Going Wild at Knowsley Safari

We were invited to visit Knowsley Safari, a 550 acre park located in the North West of England, and home to over 700 animals. We were given the opportunity to ride their Baboon Bus with a guided safari tour and discover everything that Knowsley Safari has to offer adventurous families.

Knowsley Safari offers an interactive experience for animal lovers where you can come face to face with the free roaming animals, have lions block your path and watch as baboons hitch a ride on your wing mirror. Anything can happen! In addition to the drive through safari, Knowsley has an amusement park, a walk through Wild Trail, Sea Lion Encounter, Bat Forest, play area, Flight of the Talons and much more to explore. It is a full day out for all the family.

Our first port of call was a ride in the Baboon Bus with a guided safari tour. The bus goes all around the drive through safari route including the infamous baboon enclosure, where the cheeky monkeys get up close and personal with the vehicle. The tour guide was a very friendly and bubbly Liverpudlian lass who regaled us with facts about the animals and the safari park as well as some zoo related anecdotes and general chatter. We actually learned a lot of really interesting stuff in a fun and entertaining way, and although I am not usually a fan of audience participation, she was very engaging and made the tour enjoyable.

It was very busy and quite hot when we took the tour so the bus got quite stuffy, especially when the windows were shut in the carnivore and baboon enclosures, so remember to take some water and use the guide book as a makeshift fan!

As it was so warm a lot of the animals were sleeping and not very active, but we had a great view of snoozing lions, rhinos and other animals. The baboons were, however, super active!  They leaped on the top of the bus, using the windscreen wipers as climbing aids as they scaled the windows. It sounded like they were having a real party up there!  From our window we saw other cars crawling with baboons large and small. The mums with babies were particularly wonderful to see. Some monkeys left little presents on the roofs of the cars. Seeing monkey poo on someone's nicely polished car made Freddy laugh his head off! Toilet humour never fails to impress my boy. Before exiting the enclosure, the baboons on our roof were encouraged off and dozens jumped down and scurried away, which was quite a sight.

After our Baboon Bus experience we went for lunch and were pleased to see veggie burger options for both adults and children in the restaurant. The restaurant was clean, reasonably priced and efficient and the fast food meals we had were not at all bad.

Following our lunchtime break we went to the amusement park where we bought Freddy a wristband allowing him and an accompanying adult on all the rides, which included a swing ride, a kids' rollercoaster, dodgems, a carousel and other similar rides. While Ian and Freddy amused themselves with that, my girls and I went to the Bat Forest. The walk through enclosure was dark, but our eyes quickly adjusted allowing us to view the spectacular Egyptian Fruit Bats in flight and hanging around. They buzzed past our heads, flying around us. Quite an experience! We also got to see the lovely sealions in their pool, which we loved.

It was at this point that the heavens opened and it absolutely poured down with rain. So we made a dash back to the car to do the safari drive through in our own car. We had been supplied with a Go Pro to record our trip around the animals, but as it wasn't waterproof I had to film through the window, which was being pounded by torrential rain. Needless to say, the Go Pro videoing was a bit of a disaster.

As it was much later in the day and cooler, the animals were more active and lively. We saw lots of varieties of deer, antelope and cattle and came face to face with a huge camel that ran beside our car. The lions were up and about, fighting and crossing in front of the queue of cars. Unfortunately, we were a few cars back and didn't get a real close up of the beautiful big cats. Our favourite moment was when a rhino walked out in front of our car and stopped right in our path. He looked a bit agitated and rocked from side to side and we were slightly concerned whether he was going to charge at us. But the reason for his agitation soon became clear when he raised his tail and did an enormous poo on the road right in front of us, before turning and sauntering nonchalantly away. True to form, Freddy was in fits of giggles at the steaming pile of rhino dung!

We decided to brave the baboon enclosure in our own car, deciding that the risk of having a wiper or trim pulled off was worth it for the fun of having monkeys on our roof! However, the wet weather subdued the baboons and they were all sat huddled up under the cover of the trees, not at all interested in hanging off our car. It was a shame, but we enjoyed seeing the monkeys cuddling together against the cold, looking so humanlike!

Knowsley Safari has been awarded the 2015 Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor. Until September the 4th you can get 20% off the price of entry when booked online, which makes the cost £13.20 for adults and £10 for children. The baboon bus costs an extra £5 per person and the amusement park wristbands cost £10 for unlimited access or £2 per ride.

