We spend the day in the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. There were lots of changes since we went on March 2010. The lion enclosure is open and there is a new tiger enclosure too. The lions were rescued from a dilapidated zoo in Romania, where they were locked in small cages. They must feel the relative freedom to roam in a large, open air, well vegetated enclosure with a lake and small hill. There is a bridge overlooking their enclosure, so you can truly be surrounded by 13 lions, which is a scary thought. Considering their past history, the lions look healthy and they were very active and interacting with each other, gnawing at some bones, or running from one end to the other when they thought they had seen some of the keepers. The pair of tigers, which are being kept in separate enclosures for now, are part of the Amur tiger breeding program. Their enclosure is on a slope with large oaks and a waterfall. One of them paced up and down non stop on a well trodden path, which was a bit disturbing. The kids really enjoyed watching the squirrel monkeys hunting flies up close in the walk-in South America enclosure, which also includes Maras and Capybaras. I found the camels very impressive, they look regal in their wooly coats, as opposed to the gangly dromedaries, and look beautifully sculptural. The lemurs did not dissappoint, and they dutifully sat in their loto positions enjoying the warm sun, and keep changing places to be in first row, blocking the sun to the second row! A tiny meerkat watched from its vantage point, while others dug tunnels or run around. A selection of shots from today follows.
Bactrian camel
Amur tiger
Mara
Squirrel monkey
Yellow Mongoose
Sunbathing ring-tailed lemurs
Impressive Ankole cattle
Chapman's zebra
Vigilant meerkat
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