Paradise Park, Cornwall
Encyclopedia
Paradise Park is a zoo
situated in Hayle
, Cornwall
, England
. It has over 650 birds and animals. It is currently the home of the World Parrot Trust
. The site includes a gauge railway which encircles the house at the centre of the park. The railway is open for trains to carry passengers in good weather.
ad and coining the catchphrase ‘The Milkybars are on me’.
The Reynolds chose Glanmor House, which was built by Harveys of Hayle
, who made beam engines for Cornwall’s tin mines. The sheltered Victorian walled garden made it the ideal place to start a paradise for birds.
As time went on the perilous situation of many bird species became clear and conservation became a main focus, with the Park becoming a home for many endangered species. This concern for conservation culminated in the launch of the World Parrot Trust in 1989, which now has over 2,000 members in 22 countries throughout the world, making Paradise Park a world leader in parrot conservation. In 1987 Operation Chough was launched to help save this local species of crow.
Over the years Paradise Park has continued to develop and is now actively helping to conserve some threatened mammals including Otters
, Red Panda
s and Red Squirrel
s.
Paradise Park has won many accolades for its conservation work and as an excellent family day out, entertaining and gently educating visitors of all ages. The gardens provide an exotic backdrop for the wildlife, and are an attraction in their own right. The recently-added JungleBarn indoor play centre ensures families can have fun in the Park in all weathers.
Mike Reynolds died in 2007. His family continues his work, joined at the Park by a larger "extended family" of staff, including long-serving curator David Woolcock, senior keeper Jill Thrower, and retail manager Lynn Jones.
Many of its birds are on ‘breeding loan’ to other collections, which in turn lend their birds to pair up at the Park. Each bird at Paradise Park is entered onto a computerised record keeping system (the information is sent to the USA to be compiled into an international database), and this helps to keep the bloodlines as diverse as possible. This concern for rare species naturally led the Park towards giving plenty of information to its visitors, and offering entertaining and educational shows and talks. The Park management came to realise that breeding in captivity was only one part of securing the future for endangered birds, and in 1989 set up the World Parrot Trust, a registered charity which is now active around the world.
In 2001 a small group came to the Lizard peninsula - and three stayed. In 2002 wild chough chicks were reared for the first time in fifty years and in 2003 staff made a small trial release of captive birds at a separate location.
The long-standing aim of Operation Chough remains to see the chough return to Cornwall and be able to maintain a healthy population.
Currently there are a small number of closely related birds living around the coast in the far west. The Park recognise the high importance of this pioneer population and are maintaining a watching brief with regard to them, while concerned at the small genetic diversity of the founders.
s for a new reintroduction project in The Lizard
and West Penwith
areas of Cornwall supported by the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, which was announced by the trusts patron, Charles, Prince of Wales
at the Royal Cornwall Show in June 2010.
Curator David Woolcock comments "The Red Squirrel
has suffered a dramatic population decline in the last century and they are extinct in much of Southern England, Northern Ireland and Wales. They have not been in Cornwall for almost 30 years."
"We first got involved in breeding Red Squirrels back in 1996 when we had a pair on loan from the Welsh Mountain Zoo. They have bred successfully ever since with 60 young born to date, and indeed some have already been part of a reintroduction programme on the Isle of Anglesey. It will be wonderful to once again enjoy watching these playful animals skip along the branches of our native woodlands, and we are delighted to be part of this local reintroduction project."
As a leader in parrot conservation and welfare, the World Parrot Trust works with parrot enthusiasts, researchers, local communities and government leaders to encourage effective solutions that protect parrots.
To do this, they focus on:
In recent years they have achieved remarkable and positive results in there efforts for parrot conservation and welfare; work made possible by the generous support of members and donors like you.
in Mauritius
from 8 to over 300. The World Parrot Trust gave much support to this project, and to date this totals over £100,000.
The Blue-throated Macaw
in Bolivia, is now on the brink of extinction in the wild. It has faced a dramatic and well documented crisis due to capture for the pet trade. There is, however, every reason to believe that orchestrated action now will lead to a substantial recovery.
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
situated in Hayle
Hayle
Hayle is a small town, civil parish and cargo port in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River and is approximately seven miles northeast of Penzance...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has over 650 birds and animals. It is currently the home of the World Parrot Trust
World Parrot Trust
-History:When the Trust was founded in 1989 at Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, it was decided that the main objective was to promote the survival of all parrot species and the welfare of individual birds...
. The site includes a gauge railway which encircles the house at the centre of the park. The railway is open for trains to carry passengers in good weather.
History
Founded by Mike and Audrey Reynolds, ‘Bird Paradise’ as it was then known, opened in 1973. A bird garden was Mike’s dream, to house his ever growing collection of tropical birds including many parrots. Before realising his dream, he had been a successful copywriter, and creative director at Grey Advertising, an international advertising agency, being most remembered for his Milkybar KidMilkybar
Milkybar is a white chocolate confection that is produced by Nestlé and sold in Australia, New Zealand, India, Ireland, Kuwait, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It sold under the name Galak in Continental Europe and Brazil. Nestlé have produced white chocolate since the 1930s, and started...
ad and coining the catchphrase ‘The Milkybars are on me’.
The Reynolds chose Glanmor House, which was built by Harveys of Hayle
John Harvey (ironfounder)
John Harvey was a Cornishman whose career started as a blacksmith and engineer at Carnhell Green near Hayle, in West Cornwall. In 1779 he established a foundry and engineering works at Hayle called Harvey & Co. By 1800 the company employed more than 50 people and continued to grow as Harvey worked...
