Blair Drummond Safari Park
Encyclopedia
Blair Drummond Safari Park is Scotland
's only African Safari Park
. Located near Stirling
the park is one of the major attractions of the area. The safari park is overlooked by Blair Drummond
House, built in 1868–1872 by J. C. Walker, and is spread over 120 acres (48.6 ha).
The park has drive-through reserves, a boat safari, with the remainder being accessible by foot. There is little chance of vehicles being damaged as the reserves no longer contain monkeys, and for those without their own transportation, there is a free safari bus available.
There are a range of wild and exotic animal species to visit at the park, including African elephants, African lions, tigers, chimpanzees, rhinoceroses, brown bear
, giraffes, lemurs penguins, sea lions, otters and a number of birds of prey. The park is open to the public from late March until early November.
and Longleat
. Animals were originally brought over from Africa
to stay in the park, which opened to visitors in 1970.
The park opened on the grounds of Blair Drummond house, purchased by a Glasgow tea merchant named Sir John Kay in 1916. Since he had no sons, Sir John Kay passed the property to his nephew Sir John Muir, the father of the 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.
The original family home, built in 1715, was sited in what is now the giraffe enclosure. The current Blair Drummond House was entirely rebuilt in a new location in 1868–1872 by James Campbell Walker, and again in 1921–1923 by James Bow Dunn after a fire.
The park today covers 120 acres (48.6 ha), houses exotic and endangered animals species, and is involved in several captive breeding and research programs for endangered species.
s, brown lemur
s, and red-ruffed lemurs. Visitors walk through this area and the lemurs roam free, with tall bushy trees and a network of thick ropes for them to play on. Several feed tables around the walkway let visitors get close to the lemurs, but visitors can also watch the lemurs living and playing in their natural habitat.
home to three chimpanzees. Here the visitors are taken round the island on a boat by an experienced guide, who gives information on the chimps as they survey the boatloads of people.
s at the park. Here the visitors can experience the intelligence and physical abilities of these animals as they leap, clap and play with their keepers.
, who explain and demonstrate the birds' capabilities as they swoop over the large loch. Often the park's white-tailed sea-eagle can be seen snatching a lure from the loch. Birds here include the harrier hawk
, eagle owl, buzzard
, Rüppell's Griffon vulture
, saker falcon
, kestrel
and barn owl
.
, red-necked wallaby
, pygmy goats, ponies, clydesdales, donkeys, llamas, somali sheep
, guinea pigs, guinea fowl, pot-bellied pigs, meerkats, humboldt penguin
, oriental small-clawed otter
and free-roaming marmosets.
enclosure, the lion reserve and the tiger reserve.
Visitors can purchase tokens for some of the other rides and attractions including dodgems, kids' dragon rollercoaster, bouncy castle and a carousel
. Facepainting is also available for visitors of all ages.
Barbecue
s and picnic tables are available for visitors who bring their own food.
In addition, the zoo has both animal related and education related volunteer programs. Animal volunteers help with the daily tasks of the zoo, including mucking out and cleaning of animal enclosures, feed preparation, and implementing enrichment for animals. Education volunteers help with daily education of visitors, including working at the touch tables, talking with visitors, helping with education talks for schools, and helping organize and plan events and fundraising.
"Keeper for the Day" and "Junior Keeper for the Day" are paid packages let people to work hands-on with a number of the animals at the park along with their keepers.
(BIAZA) since 2004. Being a member of this organisation lets the park participate in coordinated breeding program
mes with other zoos in the United Kingdom and Ireland for endangered animals. They also recognise all the research carried out at the park and the conservation
work the park supports abroad.
by the IUCN.
Other animals that have successfully bred in the park include:
In February 2010 staff at the park where alerted to one of their rhinos giving birth by a woman in Cyprus who was watching the rhino enclosure on the park's webcam.
