knowsley safari park animal cruelty

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The hidden plight of Britain's captive animals

T his week, we at the Captive Animals' Protection Society released shocking photos of animal carcasses left to rot alongside bins at Knowsley safari park. The pictures were taken by ex-employee and former official photographer for Knowsley, Penny Boyd. Penny approached us with concerns about the disposal of bodies and handling of firearms, among others. Knowsley was investigated by the council and Merseyside police as a result and will now change its practices.

But given the breaches of regulations by one of the UK's largest and longest-established safari parks, one is not just left with the lingering mental image of those harrowing photos, but with growing concern for the thousands of other animals held captive in the 400-plus zoos dotted up and down the UK.

Despite being fully licensed, inspected annually and a member of Biaza (the professional body which states it admits only the best of the zoos), Knowsley safari park follows Woburn safari park and Noah's Ark zoo near Bristol in being exposed as failing to meet standards. [Note inserted on 14 January 2011: At the time of the expose Noah's Ark was a Biaza member; it was subsequently asked to leave.]

It is hardly surprising that issues go unnoticed, though, given that the licensing inspection for Knowsley's 550-acre estate – home to some 800 animals – is completed in just one working day.

This one day serves as the only official inspection required of the establishment each year, and thus the only opportunity for failings to be identified under the Zoo Licensing Act. What happens behind closed doors on the remaining 364 days of the year usually remains unknown.

At Woburn safari park, before the practice was exposed last year , when the gates closed to the public each day, the lions were rounded up and locked into their cramped and dilapidated night-time accommodation for up to 18 hours at a time. Following our expose, the zoo has been forced to take action on the issues we made public.

[Update inserted on 14 January 2011: A representative of Woburn zoo contacted the Guardian after publication of this commentary to state: "The zoo was already building new housing for the pride of lions to attain the highest attainable standards at the time of the media reports" on this subject.]

When Noah's Ark zoo paraded its tigers to the press and public, it failed to mention that those tigers were supplied as part of an agreement with the owner of a UK circus. When the female tiger died after giving birth to four cubs (three stillborn, one dying shortly afterwards), she was skinned, her head and paws were removed, and her body buried in breach of regulations. Our undercover investigation led to the publication of these grim findings.

The Tweddle Farm zoo in County Durham had been operating openly for a number of years despite not having a zoo licence, and our investigation found animal corpses left around the place rotting. Now Knowsley joins the line-up with its public admission that it was unaware of legislation governing the disposal of carcasses, and damning photographic evidence showing corpses being left for days in areas out of sight of the public.

The law of averages would suggest that these four are not the only culprits and, in fact, concerns about the ineffectiveness of zoo licensing have become so great that the department for the environment, farming and rural affairs has ordered a review of the entire system following "concerns that implementation is inconsistent and that the provisions of the Act may not always be complied with".

We believe that no animal should be confined to a life of captivity for our amusement. All these recent revelations show that the licensing of zoos and safari parks does not, and cannot, practically guarantee the protection of the animals held. So we appeal to those people working within the zoo industry to speak out, anonymously if they choose, if they are concerned about their institution's practices. Given the increasing evidence of poor standards and practices in UK zoos, the wider debate is well worth engaging in.

• Animal welfare

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The West Lancashire Gazette

Knowsley safari park: lions, tigers and baboons, oh my.

A cracking day out for the whole family! It was a damp day in February half term for the Derricott – Greensmith family’s day out to Knowsley Safari Park, but not even the rain could spoil our visit. Starting out early, three generations wrapped up warm and set off for the UK’s longest drive through…

A cracking day out for the whole family!

It was a damp day in February half term for the Derricott – Greensmith family’s day out to Knowsley Safari Park, but not even the rain could spoil our visit. Starting out early, three generations wrapped up warm and set off for the UK’s longest drive through safari park.

Set in Prescot, Merseyside, Knowsley Safari Park promises to be a great day out for the whole family and it did not disappoint. The safari park prides itself on accommodating many endangered species and is a member of many breeding programs that help with conservation of certain animals, breeding many animals in its own enclosures. The animals are left to roam in woodlands and meadows within the drive through park, enabling them to live as close to wild as they can.