, who made beam engines for Cornwall’s tin mines. The sheltered Victorian walled garden made it the ideal place to start a paradise for birds.
As time went on the perilous situation of many bird species became clear and conservation became a main focus, with the Park becoming a home for many endangered species. This concern for conservation culminated in the launch of the World Parrot Trust in 1989, which now has over 2,000 members in 22 countries throughout the world, making Paradise Park a world leader in parrot conservation. In 1987 Operation Chough was launched to help save this local species of crow.
Over the years Paradise Park has continued to develop and is now actively helping to conserve some threatened mammals including Otters
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,...
, Red Panda
Red Panda
The red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
s and Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
s.
Paradise Park has won many accolades for its conservation work and as an excellent family day out, entertaining and gently educating visitors of all ages. The gardens provide an exotic backdrop for the wildlife, and are an attraction in their own right. The recently-added JungleBarn indoor play centre ensures families can have fun in the Park in all weathers.
Mike Reynolds died in 2007. His family continues his work, joined at the Park by a larger "extended family" of staff, including long-serving curator David Woolcock, senior keeper Jill Thrower, and retail manager Lynn Jones.
Conservation
Paradise Park believes that it is the duty of all who keep rare species to do whatever they can to promote a healthy captive population. They work with British, European and international breeding schemes, and run some of these here at the Park.Many of its birds are on ‘breeding loan’ to other collections, which in turn lend their birds to pair up at the Park. Each bird at Paradise Park is entered onto a computerised record keeping system (the information is sent to the USA to be compiled into an international database), and this helps to keep the bloodlines as diverse as possible. This concern for rare species naturally led the Park towards giving plenty of information to its visitors, and offering entertaining and educational shows and talks. The Park management came to realise that breeding in captivity was only one part of securing the future for endangered birds, and in 1989 set up the World Parrot Trust, a registered charity which is now active around the world.
Operation Chough
The Cornish Chough is a member of the crow family distinguished by its striking red feet and elegantly curved beak. Although it appears on Cornwall’s coat of arms, it disappeared from the wild in Cornwall 1973. In the late 1970s the Park collaborated with other organisations and individual conservationists to form Operation Chough.In 2001 a small group came to the Lizard peninsula - and three stayed. In 2002 wild chough chicks were reared for the first time in fifty years and in 2003 staff made a small trial release of captive birds at a separate location.
The long-standing aim of Operation Chough remains to see the chough return to Cornwall and be able to maintain a healthy population.
Currently there are a small number of closely related birds living around the coast in the far west. The Park recognise the high importance of this pioneer population and are maintaining a watching brief with regard to them, while concerned at the small genetic diversity of the founders.
Red Squirrels
Paradise Park will be providing captive bred Red SquirrelRed Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
s for a new reintroduction project in The Lizard
The Lizard
The Lizard is a peninsula in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at ....
and West Penwith
West Penwith Rural District
West Penwith Rural District was a rural district in Cornwall, United Kingdom from 1894 to 1974. It was enlarged in 1934 by the abolition of Hayle, Ludgvan, Madron, Paul, and Phillack urban districts, also taking in part of the disbanded Redruth Rural District...
areas of Cornwall supported by the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, which was announced by the trusts patron, Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
at the Royal Cornwall Show in June 2010.
Curator David Woolcock comments "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...
has suffered a dramatic population decline in the last century and they are extinct in much of Southern England, Northern Ireland and Wales. They have not been in Cornwall for almost 30 years."
"We first got involved in breeding Red Squirrels back in 1996 when we had a pair on loan from the Welsh Mountain Zoo. They have bred successfully ever since with 60 young born to date, and indeed some have already been part of a reintroduction programme on the Isle of Anglesey. It will be wonderful to once again enjoy watching these playful animals skip along the branches of our native woodlands, and we are delighted to be part of this local reintroduction project."
World Parrot Trust
Nearly one-third of all parrot species are threatened in the wild. And millions of pet parrots share our lives and homes.As a leader in parrot conservation and welfare, the World Parrot Trust works with parrot enthusiasts, researchers, local communities and government leaders to encourage effective solutions that protect parrots.
To do this, they focus on:
- Conducting and supporting field conservation projects,
- Working to eliminate the international trade in wild caught parrots and;
- Increasing awareness of the plight of parrots, in the wild and in captivity.
In recent years they have achieved remarkable and positive results in there efforts for parrot conservation and welfare; work made possible by the generous support of members and donors like you.
Parrots in the wild
Since 1990 Professor Carl Jones and his many enthusiastic helpers have brought the total number of Echo ParakeetsMauritius Parakeet
The Mauritius Parakeet , also known as Echo Parakeet, is the sole survivor of the Psittacula species which inhabited the southern Indian ocean islands near Madagascar. Its local name is katover.-Taxonomy:...
in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
from 8 to over 300. The World Parrot Trust gave much support to this project, and to date this totals over £100,000.
The Blue-throated Macaw
Blue-throated Macaw
The Blue-throated Macaw is a macaw endemic to a small area of north-central Bolivia known as Los Llanos de Moxos. Recent population and range estimates suggests that about 100-150 individuals remain in the wild. The main causes of their demise is capture for the pet trade and land clearance on...
in Bolivia, is now on the brink of extinction in the wild. It has faced a dramatic and well documented crisis due to capture for the pet trade. There is, however, every reason to believe that orchestrated action now will lead to a substantial recovery.