It is a full day out for families and we really had a great day...in spite of the torrential rain storm!

www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk

Pom-Bear Zoo Snacks

We all love the fun Pom-Bear snacks with their cute teddy shapes.  Now, Pom-Bear have launched  delicious, really cheesy flavoured Zoo snacks!   Perfect for packed lunches, after-school snacks or picnics, they are sure to be a new favourite with the kids who will be going wild for them!

With an RRP of £1.59 for a multipack of six, each pack has a selection of animal shapes inside, so not only do they taste great but children can have fun whilst they are eating them.  Kids can guess the animal shapes, such as penguins, tortoises and elephants, and even play with them in an imaginary zoo before chomping down on them.

With the same deliciously light and crunchy texture of original Pom-Bear,  the snacks are less than 100 calories per pack, free from artificial colours and preservatives, suitable for vegetarians and gluten free.

We were sent some to try and they were really yummy.  Kizzy said they were delicious and Freddy really liked the animal shapes.  I have to admit to having a sneaky packet myself and I really liked how light and crispy and cheesy they were.  And at under 100 calories and Vegetarian Society approved, I didn't even have to feel guilty about it!

Pom-Bear Zoo is giving customers the chance to win exciting and fun prizes, including zoo tickets and a limited edition Pom-Bear onesie, through Facebook and Twitter this summer. For more details visit www.facebook.com/pombearuk or follow @pombear4 on Twitter.

In addition Pom-Bear will be sponsoring some top attractions throughout the UK and will be sampling its new tasty cheesy snacks at a range of family friendly locations and events.  So keep an eye out this summer!

(RRP. £1.59 for a multipack of six.)

Deadly 60 and Ruckus from Imagination Games

 Deadly 60 Tracker Board Game and Ruckus Family Edition Reviewed

Deadly 60 is a BBC TV show featuring wild animals which are rated by the presenter as to how deadly they are.  Kizzy loves it so was very excited at the prospect of Imagination bringing out a series of Deadly 60 games.
Available from Tesco and Amazon the range consists of:

Deadly 60 Board Game - £19.99 RRP

Deadly 60 Trivia Box - £7.99 RRP

Deadly 60 Ruckus - £4.99 RRP

We were sent the Tracker board game to try out.  The aim of the game is to track down three of the deadly animals.  You have to race around the board collecting essential items like medical equipment, strength and trek supplies as required by your chosen animal card.  Risk cards pose a potential hazard to the mission and the dice have to be thrown to see if luck is on your side.When all the items have been collected the player has to throw the dice and has 30 seconds to throw higher than the animal's tracking number to successfully track it. If you fail it is back to base camp to start again.

The game is for 2+ players aged 8 and over.  It is quite straightforward to play and teaches children about the incredible animals, featuring deadly facts about them and a full colour picture on the card.  Fans of the Deadly 60 TV show and animal lovers will really enjoy this game.  Trying to score enough to successfully track the animal is the most exciting part of the game and is quite tense!  It is definitely a great family board game that will be enjoyed by all.

Ruckus is a game that comes in different themes.  There is a Deadly 60 version, but we were sent the Family Edition of Ruckus.

The game consists of 54 cards featuring funny characters such as Roller Rex, Macho Macho and Rock Monster.  The idea is to collect sets to win points.  You can steal from other players in this fast paced and ferocious card game.  Sets are made and stolen until the final card is played so the winner is not decided until the last minute as players make a real ruckus.

You steal cards by placing a matching card from your hand onto another player's set.  There is a lot of matching and stealing in the game and a lot of shouting! 

The game is for ages 8 and up and for 2+ players.  As it is a self-contained card game, it is perfect for travelling.  Ruckus would also be a great stocking filler if you are thinking of Christmas shopping already!

Find out more from Imagination Games at imaginationgames.co.uk

The Ethics of The Circus

While we were enjoying our fantastic holiday in Normandy, we decided to partake in some local entertainment and attended a very well advertised travelling zoo that was moving from town to town across the Normandy coastline.  We were told it was worth visiting.

We were not sure what to expect, but the use of wild animals on the poster made us wonder just how far France's animal rights were behind England's.  In 2012, could animals really still be exploited for this kind of entertainment?

