Safari Park photos (lots!)

[ChrisH]

I will start of with the ones I like the best. :)

There are a couple more zebra pics further on but I wanted to start with this one. I had my window shut but just after I got this shot he pushed his head through the front open window where my dil sat. It was so great to be able to stroke a zebra's nose! :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/01.jpg


This was so cool! One of the cubs strolled across the road right in front of us to join the others on the log. And then it was a little scary to see mama lion purposely coming up behind us :eek: I know we were in the car with the windows closed but still! All was well though, she went behind the log and checking they were all ok then calmly lay down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/02.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/03.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/04.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/05.jpg
One of the male lions close enough to photograph
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/06.jpg

Don't go away, white lion in the next post! :D

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/07.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/08.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/09.jpg

The giraffes seemed to be everywhere. Obvious I know, but they are so big up close! :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/11.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/10.jpg

Next post, more giraffes and zebra

[PJ's Mom]

Wow! These pics are awesome. Can't wait for the rest! :)

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/13.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/14.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/15.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/16.jpg

Next, a rhino and tigers

[ChrisH]

The rhino were the scariest, they were so close to the road and regardless of the wardens in the jeep if they had decided to charge, well, there wouldn't have been much left of the car, or us!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/17.jpg

I know these tiger pics aren't very good but we could only see the two white ones and they were facing away. And the other one kept moving! Most inconsiderate! :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/18.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/19.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/20.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/21.jpg

Stay tuned if you like llamas. :D

[finn's mom]

The animals are beautiful. You got such good shots of them! I'm still so torn on how I feel about zoos and places like zoos, though...I do still feel an almost childlike love for them, though, and, have visited the zoo here several times since returning home. I may actually go up there tomorrow by myself, and, take a ton of photos to share with you all. :)

[ChrisH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/24.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/25.jpg

Wallabys
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/22.jpg

Some sort of ox or something. :confused: They had massive horns!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/26.jpg

Type of antelope
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/27.jpg

Just four more and a couple of attachments left. :)

[PJ's Mom]

Chris, your pictures are great! :)

[ChrisH]

Hippo
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/28.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/29.jpg
Seals
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/30.jpg
Peacock in the car park (not our car)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/37.jpg

There was a small reptile house but the lighting was awful, I've attached the only decent shots we could get. Crocs, a snake and a spider.

[PJ's Mom]

This has been great. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you had fun. :)

[ChrisH]

Thanks Dawn and Kari!! :D :D

I know what you mean about zoos and stuff and I sort of agree with you. But I do think the good zoos, who treat their animals well, give them plenty of space and do conservation work, are fine. As for the safari parks, well, that was the first one I have ever been to and it was really good. The animals had plenty of space and were very well cared for, it was really awesome to get so close too! :) It was a long drive to get there though, (for me anyway, I hate traveling) I hope to go to the closer one next time.

[sammy101]

Great pictures! :) I used to go to a Sarafri in New Orleans where we road on this big bus thing,and we got to feed the animals corn :p :) I LOVED it.All the animals were herbivores from Africa..Zebras,Giraffes,etc.

[Flatcoatluver]

those are great pics and beutiful animals!

[finn's mom]

Thanks Dawn and Kari!! :D :D

I know what you mean about zoos and stuff and I sort of agree with you. But I do think the good zoos, who treat their animals well, give them plenty of space and do conservation work, are fine. As for the safari parks, well, that was the first one I have ever been to and it was really good. The animals had plenty of space and were very well cared for, it was really awesome to get so close too! :) It was a long drive to get there though, (for me anyway, I hate traveling) I hope to go to the closer one next time.

I basically feel the same way...Riverbanks Zoo here in Columbia seems to take good care of their animals. One of my neighbors here is a vet there!

[anna_66]

Chris your pictures were fabulous! I really enjoyed seeing them.
It must have been wonderful to be able to stoke a Zebra's nose!
And seeing the momma and her cubs...just awesome!

Thanks for sharing:D

[Edwina's Secretary]

Chris...I can't believe how close you were able to get! WOW!! Fabulous photos.

I think one of the best "discussions" about zoos I have ever read was in the book "The Life of Pi." A challenging but great book. In a zoo the animals are clean, well-feed, and don't have to constantly hunt for ....or be hunted for...food.

And, of course...there is the opportunity to preserve species which are disappearing.

[Suki Wingy]

wow, looks like it was really fun, great photos! I love the oryx things!