This lets them behave as they would in the wild too, with family feuds, fights over territories, making BFF’s and finding their next romantic partner. Wink wink.

On arrival at the park we got given a map, a guide book with information on all the animals and attractions in the park, and a page full of stickers – which were all over us and the car within minutes. It’s easier to follow the instructions on the map and pop a sticker on the paper when you spot the animal, but it’s fun either way.

The drive through safari is the first part of the park, and the time to get comfy and make your way through the different zones that house animals from all over the world. The road is wide enough to pull over and take a longer look if you spot something you want to see more of, but this might be different during busier periods. You shouldn’t worry if you do miss something though, because you can drive around this part as many times as you like! We had thought that we may not see many animals because of the weather, but we needn’t have worried. Most of the animals didn’t care about the rain and were out and about, and the ones that were inside were still clearly visible from the road.

If, like us, you have an over eager toddler in the car who uses up all your map stickers, you can easily follow along with all the information you need by downloading the Knowsley Safari app to a phone.

I think some of the stars of the show at Knowsley are the baboons, and these are the animals I remember most from childhood visits. The term ‘cheeky monkey’ definitely originated here. You can opt to bypass driving through the baboon enclosure to avoid getting your windscreen wipers or wing mirrors ripped off, which they are very fond of doing, but we decided to ignore the ‘car parts will not be returned’ sign and drive right through the middle of them. You can’t mind them climbing all over your car and hitching a ride when you get to see them up close and personal. We were lucky and got our front grill cleaned up as they picked out all the twigs and leaves, leaving the car intact.

The lions were a particular favourite, conjuring up squeals of excitement, and that was just the grown ups! Moose, camels and wolves came next, along with buffalo, deer, and the strangest looking donkey you ever saw. (It’s actually called a Kiang.)

We parked up and went into the walk through safari, stopping off at the Coffee House to refuel and plan the next part of our adventure. The Coffee House and the Oasis Restaurant have lots of reasonably priced food to suit all tastes, and plenty of room inside and out to rest up before the next leg. The foot safari is absolutely jam packed full of rides, shows and other things to do.

Wristbands for the childrens’ rides are great value at £12 per child, and this lets them go on as many rides as they like with a grown up allowed to go with them for free.

We were just in time for one of the Sea Lion displays where Californian Sea Lions Roger and Arthur showed off their skills and what makes them so unique, alongside their trainer Jake McGinn. This was great fun and judging from the audience, a great hit all around.

Next up was a wander through the Wild Trail and on to the Birds of Prey, where we saw vultures, eagles, and my particular favourite, the Bald Eagle. Knowsley has The Flight of the Talons experience that does live displays from midday onwards, where you can watch these amazing birds in flight.

From here it was on to the Bush Dogs, Meerkats and River Hogs. Then the Tapir and Giraffes, who were all out and about, showing off.

On to the Amur Tiger Trail where we got to see this beautiful creature up close through a viewing window. Lots of the exhibits throughout the park have viewing windows so you can see the animals on the other side of the glass without wire in the way, so visitors can take a nice clear picture to remember their trip.

We packed so much into our day, having started out first thing that morning, but there is so much to do and see at Knowsley Safari Park we didn’t manage to get to do everything. We’ll definitely have to go back another day and catch up on all the things we missed.

Children up to 15 years old get in for £19.50 along with concessions at Knowsley, with an adult ticket costing £22.50. If you live near enough for regular day trips, an annual membership starts at £51.00 and lets you visit as many times as you like throughout the year.

If you have a Blue Peter Badge or are currently serving in the Military, you can visit the park for free, and companion tickets for disabled guests can be booked through Nimbus Disability and the Access Card Scheme. https://www.accesscard.online/

The Park is extremely accessible for disabled visitors and the staff around the park seemed to be totally on the ball with any requests made. I saw one little girl with ASD given some ear protectors for a show, and extra seats brought out for companions and family members of disabled guests. 10/10 for Knowsley Safari Park as far as accessibility is concerned.

The Safari Park regularly hosts school trips and birthday parties, but they also have courses for animal lovers of all ages where you can learn about conservation, breeding programs, and all the animals that have a home at Knowsley. There are also kids clubs for your little ones who are crazy about animals.