The big top appeared overnight in a green in front of the local church.  Grazing on the grass beside the tent prior to showtime was a zebra, two camels, a donkey, a bison, a llama, a horse and a pony.  We were amazed that we could approach these animals, touch them and stand next to them without any restrictions.  In the UK we got shouted at by a zookeeper at West Mids Safari Park for trying to stroke a zebra because they bite!

In addition to these animals, there was a series of small cages on wheels in which  a family of lions were housed.  They were a real draw for the crowds who gathered around to see them.   A spectacular male lion was in a very small cage next to a beautiful lioness and her two young cubs.  There was nothing more than a small metal barrier between us and them.  I could literally touch the nose of the young cub who was snoozing with his face pressed against the bars.

They let out the occasional guttural roar, but mostly just looked bored, unable to do anything other than sit and stare at the bars that enclosed them.  It was quite heartbreaking.  These lions were not used in the show itself so I doubt if they often get to leave their travelling prisons on wheels.

The circus itself was a strange affair.  The French locals were enthralled with it all, whilst we sat there with horrified looks on our faces.  The basic premise of the show was that animals were brought into the small circular ring and made to run round and round.  The finale of each section involved a box being brought into the centre of the ring, and the animal being made to put its front feet on it and cross its legs in what looked like an unnatural movement.  Seeing a zebra made to 'entertain' the audience in this demeaning manner was really upsetting.

At one point, two camels were made to gallop around the ring together.  The clumsy gait of the two beasts caused their legs to entangle and both animals fell over.  A swift whipping from the ringmaster had them clamber back onto their feet, that were more suited to running on sand than damp grass.

Three huge snakes were brought out into the ring. One was wrapped around a woman who then walked around encouraging children to stroke the snake.  I could see its skin was rough and sloughing off in irregular clumps from over exuberant petting by excitable young children.

A magic act saw a magician pull rabbits from circular boxes.  Terrified, half crushed, trembling and bedraggled bunnies were wrenched from secret compartments in tubes to the delight of the French crowd.  I could not believe that they still used animals in such a way.  I can only imagine how many rabbits were injured during this act over the year.

We were all really shocked at how far the French are behind the UK's policy on animal rights.  The animals were all clearly well loved by the circus folk, and this is after all their livelihood.  But the conditions that these animals were forced to live in, travelling from town to town and being made to perform demeaning tricks, is just something that should not be allowed.  The animals were magnificent and it was so sad to know that they will never know freedom of any kind.  After the shows the animals are bundled back into their tiny cages ready to move onto the next town.  A llama, a donkey and a pony all shared one cramped small cage.  The horse had to stand diagonally just to fit into its living area.  The sight of the beautiful exotic zebra in its tatty old cage upset me the most.

Coming away from this 'experience' made me glad that this isn't something that occurs in England anymore.  I do still remember the days of Billy Smart's Circus, where animals such as elephants were used to perform for the entertainment of the circus crowd.  I also remember the spider monkeys wearing baby clothes that we were photographed with on holiday as children.  I recall the PG chimps who dressed and acted like humans for their advertising campaign.  It wasn't that long ago.  I just hope that the countries who still use wild animals in demeaning ways will soon come to realise that there is no place for this in the 21st century.  We need to respect animals and strive to protect them, conserve them and prevent their exploitation.

The Gallery...Animals

This week's Gallery Prompt is Animals.  I've taken quite a lot of animal shots recently with visits to Chester Zoo, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands and Knowsley Safari Parks this Summer.

The photo I want to share is of a pair of baby Meerkats who had us all going gooey with how cute they were.  We watched them for ages as they played together under the watchful eye of the adults.  It really was lovely to sit and enjoy these gorgeous creatures.  The temptation to pop one in my pocket was strong, but I did resist.  They were just so sweet....simples!

My Menagerie of Photographs

I had a go at trying to be a bit of a wildlife photographer while I was at Chester Zoo this weekend.  I have a Lumix G2 camera but I'm still at a loss how to use all the buttons and settings, but I am giving it my best shot!  Here are a handful of the pictures I took.

Butterfly that looked like a leaf! 

Java Sparrow that chattered to us from a branch.

Giraffe (who was very tall!)

Chimpanzee...he seemed to be the boss of the monkey world.

Hornbill (it looks plastic but it was real, honest!)

My girls pretending to be a Giant Tortoise!

One day I hope to make my camera proud and do it proper credit...but I'm quite pleased with these shots in the mean time.  Photography is something I so want to grasp.  It is such a learning curve, but as long as I'm having fun with it, I'll carry on trying.