Good, Bad and Ugly! (Whipsnade Wild Animal Park)

Member Name: Chickawonder

Product:	Whipsnade Wild Animal Park
Date:	04/09/07 (564 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Space, variety, kids stuff, friendly staff

Disadvantages: Price, toilets, food costs, some enclosures

We went to Whipsnade last week and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It's a massive place, you need a whole day to get around and enjoy it fully.

The staff were friendly and helpful, although I did notice those around the park (rather than in cafe's etc) were volunteers - there didnt seem to be any actual keepers or 'proper' staff around - having said that they were helpful, friendly and informative and genuinely warm and approachable and seemed pleased to be there, even saying hello as you pass them around the park.

Variety of animals is excellent, although most of the enclosures seem adequate I am concerned (and thinking of asking RSPCA to review) the Cheeta enclosure and Sealions. Baring in mind the Cheeta can run so fast the enclosure seems tiny, it would take 60 seconds to walk across it. The 3 sealions plus a pup have very little room to move around and swim in repetitive motions, which is worrying. My last moan of this sort is the bird garden, some of the birds are not flown in the displays and again have very small cages which I find very unsettling.

As for the rest of it - its fantastic. So much space for the kids to run around, a huge playground and they go free on the train (adults 3.25), they can get quite near the animals without being in danger.

They loved the lemurs, you walk through the enclosure and the lemurs are running everywhere or sunbathing - they run up and down ropes overhead and jump from one side of the walk way to the other - although you are not allowed to touch them, which is soooooo difficult as they are cuddly and cute - but I guess its respect for them and their environment not to touch or feed them.

Elephants were AMAZING, they have a display (which finishes for the season in Sept) and then walk them around the Zoo, its breathtaking to be so close. They have a new baby who's around 9 months and adorable.

Pay a visit to the discovery centre, when you reach the end there is somewhere for the kids to make badges, colour in, little wooden puzzles, touch antlers and see a real elephant skull, rhino horn and real stuffed lion - some of this may seem gruesome but it comes with good explanations, they learn a lot about poaching etc but in a way that doesnt scare them - again done by volunteers - education seems key here. I'm not sure the place would be the same without the volunteers and think those people warrant a wage!

The toilets are not good, very old and some dirty. The catering outlets are clean but stupidly expensive and if it rains there isn't anywhere suitable for a group to eat who havent purchase the expensive food.

Entry to the park is also ridiculously expensive £16 adults and an additional £13 to bring in the car - depending on how many times you go a year it looks quite a good deal to become a member.

I guess what we must remember is that both Whipsnade and its sister London Zoo are charities, they have no government funding and depend on us to visit to keep going - so although I moan about the price I would rather it be there.

All in all it was such a pleasure to be in that environment, the kids loved it, we loved it and I'll probably sign us all up for the membership.

Summary: Take your own food and you'll love it!