You can find out all about their clubs and the park itself, by visiting their website at http://www.knowsleysafari.co.uk

Or better still, pop along for a visit and ask about it all in person! You won’t be disappointed.

‘ The Secret Life of the Safari Park ‘ filmed at Knowsley Safari Park can be seen in the UK from the Channel 4 app or on Sky TV until the 9th March 2024.

Knowsley Safari Park is a wonderful day out for all ages, no matter what the weather. All I would say is that you should get there early and plan your day because it is absolutely jam packed with things to do.

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What's On

Knowsley safari is reopening with some brand new rare animals and attractions.

Something else to look forward to

Knowsley Safari is prepped to reopen with new animals and attractions.

If the government’s roadmap goes ahead as planned, Knowsley Safari will be back open from April 12th with plenty of fun for families to escape to.

There’s even a brand new rare species at the Safari park, the Grevy’s Zebra. There are less than 2,000 in the world making it the most endangered Zebra species.

Quigley and Ceaba, Knowsley Safari Park’s two new Grevy’s Zebra mark the launch of a potential new breeding programme.

Knowsley Safari Park

Rachel Scott, Head of Marketing at Knowsley Safari, said: “We are so excited to be re-opening and have been busy preparing so we can offer our guests a fun, safe day out packed with adventure and new experiences.

“The new Grevy’s Zebra have settled in well on the Safari Drive and all the animals – and staff – are ready to welcome visitors back on site.

“The additional outdoor catering options we’ve installed will provide a new way for people to eat Al Fresco from April and throughout the year, so everyone really can enjoy a full day out in the wild.”

Guests will also see the bush dogs new and upgraded enclosure that has been recently landscaped and redeveloped including a new viewing area along the Foot Safari. 

Knowsley Safari also has an app – described as the closest thing to a personal tour guide – that you can download before arrival.

It enables you to find out interesting facts about the animal as you spot them along your safari.

Like most places, Knowsley Safari has increased Covid-secure measures in place including a one-way Foot Safari, socially distanced picnic areas, PPE for staff, protective screens and helpful staff and signage.

Guests need to pre-book their visit and a time slot online here . 

The Refuge is opening its new hidden outdoor terrace from April 12th

The Harry Potter train is coming to the North West this summer

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Chester Zoo and Knowsley Safari Park are currently hiring for loads of jobs

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Billie Eilish announces FOUR Manchester shows as part of world tour

Pop star Billie Eilish is coming to Manchester, with four dates confirmed at the new Co-op Live arena. The Grammy and Oscar-winning pop icon will be playing Manchester’s newest arena on July 19th, 20th, 22nd and 23rd, 2025. The dates are part of a full world tour taking place next year, in the wake of Hit Me Hard And Soft, her fourth studio album which is due out on May 17th.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BILLIE EILISH (@billieeilish)

The full UK dates:

• 7 July 2025 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
• 8 July 2025 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
• 10 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 11 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 13 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 14 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 16 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 17 July 2025 – The O2, London
• 19 July 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester
• 20 July 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester
• 22 July 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester
• 23 July 2025 – Co-op Live, Manchester

Presale tickets go live tomorrow, Tuesday April 30th, at 12pm and are exclusive for Co-op members only.

To become a Co-op member, click HERE , and enjoy exclusive benefits.

Barton Aerodrome announces McFly, JLS and UB40 open-air shows this summer

Make sure you don’t miss these!

Three brand new shows have been announced at Manchester’s Barton Aerodrome this September, adding to the summer gigs already confirmed.

Barton LIVE , a unique concert series set against the backdrop of the aerodrome’s runway, has already confirmed The Jacksons LIVE, 90s Baby Festival and Boogietown North are taking place this summer. Now McFly, JLS, and UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell will take the stage this September, joining the already bumper lineup.

Barton LIVE

McFly, known for their infectious pop-rock anthems and high-energy performances, with hits like ‘Five Colours in Her Hair’, ‘All About You’, and ‘Obviously’, are heading to the aerodrome on Thursday September 12th.

