Port Lympne Zoo

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Port Lympne Wild Animal Park


date_opened=1976
location=Lympne, Kent, England
area=600 acres
num_species=50+
num_animals=650+

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near the town of Ashford in Kent, England is set in convert|600|acre|km2|1 and incorporates the historic mansion and landscaped gardens designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker for Sir Philip Sassoon during World War I.

The estate was purchased in 1973 by John Aspinall to solve lack of space at Howletts Wild Animal Park, and it was opened to the public in 1976. Since 1984 the animal park has been owned by a charity (The John Aspinall Foundation).

Royalty and many other famous people have stayed at the mansion at the centre of the park. The rooms are lavishly decorated and the landscaped gardens take full advantage of the spectacular views of Romney Marsh.

Animal collection

Port Lympne also houses the UK's only Sifaka, the largest breeding herd of Black Rhinoceros outside Africa. As well as Siberian and Bengal tigers, small cats, monkeys, Malayan tapirs, Barbary Lions which have just given birth to two cubs, African Hunting Dogs and many more rare and endangered species, some are on the circular walk. ‘The Palace of the Apes’ is the world’s largest gorillarium and home to a complete family group of gorillas, there is also an open enclosure near some of the rhinos and colobus monkeys.

A recent feature at Port Lympne is an ‘African Experience’ safari trail, visitors are transported on specially modified vehicles around the park to view rhino, giraffe, zebra, deer and wildebeest.

The collection was known for being unorthodox, for the encouragement of close personal relationships between staff and animals, and for their breeding of rare and endangered species. In 2000, a 27 year old keeper was killed whilst working in the stall of a female Indian elephant called La Petite. BBC News Elephant Crushes Keeper " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/634383.stm] "]

The zoo has recently moved its herd of Asian Elephants following numerous deaths related to a persistent outbreak of a strain of herpes virus found in captive elephant populations. In 2005, after many years of stillbirths, two infant mortalities, and several premature adult fatalities, the first surviving mother-reared calf, Sittang, succumbed to the virus. This incident occurred one month after an adult female produced a stillborn calf and also perished. Port Lympne's remaining calf, May Tagu, who was born in April 2005, was transferred to Antwerp zoo following the spate of deaths, along with her mother and one other cow. The remaining adults were moved to Terra Natura in Benidorm, Spain, where many other, former Port Lympne elephants reside. This move has allowed the park's to focus on their tremendous success in breeding African elephants. Three cows have been moved from Howletts, followed soon after by a bull named Kruger from Knowsley Safari Park. Howletts is home to the UK's largest herd of African elephants, which currently numbers at 12.

Animals

African Elephant, African Hunting Dog, Agouti, American Bison, Anoa, Asiatic Wild Dog, Axis Deer, Banteng, Barasingha, Barbary Lion, Black and Gold Howler Monkey, Black and White Colobus Monkey, Black Rhinoceros, Black-capped Capuchin Monkey, Blackbuck, Bongo, Bush dog, Canadian Timber Wolf, Caracal, De Brazza's Monkey, Defassa Waterbuck, Diana Monkey, Drill, European Bison, Fishing Cat, Gaur, Grants Zebra, Hog Deer, Indian Tiger, Javan Langur, Lynx, Malayan Tapir, Margay Cat, Meerkat, Nilgai, Ocelot, Ostrich, Przewalski Horse, Red Lechwe, Red Panda, Red River Hog, Roan Antelope, Rothschild Giraffe, Samango, Sambar, Siamang Gibbon, Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, Wild Asian Water buffalo, Western Lowland Gorilla, Wildebeest, and the Sifaka.

On television

The BBC children's television series "Roar" was filmed at Port Lympne and Howletts, and was broadcast on BBC Two and the CBBC channel. The programmes went behind the scenes at the two parks, following the keepers as they tended to the animals. Two series of "Roar" have been broadcast to date. The first was filmed in summer 2006, the second in summer and autumn 2007. Port Lympne has also appeared on other programmes.

References

External links

* [http://www.totallywild.net Zoo Website]
* [http://www.visitkent.co.uk Kent Tourism website]