Wikipedia

Blair Drummond Safari Park

Blair Drummond Safari Park is a family visitor attraction located near Stirling in Scotland. It opened to the public on 15 May 1970 and is home to over 300 animals, many of which roam freely or are kept in large enclosures in the 120-acre (49 ha) estate. The Safari Park is open from mid March until the end of December each year. The park is online ticket sales only and no tickets are sold at the gate.

Blair Drummond Safari Park
Map
56°09′54″N 4°02′17″W / 56.165°N 4.038°W / 56.165; -4.038
Date opened15 May 1970[2]
LocationBlair Drummond, Stirling, Scotland
Land area120 acres (49 ha)[1]
No. of animals300[1]
MembershipsBIAZA,[4] EAZA[5]
OwnerHector Muir[3]
Websitewww.blairdrummond.com

History

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Blair Drummond sign

The original Blair Drummond House was built in 1715. Sir John Kay, a tea merchant from Glasgow, purchased the house and its surrounding land in 1916. Because he had no sons, Kay passed the property to his nephew Sir John Muir, the grandfather of the park's present owner Jamie Muir. The house was a family home until it was sold to the Camphill Movement, a charity that cares for people with special needs, in 1977.[6] The current Blair Drummond House was built in a new location in 1872 by James Campbell Walker, and again in 1923 by James Bow Dunn after a fire destroyed the previous house.[7]

Blair Drummond Safari Park was opened in 1970, with the help of Jimmy Chipperfield, one of Britain's first safari parks (Longleat Safari Park being the first, in 1966).[8]

Controversy

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In June 2021, Born Free called for an investigation of the park over animal deaths.[9][10]

The reserves

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Driving through the lion reserve

African reserve

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The first reserve features non-carnivorous native African species, such as Grant's zebra, Ankole-Watusi cattle, Guineafowl, Lechwe, Kudu and the Southern white rhinoceros. The rhinos are part of a Europe-wide breeding programme which began in 2004 with the arrival of three young rhinos from Kruger National Park: Dorothy (Dot), Graham and Jane.[11] Dorothy and Graham have gone on to have five calves: in 2007,[12] 2009,[13] 2012[14] and 2014.[15]

Lion reserve

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The second reserve is home solely to African lions. They are also part of a Europe-wide breeding programme, with two of the females having been born in the park.[16][17] There is currently one male, Zulu, introduced in February 2016 through an exchange with Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen to ensure genetic diversity is maintained.[18]

Barbary macaque reserve

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The optional third reserve, "Monkey Jungle", was opened to the public in 2015 and houses solely Barbary macaques. The monkeys were transferred to the park from Gibraltar in 2014[19] to reduce the problem they were beginning to cause to the peninsula's residents, and to prevent having to cull them as had been carried out previously.[20] The Barbary macaque is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List[21] and in 2016 the park began to raise money for Barbary macaques being exploited for use as photo props in Morocco.[22]

Asian reserve

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The fourth and final reserve houses herbivorous species native to Asia, such as Père David's deer, Bactrian camels, Nilgai, Axis deer and Eld's deer. In April 2016 the park welcomed the birth of two Père David's deer,[23] a species now extinct in the wild.[24]

The park

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The following areas and attractions can be found in the park:

 
Chimp Island viewed from the boat safari
 
A carnotaurus in the dinosaur area

Chimp Island

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The Boat Safari next to Lemur Land took visitors to view Chimp Island - an island home to a family of chimpanzees. The boat trips aren't running anymore and visitors have to take a path instead.[25]

Elephants

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The current elephant enclosure was opened by the Princess Royal in 2013, and was commended in the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums' annual awards in the category "best new habitat".[26]

Dinosaurs

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In 2020, a dinosaur exhibit was opened. The dinosaurs were constructed with steel frame and silicone skin. They make movements and noises.[27]

Other activities

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Rides and amusements

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The park has a large slide and playground, where visitors will find a pirate ship and adventure fort. They are all housed within a sand pit part of which is under cover to offer shelter in wet weather. Near the sea lion building is the large slide, and near the boat safari there are pedal boats and a flying fox. Other rides and attractions including dodgems, a kids' dragon rollercoaster, a bouncy castle, face painting and a carousel.

Eating at the park

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There is a restaurant and several snack outlets, and picnic tables are available for visitors who bring their own food and drinks. Visitors can also bring their own BBQ food and book a BBQ on the day of their visit for £5.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "Blair Drummond Safari Park". geo.ed.ac.uk. The Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Blair Drummond Safari Park – Adventure Awaits You!". scotland.com. Scotland.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Blair Drummond Safari Park cleared over animal welfare allegations". BBC News. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Find a Zoo". biaza.org.uk. British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Retrieved 27 September 2010.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "EAZA Member Zoos & Aquariums". eaza.net. European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park". aboutbritain.com. AboutBritain.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  7. ^ "DSA Building/Design Report". codexgeo.co.uk. Dictionary of Scottish Architects. 2006. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  8. ^ Vines, Gail (2 December 1992). "Safari Parks, after the Honeymoon". New Scientist.
  9. ^ "Call probe into Blair Drummond Safari Park deaths". BBC News. 9 June 2021.
  10. ^ Pooran, Neil. "Charity calls for inquiry into animal deaths at Blair Drummond Safari Park" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Rhinos adopted to save species". 20 March 2004 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "White rhino born at safari park". 6 September 2007 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  13. ^ "Webcam viewer spots rhino birth". 4 February 2010 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  14. ^ "Zoos-UK.com - Blair Drummond Safari Park and Adventure Park News Archive". www.zoos-uk.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  15. ^ "White rhino born at Blair Drummond park". BBC News. 14 October 2014.
  16. ^ "First taste of spring for safari park's new lion cub Libby". BBC News. 5 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Blair Drummond lion cub a match for keepers". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Welcome Zulu | Blair Drummond Safari Park". www.blairdrummond.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Troop of Gibraltar macaques arrives at Blair Drummond". BBC News. 15 October 2014.
  20. ^ "Thirty troublesome Gibraltar monkeys to be deported to Scottish safari park". the Guardian. 11 October 2014.
  21. ^ Wallis, J.; Benrabah, M.E.; Pilot, M.; Majolo, B.; Waters, S. (2020). "Macaca sylvanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T12561A50043570. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T12561A50043570.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  22. ^ "BMAC - Macaque Awareness". www.blairdrummond.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Rare Birth | Blair Drummond Safari Park". www.blairdrummond.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  24. ^ Jiang, Z.; Harris, R.B. (2016). "Elaphurus davidianus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T7121A22159785. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T7121A22159785.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  25. ^ "What to expect". Blair Drummond Safari Park. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Biaza Award Commendations | Blair Drummond Safari Park". www.blairdrummond.com. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  27. ^ "Dinosaurs at Blair Drummond". Blair Drummond Safari Park. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
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