Then on Saturday September 14th JLS will be gracing the stage with chart-topping hits like ‘Beat Again’, ‘Everybody in Love’, and ‘She Makes Me Wanna’.

Finally, legendary reggae band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell will perform classics like ‘Red Red Wine’, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, and ‘Kingston Town’ on Sunday September 15th.

New Barton LIVE shows:

• Thursday 12th September – McFly
• Saturday 14th September – JLS
• Sunday 15th September – UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell

Tickets will be available this Friday, April 26th, at 9AM – signing up is essential for access to tickets, sign up HERE .

Barton LIVE full summer series:

• Friday 19th July – The Jacksons LIVE
• Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st July – 90s Baby Festival
• Saturday 27th July – Boogietown North
• Thursday 12th September – McFly 
• Saturday 14th September – JLS 

Hot Wheels interactive experience hosting its first-ever European event in Trafford

This will be mint!

A Hot Wheels interactive experience is coming to Trafford Park this summer, the first time the event has ever taken place in Europe. Coming from Live Nation, BeFUN, and Mattel, the Hot Wheels City Experience is heading to the B.E.C Arena in Trafford Park this August, making its European debut as it brings the legendary toy cars to life. Spanning a series of immersive stations and interactive activities, the event will have something for families and devoted collectors alike.

Hot Wheels City Experience

The 6,000 square metre experience will let fans step through a nostalgic and educational journey consisting of 10 stations, including a design centre, immersive museum, playground, gamer zone and Hot Wheels Lab.

Fans will go on a journey through the colourful world of Hot Wheels, starting with an introductory video which will take a deep dive into the history and culture of the brand.

Luís França / Hot Wheels City Experience

The next station features an immersive museum and expo where visitors will get to see the best of the Hot Wheels collections – including graphics with the history of Hot Wheels, classic arts of the brand, and the Hot Wheels legendary life-sized cars. 

There’s also the Gamer Zone, where gamers can show off their skills, the Design Centre, where the latest technology is used to introduce colour and graphic projection onto virtual cars, and a Digital ‘build your car’ and painting workshop where fans can create and have their work emailed to them or projected on the walls.

Lastly, the Hot Wheels Lab will let guests play with the most popular Hot Wheels toys, including giant tracks and pre-built racecourses – with the opportunity to win prizes.

The Hot Wheels City Experience opens its doors on August 13th and runs until September 12th 2024, with presale tickets launching at 10am next Wednesday, April 24th – sign up for pre-sale HERE . On-sale tickets will be available at 10am on April 26th, starting from £27.50 for adults and £22.50 for children – head here for more info.

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Updated: Feb 7

Knowsley Safari Park is a fun filled day looking at animals by car and foot, fairground rides and a sealion show. A perfect day out for the whole family.

• Sea Lion and Birds of Prey Displays

• Foot Safari with Tigers & Giraffes

• 5 mile car safari with baboons & lions

• Animal talks

• Restaurant & Coffee House

• Fairground Rides and Playareas

• Annual passes available

• Open Every Day 10-5.30pm

• Prescot L34 4AN

• www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk

Safari Drive

This took us about an hour to go around, there are a couple of lanes so you can queue up in your car to have a good look when there is an animal to see or you can go in the faster if you don't want to wait. Its a 5 mile drive where you go through Bactrian Camels, White Rhino, African Lions and Baboons. We were really lucky with the Camels, they decided to get up from their shelter and started to walk along the road right next to the cars. This was great and the girls really enjoyed watching them walk along side us. We decided to by pass the Baboons as were weren't sure about them damaging our car. This is easy to miss and you can still see them through the fencing. The lions were sleeping sadly but we did also get a good view of the Rhinos. You can go round as many times as you want too.

Sea Lion Show

We parked our car and headed into the Knowsley Safari village. We went straight to the Sea Lion theatre as a show was about to begin. This was definitetly my favourite of the day. Two Sea Lions called Authur and Roger showed the audience their amazing skills for about 20minutes. They showed how they are different from seals and did mind blowing acts like balancing things on their nose and jumped up out of the water to hit a ball hanging from the ceiling. The Sea Lions looked like they really did enjoy the attention and the way the show was delivered by the animal trainer made it fun while being educational. There are 3-4 shows spread through the day.

