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Across the road from Stanley Park, though with the entrance quite a long walk up a side road, is the resort's zoo.
Ever since it opened there have been protests from animal rights campaigners. Today the zoo is at pains to spread the message of it's education and conservation activities down to a display of elephant goads and how and why they are used. |
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Two of the current four elephants are seen here having a bath, courtesy of one of their keepers with a hosepipe.
Right: one of the peacocks puts on a display for the picnickers. Or maybe it was for the peahens... Whatever! |
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Tigers are big close up! You don't get that from watching a film. Zoos opened originally because the only way to see wild animals was to go to Africa and India and the only trips at that time were hunting trips.
Now tourists mostly shoot with cameras but even so the zoo is a little closer and cheaper! |
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A pool enclosure is inhabited by otters who come swimming over to get a better look at each new face.
"They bite?" asks a little girl. Her mother tells her yes. "But they are very pretty and clever, swimming and turning and twisting aren't they?"
"They bite..." says the little girl. The hope of a new pet disappears as suddenly as it came. |
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The zoo has a few different species of deer, goat and other animals that could catch foot and mouth. They closed for a while when the outbreak facing Britain in the first half of 2001 started. Now the zoo is open again but visitors must walk over disinfected mats whilst there is still a risk of the disease. The Blackpool area has thankfully remained free - there are lots of farms in the Fylde. |
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There are lots of open spaces where children can run and play and also a playground area with swings and slides. A small guage train provides rides from one end of the park to the other.
Some council workmen had come to spray nettles in one of the compounds. "Is it ok to go in there with them?" one asked dubiously, looking at several formidable horns. |
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Feeding time is a big event at two of the main enclosures - the big cats, of course, and the sea lions.
The male is huge and is seen here and the females are sleek and fast and the stink of fish is... only to be expected!
Right: more horns... |
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There are gorillas and orang utans but I thought I'd show some of the smaller apes.
The lemurs were sleeping in a huge communal furry ball. Cute... Well I thought so - the guys on the right said it was a load of phooey... |
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