo that shares its site with roller coasters, log flumes etc., having said that, the late Gerald Durrell once wrote in one of his books that he thought a highly respectable U.K. zoo was nothing better than a circus, as at the time it gave animal rides and chimp's tea parties!
It wasn't me I've never been there and it would need someone with Professor Higgins' ear for accents to detect mine these days Alan
I think that is pretty true- the animals in these places do tend to be the 'sideshow' and the theme park side the 'main event'- its always seemed like that to me at Chessington. Having said that, the zoo side of Flamingo Park has certainly improved a lot since its low point as you described, in the eighties. I think it was original opened- was it by Pentland Hick?- as a zoological park and somehow the fairground aspect seemed to take over. Obviously the themepark side is a hindrance to its development zoologically and it won't go away now, but it would be nice to see the zoo side of things continue gaining ground.
The Reptile House is closed and there is now "Reptile River" in the Children's Planet area - it was not completed when I visited a fortnight ago though.
Yes, it was Pentland Hick who opened the park (he had operated "Butterfly Farm" on rented land at Maidstone Zoo just after the war), but it was always planned to be more than a zoo. Clinton Keeling, who had been engaged to establish the zoo, stated he left before the park opened when he saw how things were going with plans for a large caravan park and "Cowboy City" (there is film of the latter on the British Pathe website). In the early 1970s Scotia planned to build a huge sports stadium there (80,000 capacity rings a bell) but this fell through, I think because of local opposition. There was a fairground there when I was quite young - it was of no interest to me though.
so the only old parts of the zoo now is the sea lion enclosure? And baboon island early 90's? and mayby lemur mountain formerley baboon mountain?
And the pik-backed pelican pool, which was once a penguin pool. The entire zoo has largely been rebuilt over about the last ten years or so.
A few other buildings remain but look different as they have been "themed" i.e. clad with fake rockwork etc. The current Camel House was the Zebra House in the 1960s and the Meerkat House (the late 1990s one) served the 1960s Cat cages plus the indoor area for the Tigers is the old Lion and Tiger House. Maybe they don't count though due to the changes? The hall end of the Flamingo Lake is pretty much as ever of course and the farm incorporates buildings used in the 1960s. Some of the off-show areas in the Keepers' Yard are as they were when it was a public area. Of course the old Bison House was relocated and altered somewhat to be the Rhino House. The Baboon Island, by the way, was opened for the 1997 season.
Probably in the Children's planet with the other common popular children's animals - otters, mongoose, red river hogs.
These were the mammals with the cuddly appearance I referred to when starting the thread! The zoo had just got the go ahead for them that day so I did not hear where they would be going. If they do go into Children's Planet I suppose they could share with the Otters as they do at some places or the Coatis could be kicked out (I hope not). If a brand new exhibit is built for them I should not be surprised if it is in the area, or even on the site, of the first Meerkat exhibit and the Pelican Pool as initially these were to be demolished to build somewhere for the Indian Rhinos, so they could still be on the way out. The area by the Tiger House was supposed to be a temporary Sarus Crane exhibit too, although it has survived for a number of years (it was going to be a Lynx exhibit at one stage).
Excellent, can't wait to see them, though it doesn't say when agree they would be good in Children's planet.
Does anyone have any news of the Asian rhinos, how is the work progressing on their house and is there any indication when they will be arriving at the zoo?
re from the flamingoland website The Rhino should be arriving towards the end of the summer or early autumn"
