West Midland Safari Park celebrates 50th anniversary
The attraction in Bewdley opened in 1973 and is now home to over 120 species.
West Midland Safari Park is celebrating it's 50th anniversary today, with the animals joining in the celebrations.
The park has welcomed over 30 million visitors since opening its doors on 17 April 1973, bringing them closer to nature and inspiring the next generation of conservationists.
Since then, hundreds of species, many of which are classed as ‘endangered,’ have lived there, including elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers and giraffes.
Head of Wildlife, Angela Potter, has been at the Park for 43 years, making her the longest serving member of staff.
She said: “We are very excited that 2023 is our 50th anniversary and who better to join in the celebrations than all of our lovely animals. Throughout this special year, we will be providing them with animal-friendly cakes, presents and lots of enrichment to ensure we are celebrating our wildlife too.”
Many of the animals who live at the park were born there and are part of breeding groups for endangered species. This includes ring-tailed lemur Bakari, who turns ten on the same day the park turns 50.
To celebrate, keepers treated Bakari and his troop to some birthday presents. Meanwhile, the Indian rhinos have been treated to a huge birthday cake.
Angela continued: “It is more than a job - it’s a way of life, with no two days being the same and always wanting to come to work whether the sun is shining, raining, or even snowing! It is great to be able to raise awareness of the plight of the animals in the wild and make a difference by educating our visitors to care about them and our environment, as much as we all do here.
"To come to work each day and see animals such as rhinos, giraffe, lions and penguins is just amazing! Who wouldn’t want to do it?!”
Managing Director, Chris Kelly said: “When the Park first opened, records noted a total of 447 animals, including a turkey, fourteen fish tanks and a guard dog! Thankfully, 50 years on, our current residents are a lot more exciting and we are proud that we house over 120 species, with more than 1,000 individual animals.
“I’ve seen many changes since being a guest, but none more so than the three years I’ve been MD. We’ve upgraded many of the animal habitats and facilities, donated thousands to conservation charities, welcomed new species such as red pandas and we’ve introduced onsite accommodation, so guests can stay with us overnight for the first time in our history.”
Later in the year, the park will be hosting a conservation dinner with award winning TV presenter Michaela Strachan, to raise money for their five conservation partners.