| Date opened | 28 May 1994 |
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| Location | Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, England |
| Land area | 17-acre (6.9 ha) |
| Number of species | 150+ |
| Memberships | EAZA[1] |
| Website | www.wildanimalpark.co.uk |
South Lakes Wild Animal Park is a 17-acre (6.9 ha) zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.
The park is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and bills itself as one of the best conservation zoos in the country.
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The zoo was opened by David S Gill in 1994 on converted farmland. Construction started in 1993, and the park was officially opened on 28 May 1994.[2]
Until recently it was the only zoo in Britain to hold both Siberian tigers (also known as Amur tigers) and Sumatran tigers (the world's smallest and largest tigers). It has successfully bred the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger. In 2008, the Park celebrated one of the biggest births in its history - white rhino Nyala born on 1 June 2008. Zimba, born on 11 September 2008, was the second White Rhino born at the park. The zoo once held the largest collection of kangaroos outside of Australia, and still has many kangaroos.
The zoo has been awarded the "Top Attraction for Excellence in the Lake District 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2008" by Cumbria Tourist Board , and is one of the few parks to let many species of primates including the 8 species of Lemur roam free around the park.
Animals that can be found at South Lakes Wild Animal park are listed below and categorised under continent of origin.[3]
Many of the below animals are native to the African nation of Madagascar.
Many of the below animals are native to the Asian nation of Indonesia.
| Siberian tiger | Rodrigues Flying Fox | Babirusa | Oriental Small-clawed Otter | Siamang |
| Sumatran Tiger | Lar Gibbon | Siberian Chipmunk | Common Peafowl | Muntjac Deer |
| White Stork | Reindeer | Eurasian Spoonbill |
| Red-eared slider | American Flamingo | Prairie dog |
Many of the below animals are native to the Oceanic nation of Australia.
| Australian White Ibis | Black Swan | Emu | Red Kangaroo | Agile Wallaby |
| Swamp Wallaby | Western Grey Kangaroo | Parma Wallaby |
Facilities include the Maki ("ring tailed lemur" in Malagasy) restaurant, picnic areas, conference facilities, a smaqll train, and a gift shop. The Maki restaurant has a deck overlooking the giraffe, rhino, and baboon enclosures at tree-top level.[4]
The zoo bills itself as one of the best conservation zoos in the country. It has raised over £1.4million for active in-situ conservation for Sumatran Tigers via its charity The Sumatran Tiger Trust. Also with a charity called the wildlife protection foundation which helps wildlife in other areas of the world like Spectacled Bears and the lemurs of Madagascar.
In 1997, one of the park's rhinos was shot dead after it escaped from its pen.[5]
In 2008, 31 of the park's 120 lemurs died in a fire.[6] The fire destroyed three of the wooden huts in which they were enclosed. A spokesman for the fire service said it was believed the lemurs died as a result of smoke inhalation, and park owner David Gill said that the fire was likely caused by a faulty electrical heater.[7] The lemurs were usually allowed the roam the park at night, but had been enclosed because of the cold weather.[8] Gill was able to save 13, including the Belted Ruffed and Alaotran-Gentle species, but many of Ring Tailed, Red Ruffed, White-Fronted, and Black species died in the blaze. Gill said that for staff, who knew many of the lemurs by name, the loss was "devastating", and also that the deaths were "not just a massive blow for the park but for the European Breeding Programmes the animals were involved with."[6]
In May 2009, the zoo announced an expansion plan that would increase the park size from 17 acres (6.9 ha) to about 51 acres (21 ha). It is hoped that transportation links and park retail outlets can be improved considerably to make it one of the region's most profitable attractions. The expansion introduce new species of animals including Elephants, and create larger enclosures for the animals at the zoo. The zoo's two conservation charities are also likely to receive larger donations as the overall visitor capacity of the park is increased.[9]
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