Lakeland Wildlife Oasis facts for kids
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Entrance
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| Date opened | 14 April 1992 |
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| Location | Milnthorpe, Cumbria, England |
| Land area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Coordinates | 54°11′35″N 2°45′13″W / 54.1931°N 2.7536°W |
| No. of species | Over 100 |
| Memberships | BIAZA |
| Website | https://wildlifeoasis.co.uk/ |
The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is a cool small zoo in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, England. It's special because it focuses on science and how animals have changed over time (evolution). Since 2012, a charity called the Lakeland Trust for Natural Sciences has been in charge of the zoo.
Contents
Discovering the Zoo's History
The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis first opened its doors on April 14, 1992. It was designed to be a mix of a zoo and a museum. Early on, it had a butterfly hall, an aquarium, and a tropical hall. These areas were home to animals like marmosets, brown rats, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
Amazing Snow Leopards
Over the years, the zoo grew bigger. In 2011, something exciting happened: the zoo welcomed its first snow leopard, a male named Pavan. They built a special home for him with a clear tunnel you could walk through. This was said to be the first walk-through big cat exhibit in the UK!
Soon after, a female snow leopard named Tara joined Pavan. In 2014, they had two cubs, Loki and Luna. This was a big deal because it was the first time snow leopards had successfully bred in the North of England.
Overcoming Challenges: The Flood
In 2015, the zoo faced a tough challenge when Storm Desmond caused severe flooding. The zoo had to close to visitors. Luckily, many animals could reach higher ground. Others, like pheasants and Azara's agouti, were moved to safety by the staff.
Because the zoo was closed, it lost money from visitors. To help with repairs and make animal homes safer from future floods, the zoo asked for donations through crowdfunding. This helped them get back on their feet.
Exploring the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
The zoo covers about 3 acres of land. It has different areas, including a butterfly house, a tropical hall, and an aquarium. There are also outdoor spaces for animals. The zoo's design takes you on a journey through evolution. You start with sea creatures, then move to amphibians, reptiles, birds, and finally mammals.
Meet the Animals
You can see over 100 different kinds of animals here! Some of the cool creatures include fossa, snow leopards, fruit bats, meerkats, armadillos, red squirrels, lemurs, marmosets, roul-rouls, and black curassow. The zoo also offers special "animal interactives" and "Keeper for the Day" experiences. These let you get even closer to some animals for an extra fee.
Helping Endangered Animals
The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is a member of BIAZA, which is a group of zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland. They work with other zoos in Europe to help protect endangered species. They have special breeding programs for animals like snow leopards, fossa, Rodrigues fruit bats, and different types of primates.
The zoo also helps with conservation projects in other countries. For example, they support programs that protect mountain marmosets, help communities in Madagascar, and work with the Snow Leopard Trust.
Visitor Information
When you visit, you'll find a gift shop at the main entrance. There's also a café called the Wild Café. You can visit the café even if you don't have a zoo ticket.
