Thursday 11 November 2010

On Safari at Longleat

Monday 27 May 1998. Leaving Salisbury, we headed west. We wanted to visit both Bristol and Bath and were hoping to stay somewhere near the two towns for a couple of nights.

Fran wanted to go through Longleat Safari Park if we had time. It was an hour before last admittance when we reached the entrance and the weather had turned a little dull, but remained fine.

The lions were not in a mood to entertain guests and apart from one lioness who was sitting in the shade, the rest were having a siesta.

Actually the first animals we came to were the giraffes. This was a youngster who was quite unconcerned at the visitors who had got out of their cars to watch him or her. Note for readers: even though the giraffe only has the same number of bones in its neck as a human does, it is not recommended for anyone to try this manouvre at home...

We happened along at just the right moment in the elephant enclosure as this group of young elephants crossed right in front of our car. I gave the monkey enclosure a miss, thinking that the windscreen wipers and aerials might come in handy later on...! I was quite relieved later that I hadn't gone through as we saw a couple of cars park near us in the car park whose drivers had to get out and try to straighten bent wipers...

We bought a tub of dry meal bits and Fran had oodles of fun feeding Bambi. ...or perhaps not... "It feels horrible!" she complained as I snapped away with the camera.

The wolves were a bit more co-operative than the lions, a couple of them crossing behind the car on their way to join a third who was ripping something to pieces enthusiastically. Bambi's slower brother perhaps... I remember reading somewhere that 99% of all animal life on earth dies being eaten by something else. I'd be happy to be in the remaining one percent personally! I wonder if being eaten by midges counts...

No! Before someone starts - I do not want to recall that bloody song by that wee Scottish boy!!! Too late... Google Stuart Anderson - I think that was his name. "The midges, the midges, I don't wanna kid yez..." Why should I be the only one to wake up screaming...?

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