 Feeding the tigers ! 
The South Lakes Wild Animal Park
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Recommendation added: 19/06/2006 16:37
By: BAW123 (YSUK rating +38)BAW123 has been thanked 16 times for this contribution
"Whilst visiting the Lake District recently, we spotted a promotional leaflet for the “South Lakes Wild Animal Park”. Initially we were in two minds whether to visit or not, as we had been to another zoo just one week before, however the leaflet made this site sound particularly interesting.
We were staying in Cartmel – a small village in the Lake District, and getting to the park was easy. It is clearly signposted from Junction 36 of the M6 with brown signs showing a white elephant. These signs direct you along the A590 to the town of Dalton-in-Furness and the South Lakes Wild Animal Park. Free car parking is provided at the entrance to the park.
The park is actually home to two registered charities: The Wildlife Protection Foundation and The Sumatran Tiger Trust.
Admission to the park costs £10.50 for adults, with children and pensioners charged a reduced rate of £7.00. Under 3's are free. Regular visitors can become “Friends of the Park” by paying £10 after admission, then following visits cost just £1.00 ! A proportion of this fee goes directly to the conservation charities this park supports.
As soon as you walk in, you realise that this isn't “just another zoo” – in fact they make a point of not mentioning the “Z-Word” in any of their literature. The first enclosure you come across is the Cheetah's. The enclosure is really big, and ensures that the four animals enclosed have plenty of room and vegetation. There is a wooden walkway that goes above the enclosure, and this highlights one of the main features of the park. Their aim is to get you closer to the animals, without barriers where ever possible. Looking down on cheetahs, you can see them basking in the hot sun or prowling around. This, of course, also makes ideal photo opportunities.
Another aim is to mix animals that would normally be found together in the wild, hence the next enclosure (which is huge !) has giraffes, rhino's and monkeys all together. Once again there are wooden platforms at both sides of the enclosure – one of which is at head height with the giraffes.
As you progress through the park, you see so many different animals from all over the world, and most have very little barriers between you and them. Even the spectacle-eyed bears enclosure is only waist high, and photographs from here look as though it was taken in the wild.
I have many good memories (and photographs) of this park, but there are two that stand out above all others. Firstly there is an aviary that you can walk through… but this one houses vultures and parrots. Standing just one meter away from a vulture as he spreads his wings and blocks your path may be slightly intimidating, but it is truly an experience you will never forget. The birds fly freely around the aviary and are amazing to see.
The only thing that topped this was the feeding of the tigers. At 2:30 each day, there is a talk by the keepers about the tigers and the charities efforts to prevent them from disappearing in the wild forever. This is followed by a feeding which is totally unique in Europe, as the tiger's meat is fastened to the top of wooden poles. When released back into the enclosure, the tigers climb the vertical poles to get to their food. Whilst this is an amazing sight for the visitors, it is not done for the crowd's entertainment, but rather to make the tigers work for their food and keep them strong and healthy.
The park aims to encourage interaction with some of the animals. As you enter the park, you can buy bags of food from which you are encouraged to feed some of the animals. Information is printed on the bag and on enclosures as to which animals you can and cannot feed, and this needs to be strictly adhered to.
Other animals, such as the lemurs, can be fed at set times under the careful supervision of the keepers.
Other facilities within the park include a small railway, with all proceeds going to support the ongoing charity work that the park does, a restaurant offering a wide range of snacks and meals at fairly reasonable prices and a gift shop.
The park is suited to families and visitors of all ages, although it should be noted that, for obvious reasons, dogs (including guide dogs) are not allowed in the park.
Overall, the South Lakes Wild Animal Park is an extremely interesting and entertaining full day out which represents excellent value for money, and I would highly recommend the attraction to everyone visiting the South Lake District area."
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