We began 2025 by celebrating Century’s 19th birthday at the end of January. As the oldest member of our Giraffe group, some of you may already know that Century came to us from Longleat Safari Park, where he was the 100th Giraffe born there and why he was given such a significant name.
Century enjoyed a hand-made cake for his birthday, made by Mammal Keeper Charlotte. The other Giraffes were very curious and keen to join in on the celebrations, but Century was eager to keep his special treat all to himself!
Century in 2010 (Age 4)
DID YOU KNOW?
A group of Giraffes is called a tower!
In the Walled Garden the Cinnamon Tree Frogs have moved on display into the window of the Frog Room for the first time. There are 17 frogs in the exhibit, however they may be challenging to spot as they are nocturnal, meaning they spend most of the day hiding on the underside of leaves and bark!
There have been some more exciting developments for the Herpetology team, as the Beautiful Pit Viper and Leaf-Tailed Geckos each have new exhibits in the Reptile House. Head of Reptiles Meg said, “The Leaf-Tailed Geckos have been moved to give them more space and as they are really active overnight and can jump quite a distance, this new enclosure is much better for them. We are also hoping to encourage them to breed – for this they need a specific “winter” period with cooler temperatures, less rain and shorter daylight hours. This is much more achievable where they are now. They’ve settled in extremely well and are certainly making the most of the new enclosure! The beautiful pit viper similarly has a fresh environment to explore and although she is a little shy still, she is definitely easier to spot now.”
You can find the Frog Room at the bottom of the Walled Garden near the Madagascar Walkthrough and the Reptile House in the Courtyard.
EXTRA EXTRA!
Some major works took place across the Park during our annual closure period in January, with pathways being resurfaced next to the Farm and Lions, updates to the Sky Maze play area and a new sheltered picnic area constructed next to Little Africa. Keep an eye out for these updates on your next visit!
PARK OPENING TIMES:
The Park will be OPEN from 10.00am until 4:00pm or dusk (whichever is earlier), with last admission being at 3:00 pm.
On a Personal Note…
Having now returned from my maternity leave, I have very much enjoyed keeping up to date with the Park News whilst I have been off, and I am looking forward to bringing you monthly updates from across the Park once again. My daughter has enjoyed many walks around over the past year and was particularly enthralled by the Lemurs in the Madagascar Walkthrough as they sunbathed!