[ChrisH]

Thanks everyone! :D Glad you liked them. :D

Chris...I can't believe how close you were able to get! WOW!!
Oh, Sara, it was so wonderful.
If you look at picture of the antelope type creatures you can see the entrance in the background. Of course some species were kept separated, we had to go through these big electrical operated gates to get in and out of some enclosures but once through here were hardly any barriers at all between us and the creatures. Non with the zebras, giraffes and the like, nor the rhino, (which did surprise me) and the normal coloured lions. The barriers between us, the white lions and the white tigers were two low, thin lines of wire, electrical I presume, which were hardly noticable. However, the normal coloured tigers were behind the kind of high wire fence you find in some zoos. And for some reason the white wallabys (didn't post a picture of them) were behind high wire too, to stop them mixing with the others perhaps.
There was also a large enclosure of wolves that we drove through but we didn't actually see any in there. We did see one later at the back end of the fenced enclosure, he (or she) was very interested in a bird pottering about on our side of the fence. :) There were lots more deer type creatures, also some wild dogs too.

All in all a wonderful experience. :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

At the end of the day....wild animals are just that wild....

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid156/p2b3f9db3a90aeb8a692c91ec6cc6786e/f54cd318.jpg

I adore giraffes and hope to see them up close and personal some time at the WIldlife Preserve in San Diego.

[Killearn Kitties]

Fantastic photos, Chris! I love the zebra. I've never been quite that close to one, certainly never patted a zebras nose! :D

[Lightning SuperCat]

WOW I loved the pictures! You are SOOO lucky to have gotten so close!!!! I LOVE tigers and lions, so those were my favorites!!! I also love your picture, Edwina's Secratary!!! That is awesome!!! I live near the Philidelphia Zoo, and they are building a new Big Cat house, so I am excited because it's my favorite part!!! :D

[ChrisH]

Thanks Karen & LSuper Cat :D

At the end of the day....wild animals are just that wild....
Oh, yes indeed!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid156/p2b3f9db3a90aeb8a692c91ec6cc6786e/f54cd318.jpg
Love that picture! That is what I call up close! :D

I adore giraffes and hope to see them up close and personal some time at the WIldlife Preserve in San Diego.

That's where Danni (my grandaughter) and I plan to go when I win the lottery. :D The zoo and Sea World too. :D
We were all taking pictures at the park and I had tried to pick the best but I just found these two of the lion cubs which weren't bad .. I'll attach I think.

[QueenScoopalot]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/03.jpg
Please tell me that all these cubs don't belong to just one lioness! :eek: :confused: What a litter/pride if so! :eek: :) Great pics and looks like you had fun...I'd love to pet a zebra nose they look like silk. :)

[kittylover4ever]

Wow, those pics are awesome!!

[ChrisH]

Thanks kittylover4ever. :D


Please tell me that all these cubs don't belong to just one lioness! :eek: :confused: What a litter/pride if so! :eek: :) Great pics and looks like you had fun...I'd love to pet a zebra nose they look like silk. :)
No, there are three momas. :D :D

BABIES ARE BOOMING IN BEWDLEY! (01 Aug 2005)
There is more than just a patter of tiny paws at West Midland Safari Park, in Bewdley, Worcestershire. Over the past 9 weeks, 12 lion cubs have been born at the Park, to three different mothers.

The delightful pride of cubs, which consist of 6 males; 3 females (and three yet to be determined), have all been born to mothers that were also born at the Park. One male cub, nicknamed Larry, is currently being hand-reared, due to rejection at birth.

The oldest cubs, which are now 9 weeks old, are becoming much more mobile and extremely playful, as can be seen of the six pictured.

When cubs are born their coats are spotted and as they reach adulthood the spots will fade away. They are born blind, which is quite usual, and as large as a domestic cat. For about a week after birth, or until they can see, cubs are completely helpless. Cubs are dependant on their mother's milk for about 8 weeks.

The breeding success at West Midland Safari Park is a far cry from the plight of Africa's lion population, which is in serious decline and is estimated to have fallen 90% in the last 10 years.

West Midland Safari Park has 14 adult lions in their collection, which includes 4 rare White Lions, which were introduced to the Park in 2004.
.................................................. ......................................
I've attached the picture they have on the site. :)

By the way, a zebra's nose feels just like a horse's. :D

Chris

[Edwina's Secretary]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CwmmawrJet/Bobby%20Boy/Chester%20zoo%202005/West%20Midlands%20Safari%20Park/03.jpg

This photo makes me think of the movie..."Bull Durham"...when the players all went out to the pitcher's mound and were discussing what to get for a wedding gift?