(EAZA), and in recent years have won awards for their involvement towards the cause. Blair Drummond has participated in the following EAZA campaigns:
In addition to contributing towards EAZA campaigns and fund-raising events, Blair Drummond donates money towards other conservation campaigns. One of these is Friends of the Mau Watershed (FOMAWA) in Kenya
, to which Blair Drummond donates £5,000 annually. The project aims to protect the forests of Kenya, the wildlife found there, the surrounding environment and the people, through in situ
conservation.
In 2008, the park hosted their own conservation campaign, SOS: Save Our Squirrels, to raise awareness of the plight of the red squirrel
(Sciurus vulgaris) in Britain. The funds raised during this campaign were used help the red squirrel population living in the park.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's only African Safari Park
Safari park
A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial tourist attraction where visitors can drive in their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals...
. Located near Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
the park is one of the major attractions of the area. The safari park is overlooked by Blair Drummond
Blair Drummond
Blair Drummond is a small rural community near Stirling in Scotland, predominantly located along the A84 road.-Description:...
House, built in 1868–1872 by J. C. Walker, and is spread over 120 acres (48.6 ha).
The park has drive-through reserves, a boat safari, with the remainder being accessible by foot. There is little chance of vehicles being damaged as the reserves no longer contain monkeys, and for those without their own transportation, there is a free safari bus available.
There are a range of wild and exotic animal species to visit at the park, including African elephants, African lions, tigers, chimpanzees, rhinoceroses, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, giraffes, lemurs penguins, sea lions, otters and a number of birds of prey. The park is open to the public from late March until early November.
History
Blair Drummond Safari Park is one of the original three safari parks to open in the UK along with WoburnWoburn Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park is a safari park located in Woburn, Bedfordshire in the UK. Visitors to the park can drive through the large animal exhibits, which contain species such as White Rhino, Elephants, Tigers and Black Bears...
and Longleat
Longleat Safari Park
Longleat Safari Park, in Wiltshire, England was opened in 1966 and was the first drive-through safari park outside Africa. The park is situated in the grounds of Longleat House, an English stately home that attracts tourists and is the current home of the 7th Marquess of Bath...
. Animals were originally brought over from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to stay in the park, which opened to visitors in 1970.
The park opened on the grounds of Blair Drummond house, purchased by a Glasgow tea merchant named Sir John Kay in 1916. Since he had no sons, Sir John Kay passed the property to his nephew Sir John Muir, the father of the present owner, Jamie Muir. The house was a family home until it was sold to the Camphill Movement
Camphill Movement
The Camphill Movement is an initiative for social change inspired by anthroposophy. Camphill communities are residential "life-sharing" communities and schools for adults and children with learning disabilities, mental health problems and other special needs, which provide services and support for...
, a charity that cares for people with special needs, in 1977.
The original family home, built in 1715, was sited in what is now the giraffe enclosure. The current Blair Drummond House was entirely rebuilt in a new location in 1868–1872 by James Campbell Walker, and again in 1921–1923 by James Bow Dunn after a fire.
The park today covers 120 acres (48.6 ha), houses exotic and endangered animals species, and is involved in several captive breeding and research programs for endangered species.
The Reserves
Visitors to the park can view a number of animals as they drive through the reserves section. Here, a number of animals can be seen roaming and grazing and often co-existing peacefully with other species. The animals that can be seen in the reserves include:- Père David's DeerPère David's DeerPère David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
- Southern White Rhino
- Ankole-Watusi Cattle
- Common rhea
- Dromedary Camel
- Kafue Lechwe
- Sika DeerSika DeerThe Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
- African Lions
- Amur TigerAmur TigerThe Siberian tiger , also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small subpopulation in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult-subadult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult...
