We'd planned (more hoped) to go out for a walk into the Peak District today, but as the forecast was for rain to head down in the afternoon - ok not exactly downpours expected, plus the fact that Donna had a hospital appointment at 6:40pm we decided to go somewhere that we hadn't been before (like our last trip to Creswell Crags), so I suggested Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Not too far away, just up the M18 and east of Doncaster. Well when I say not too far away, that's if you've bothered to prepare before you go!
As I knew it was just east of the M18 I planned to simply watch for the brown signs directing us to the park as we sauntered up the motorway, but no, there are none on the M18; Why I don't know. So, we ended up travelling another 10 or so miles north up to the MOTO services where the M18 and M180 meet. We parked up and grabbed the Sat-Nav out of the glove compartment ready to plot in the postcode that I had written down - see, some planning at least. It hadn't been used for a few months, and you guessed it - it was as flat as a pancake, and to make matters worse even with power applied it just wouldn't switch on. So we reverted to mobile phones to get to the website and check directions.
That seemed simple enough, but it tells you to go to J3 on the motorway then head west towards Doncaster, and to make matters worse that whole area is full of roadworks whilst they build a new link road. So to cut a long story short, a journey that should have taken 30 minutes ended up taking well over an hour! But eventually we got there, paid our £14.50 per person and into the park we ventured. Like a couple on a mini-safari, and armed with my camera of course.
It was certainly a popular place with school-kids, loads of parties of teachers hand in hand with mini adventurers noisily making their way around the enclosures. It's a great place to see animals, I must admit I'm not a big fan of some zoo's where the animals are cooped up in relatively small cages. Quite a few animals here have been rescued from lives far worse than they have now, all they need to think about here is when they're next getting fed, not what trick they'll have to perform for the next tourist that comes along.
The first part of the park we came across was what in the end was my favourite, the Meerkat enclosure. I'm sure that at some point in my close on 50 years that I'll have seen them in the flesh, but I can't remember it if I have. They are such intelligent little creatures, oh and the cut faces also help. After getting up close to a few more animals the next stop of note was when we entered the Wallaby enclosure through the sets of double gates - they were great little creatures, and very friendly as we found out when this little boy tried to stroke every one that he could get to. Many of them were carrying their young which was a bonus.
We spent around 3hrs walking around the park, however as often is the case many of the animals kept their distance, walked away when you went near their enclosure, or in the case of the Lions and Tigers, just slept in the distance. This mean that the photos were fully zoomed in and then cropped to fill the frame. That was apart from a couple of Lionesses that were feasting right next to the fence. The Leopard was a little more lively as he (maybe she) patrolled the boundary of the enclosure, keeping the party of noisy school-kids at bay behind the toughened glass windows.
Our favourite large animals were the Giraffes, they are just so majestic and their size is just astounding - until you are stood just feet from them you just don't realise how tall they are. The only pity was that they didn't venture out of the 'Giraffe House' into the large fenced area that they had to stretch their legs. There was a mother and baby in there, and every step that the young Giraffe made the mother would follow, never letting it out of her sight.
On route back to the exit we got up close and personal to Spider Monkey's, Capybara, Lemurs, Hogs and various other animals and birds. This really is a place worth a visit particularly if you have young children. Our route back took us via Bawtry and was a far quicker and more leisurely journey, and it gave Donna the opportunity to display 'purse lips' as she had suggested going that way in the first place! And as luck would have it, just as we were coming to the end of our visit the rains came. The weather forecasters did get it right for a change....
Lots more photos can be found here.
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