Knowsley Safari Park facts for kids
Knowsley Safari Park Logo
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| Date opened | 1971 |
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| Location | Prescot, England |
| Land area | 550 acres (220 ha) |
| Coordinates | 53°26′31″N 2°48′43″W / 53.442°N 2.812°W |
| No. of animals | 700+ |
| Memberships | BIAZA, EAZA |
Knowsley Safari Park is a fun safari park and popular place to visit in the Knowsley area of Merseyside, England. It's a member of important groups like the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
The safari park helps protect animals and learn more about them. They work with conservation projects and universities in Liverpool, Chester, and Manchester. This helps them keep animals healthy and safe.
Contents
Park History
The park first opened its doors in July 1971. It was started by Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby and Jimmy Chipperfield. They had help from Laurence Tennant MBE, who used to be a Chief Game Warden in places like Uganda and Botswana.
When it first opened, the road through the park was about 3.5 miles long. Visitors could drive past amazing animals like lions, cheetahs, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, elephants, and different kinds of antelope. Because so many people loved it, they added another 1.5 miles of road in 1973. More animals joined the park then, including camels, buffalo, white rhinos, and tigers.
Over the years, the park has made some changes. For example, tigers now live in special areas inside the reserve. Also, if you're worried about your car, there's a special road to go around the baboons!
Did you know the park was once home to an old RAF airfield? This airfield closed after World War II. It was known as No 49 SLG or RAF Knowsley Park and was used from 1942 to 1944.
The park has also hosted exciting sports events. In June 2012, the Olympic torch relay passed through, and 6,000 children and families watched. The park also hosted the end of a stage for the Tour of Britain cycling event in 2012 and 2013.
Meet the Animals! (Zoological Collection)
Knowsley Safari Park is located on the land of Knowsley Hall, which belongs to the Earl of Derby. The Derby family has a long history of keeping animals. A famous artist named Edward Lear even worked there in the 1800s to paint pictures of the Earl's animal collection!
Playful Baboons
Visitors can drive their own cars through the park. There's a special bypass road if you want to avoid the baboons. This is because baboons are very curious! In 2009, a video showed them cleverly opening car roofboxes, which made news around the world.
Tiger Trail
The Amur Tiger Trail opened on May 25, 2018. This is where the amazing Amur Tiger, also known as the Siberian Tiger, lives. Their home is huge, about 10,000 square meters. It has forests, natural streams, and ponds, just like their wild habitat.
The Equatorial Trail
This exhibit is all about animals that live near the Earth's Equator. You can even ride the 'Equatorial Express', a small train that gives you a special view of the animals. Four different species live here: the South American tapir, Sitatunga, Rhea, and the Capybara.
African Elephants
Until 2017, the park had a group of four female elephants named Tana, Ashanti, Nala, and Juba. They moved to Zoo Parc d'Beauval in France. This move was part of a special European breeding program. It also allowed Knowsley Safari to make changes to its walking safari area.
Southern White Rhinoceros
Knowsley has a very successful group of 11 adult rhinos. They are one of the best breeding groups in Europe! The latest baby rhino, Nomvula (which means "Mother of Rain"), was born on January 2, 2016. She was the 19th rhino born at the park in 40 years!
Safari Drive Adventure
The Safari Drive is the main attraction at Knowsley Safari Park. It has over 29 different animal species spread across 7 zones.
Zone 1 & 11 - Eastern Asia
In these zones, you can see animals like the Père David's deer, Yak, Kiang, and Bactrian camel.
Zone 2 & 8 - Southern Asia
Here, you'll find animals such as the Blackbuck, Nilgai, Eld's deer, Chital (Axis Deer), and Barasingha.
Zone 3, 4 & 6 - African Savannah
Zone 6 is very large, over 100 acres, with more than a mile of road. It's one of Knowsley's two white rhino areas and one of the biggest in the UK. This zone is home to the Southern White Rhino, Roan antelope, Eland, Lechwe, Wildebeest, Plains Zebra, African Forest Buffalo, Ostrich, and Waterbuck.
Zone 5 - African Woodland
This zone features the beautiful Blesbok and Bongo.
Zone 7 - African Savannah (Baboons!)
This zone is just for the Olive baboons. They are famous for being cheeky and sometimes trying to remove car parts! But don't worry, there's a car-friendly route that lets you avoid driving through their area directly. You can still see them from outside their space.
Zone 9 - Eurasia
In this zone, you'll discover animals like the European Bison, Fallow Deer, and European Moose.
Zone 10 - African Savannah
This zone is home to the mighty Lions and the Somali wild ass.
More Fun at the Park! (Railway and Other Attractions)
The park also has 'The Lakeside Railway', a small train that takes visitors on a tour of parts of the site. There are also fun rides and amusements, plus exciting activities like paintballing, off-road driving, and aerial extreme ropewalks.
In 2006, a special baboon house was added, along with African wild dogs. A lion and tiger house opened in 2007. You can also see Red river hogs and marmosets in the walk-around section, which also has an outdoor pool.
Images for kids
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A deer at the park in 2006