- Bactrian CamelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
- OstrichOstrichThe Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
- Fallow DeerFallow DeerThe Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
- North American Bison
The Park
The park has many attractions, including a host of animals to be viewed on foot and by boat, a kids' adventure area, bird of prey and sea-lion displays, pedal-boats, rides and amusements. The following are included in the standard ticket price:Lemur Land
Lemur Land is reached by bridge next to the Boat Safari, and is a sanctuary for ring-tailed lemurRing-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
s, brown lemur
Brown lemur
True lemurs, also known as brown lemurs, are the lemurs in genus Eulemur. They are medium sized primates that live exclusively on Madagascar....
s, and red-ruffed lemurs. Visitors walk through this area and the lemurs roam free, with tall bushy trees and a network of thick ropes for them to play on. Several feed tables around the walkway let visitors get close to the lemurs, but visitors can also watch the lemurs living and playing in their natural habitat.
Chimp Island
A short boat trip along-side Lemur Land and round the bend takes visitors to view Chimp Island - an islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
home to three chimpanzees. Here the visitors are taken round the island on a boat by an experienced guide, who gives information on the chimps as they survey the boatloads of people.
African Elephants
The park is home to three female African elephants. These spend their day foraging around their enclosure and using the various pieces of enrichment provided for them by their keepers. On some days, if the elephants are willing, the keepers will engage the elephants in a demonstration of how they care for the elephants at the park. Here the visitors can get up close as the elephants present their feet, mouth, ears and tail to the keepers for inspection and cleaning.Sea Lion Show
Four times a day the visitors can enter the sea-lion house, where they can see one of the sea-lion keepers working with the four California sea lionCalifornia Sea Lion
The California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
s at the park. Here the visitors can experience the intelligence and physical abilities of these animals as they leap, clap and play with their keepers.
Bird of Prey Displays
Three times a day the visitors can see some of the abilities of the birds of prey that reside at the park. Here the birds are flown by the park's experienced falconersFalconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
, who explain and demonstrate the birds' capabilities as they swoop over the large loch. Often the park's white-tailed sea-eagle can be seen snatching a lure from the loch. Birds here include the harrier hawk
Harrier Hawk
The African Harrier-Hawk, Harrier Hawk, or Gymnogene is a bird of prey. It is about 60–66 cm in length, and is related to the harriers. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. The only other member of the genus is the allopatric Madagascar Harrier-Hawk.Its habitat is woodland...
, eagle owl, buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
, Rüppell's Griffon vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
, saker falcon
Saker Falcon
The Saker Falcon is a very large falcon. This species breeds from eastern Europe eastwards across Asia to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia, the Arabian peninsula, northern Pakistan and western China...
, kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
and barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
.
Pets' Farm
This area of the park homes many exotic and domesticated species of animals. Feed can be purchased here and some of the animals can be fed by the visitors as they make their way round. Animals in this area include parma wallabyParma Wallaby
The Parma Wallaby was first described by British naturalist John Gould in about 1840. A shy, cryptic creature of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern New South Wales, it was never common and, even before the end of the 19th century, it was believed to be extinct...
, red-necked wallaby
Red-necked Wallaby
The Red-necked Wallaby is a medium-sized marsupial macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania.- Description :...
, pygmy goats, ponies, clydesdales, donkeys, llamas, somali sheep
Somali sheep
The Somali sheep, occasionally known as the Berbera Blackhead, is a hair sheep native to Somalia. The animal is reared primarily for meat production and it is one of the major exports of the Somali economy.-Appearance:...
, guinea pigs, guinea fowl, pot-bellied pigs, meerkats, humboldt penguin
Humboldt Penguin
The Humboldt Penguin is a South American penguin, that breeds in coastal Peru and Chile. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Galápagos Penguin...
, oriental small-clawed otter
Oriental Small-clawed Otter
The oriental small-clawed otter , also known as Asian small-clawed otter, is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than 5 kg. It lives in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines,...
and free-roaming marmosets.
Viewing Platforms
Viewing platforms are positioned throughout the park, which allow visitors to view into some of the enclosures from an elevated position. They are located at the giraffe/zebraZebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
enclosure, the lion reserve and the tiger reserve.
