Woburn Safari Park is a safari park located in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England. Visitors to the park can drive through exhibits, which contain species such as southern white rhino, elephants, tigers and black bears. It is part of the estates of the Duke of Bedford that also includes Woburn Abbey and its deer park. The Safari Park itself covers .
Woburn Safari Park is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
History
Woburn Safari Park was opened in 1970, established by the 13th Duke of Bedford and Jimmy Chipperfield on the grounds of his estate, Woburn Abbey. This was done as a means to help improve the financial position of the estate and restore the Abbey, which had fallen into disrepair as a consequence of the second world war and relatively high post-war tax rates. The 11th Duke of Bedford had been president of the Zoological Society of London and had introduced various species such as American bison, deer, antelope, lion and tiger to the park.
Starting with upgrades to the wolf facilities in 2004, which allowed the wolves overnight access to the outside enclosure they share with the parks North American black bears, the park had spent about £4 million by 2010 to upgrade off-show animal facilities in the park. The African Ungulate Conservation Centre (or "Antelope House") was built in 2007 to help conservation efforts with hoofed mammals.
The Asian Elephant Conservation Centre, built to house the parks' Asian elephants, opened in 2008. It was followed in 2009 by a new facility for housing the Southern white rhinos and other hoofed animals, as well as an upgrade to the giraffe house that doubled its size.
Animals
The park lets animals roam freely while visitors drive through their enclosures. The species held in the park include Southern white rhinos, elands, Scimitar horned oryxes, Addaxes, Gemsboks, Ankoles, Zebras, African wild asses, Asian elephants, Bactrian camels, North American bison, bongos, African lions, Canadian timber wolves, North American black bears, and Barbary monkeys.
The park also has a leisure area featuring animal talks, petting zones, a gift shop, family restaurant and a Go Ape! course. Animals in the leisure park include lemurs, wallabies, rheas, penguins, goats, ponies, reptiles, red panda, and marmosets. There is also a soft play centre called the Mammoth Play Ark and an outdoor adventure play area, Jungle Jamboree.
Road Safari
The Road Safari is split into various sections, which house many species of animal, and visitors are able to drive around all five areas. The Northern Plains are home to Chapman's zebra, Brindled Wildebeest, North American Bison, Przewalksi's horses, and Bactrian camels. Visitors can see these animals as they approach the ticket lanes at the entrance to the Park.
The Savannah Grasslands is located in 40 acres of grounds. Animals within this section of the Road Safari include Southern White Rhino, Eland, Ankole cattle, Dwarf forest buffaloes, Ostrich, Grevy's zebra and Sable antelopes. Next, visitors can enter The Kingdom of the Carnivores, which sits amongst 71 acres, with animals within this section including Amur Tiger, North American black bears, Canadian timber wolves, and African lions.
In the warmer months, Giraffe Junction is home to Rothschild's giraffes, Blesbok, Scimitar Horned oryxes, Somali wild asses, and Addax. The African Forest houses Barbary Macaques; they share this enclosure with the critically endangered Eastern Mountain Bongo.
Foot Safari
Once visitors have enjoyed the Road Safari section of the Park, they will naturally progress to the Foot Safari which is home to many smaller animals including Slender Tailed Meerkats, African Crested Porcupine, Asian Short Clawed Otters, four species of lemur which include Ring Tailed Lemurs, Black and White Ruffled Lemurs, Red Bellied Lemurs and Red Fronted Lemurs, as well as many other species.
Visitors can also enjoy animal talks and demonstrations throughout the day. These take place daily with many animals including Greater Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Californian Sea Lions, Humboldt Penguins, Red pandas, Capybara, and even the Asian Elephants.
Conservation
The park is committed to animal conservation and is involved in international breeding programs to help save endangered species, and includes one of the world's largest hoofstock facilities - The African Ungulate Conservation Centre, as well as an Asian elephant facility.