Rides and Amusements
The park has a variety of activities for kids and adults. There is a large astraglide slide and adventure playground, where visitors will find a pirate ship and climbing maze with slides, all housed within a sand arena. There are also pedal boats (the 'splash cats') positioned underneath a large flying-fox.Visitors can purchase tokens for some of the other rides and attractions including dodgems, kids' dragon rollercoaster, bouncy castle and a carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
. Facepainting is also available for visitors of all ages.
Eating at the Park
Restaurants, grills and snack outlets are found throughout the park, and a variety of food is offered, from baked potatoes to hot dogs and donuts, and can be eaten indoors or outside.Barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
s and picnic tables are available for visitors who bring their own food.
Education
Throughout the day, the education team make their way round some of the enclosures, giving talks on some of the animals at the park. The talks include information about the natural environments, behaviours and biology of the animals, as well as specific information on the individuals at the park. Some of the talks include a feeding and so provide a good opportunity to see the animals active if they are having a lazy day.In addition, the zoo has both animal related and education related volunteer programs. Animal volunteers help with the daily tasks of the zoo, including mucking out and cleaning of animal enclosures, feed preparation, and implementing enrichment for animals. Education volunteers help with daily education of visitors, including working at the touch tables, talking with visitors, helping with education talks for schools, and helping organize and plan events and fundraising.
"Keeper for the Day" and "Junior Keeper for the Day" are paid packages let people to work hands-on with a number of the animals at the park along with their keepers.
Conservation
Blair Drummond Safari Park has been a member of British and Irish Association of Zoos and AquariumsBritish and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a conservation, education and scientific wildlife charity. Founded in 1966 within the zoo and aquarium community to see the principles and practices of animal management adopted in the British Isles...
(BIAZA) since 2004. Being a member of this organisation lets the park participate in coordinated breeding program
Breeding program
Breeding programs help animals to breed and can be good for animals as well as the agricultural economy.A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations...
mes with other zoos in the United Kingdom and Ireland for endangered animals. They also recognise all the research carried out at the park and the conservation
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
work the park supports abroad.
Breeding successes at the park
The most recent success story at the park was the birth of 'Alba', a bactrian camel. Bactrian camels are native to the steppes regions in Eastern Asia and are listed as Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
by the IUCN.
Other animals that have successfully bred in the park include:
- Lions
- Giraffes
- Zebra
- Pere David's Deer
- Lemurs
- Southern white rhinos
- Marmosets
- Llamas
- Lechwe
- Chimpanzees
- Fallow Deer
- Ostriches
In February 2010 staff at the park where alerted to one of their rhinos giving birth by a woman in Cyprus who was watching the rhino enclosure on the park's webcam.
Annual Conservation Campaigns
As a modern safari park, Blair Drummond accepts the importance of educating and raising the awareness of visitors to the plight of endangered species, and one way in which this is addressed is through conservation campaigns. Annually Blair Drummond contributes to conservation campaign run by European Association of Zoos and AquariaEuropean Association of Zoos and Aquaria
-External links:*...
(EAZA), and in recent years have won awards for their involvement towards the cause. Blair Drummond has participated in the following EAZA campaigns:
- EAZA Tiger Campaign 2002/04
- EAZA Shellshock Campaign 2004/05
- EAZA Save the Rhino Campaign 2005/06
- EAZA Madagascar Campaign 2006/07
- EAZA European Carnivore Campaign 2008/09
In addition to contributing towards EAZA campaigns and fund-raising events, Blair Drummond donates money towards other conservation campaigns. One of these is Friends of the Mau Watershed (FOMAWA) in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, to which Blair Drummond donates £5,000 annually. The project aims to protect the forests of Kenya, the wildlife found there, the surrounding environment and the people, through in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
conservation.
In 2008, the park hosted their own conservation campaign, SOS: Save Our Squirrels, to raise awareness of the plight of the red squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
(Sciurus vulgaris) in Britain. The funds raised during this campaign were used help the red squirrel population living in the park.