Birds of Prey Show

With Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Vultures, Kites & Owls. Watch them being fed and soring over your head in flying displays. On a few times a day, just turn up and get a seat to watch the fully immersive family friendly show.

Amusement Rides

In centre there is a selection of about 12 fairground rides. These vary between 1-3 tokens per rider to go on. Or you can buy a wristband to have unlimited rides. These are a nice addition to the day and there are also a couple of small play areas near the rides too so you can easily break up the day with some playing between seeing all the animals. There is a Pirate Ship, Honey Pots, Swing Chairs and a rollercoaster called Rattlesnake!

On Foot Safari

Mischievous meerkats, graceful giraffes and an amazing Amur tiger trail! Sadly the tiger was fast asleep so we only saw him from a far. The Tiger Trail goes around the tiger compound with plenty of viewing areas. The Giraffes were gorgeous, we caught some of the giraffe talk and found out they were brothers and plenty of facts about them. It was great to see them walking about and pulling leaves from tall trees. There is also a woodland walk which leads you to a waterfall.

Food & Drink

There are plenty of places to refuel. You can choose to dine at the outdoor food court for loaded fries & delicious pizzas. There's the Oasis Restaurant where you can dine on delis, chill con carne, penne bolognese, rosemary focaccia & fish and chips. From the Coffee House there is hot & cold drinks and sweet treats. We took a picnic which we ate while going around the Car Safari but there are also lots of picnic benches.

We would have liked to have seen a few more animals on our visit, in particular the lions or tigers but the fact that the camels and Sea lions were so good it still made for a nice family day out.

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Subway Strays: The Dogs of Moscow’s Metro

Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the stray dogs in Moscow have a surprisingly well-documented history which animal behaviorists have been paying close attention to for several decades. During the Soviet period in Russia the packs of wild (or stray) dogs in were regulated. Only the clever canines who learned to stay in isolation were able to survive. Usually, these dogs would remain on the outskirts of the city hunting in wild packs, as the living in the city was dangerous and food scarce.  After the fall of the Soviet Union quality of life in Russia began to slowly improve and with it more street vendors and food collecting in busy neighborhoods. This began to bring some the stray dogs out of the suburbs into the city.

Today, there are nearly 35,000 stray dogs that call Moscow home. Out of these 35,000 stray dogs there are about 500 that have taken to living underground. Out of these dogs, there are a few that have started thinking outside the box and inside the boxcar. They have begun the slow move underground to stay out of the cold (Russian winters reach an average of -5 degrees every day). Many of the Russian commuters embraced the dog’s underground migration by petting them or giving them food.

Though these claims may seem like the made up type of internet misinformation that we have learned to be skeptical of these days, it is actually sourced to a Russian biologist by the name of  Dr. Andrey Poyarkov , a highly regarded scientist in his field of study. As it turns out Poyarkov has been studying these dogs for the last thirty years and told news sources back in 2010 that he suspected a small fraction of these underground dogs had actually learned to use the subway in order to beg for food in bustling urban areas where food is more plentiful.

Andrei Neuronov , an animal behaviorist, says much like you train your dogs at home to respond to verbal commands like “sit” or “stay,” the Moscow metro dogs are using audio cues from the subway stops they have learned. The dogs memorize the names of the stops to navigate the subway systems in order to take them to heavily populated places during the day and get food.  Then, they return to their more secluded corners of the suburbs at night where they are less likely to be bothered by people.  Here is a story ABC did back in 2011, talking about this very thing.

Do you have any information on how to help these dogs?  Please share and comment below.

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EXPLORE KNOWSLEY SAFARI

Please note: we're currently building exciting new homes for our amazing animals in the africa section, please bear with us whilst there is some disruption to this area..

Enjoy our incredible 5-mile Safari Drive, then slow things down by parking for free and exploring our Foot Safari with a standard Knowsley Safari ticket. Animal talks and displays are also included with standard tickets, and you can add extras like the Baboon Bus and Guidebooks at the checkout.

You always get the best Day Ticket Prices by booking online in advance. Prices may vary at peak times and Bank Holidays.

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Did you know that we offer exclusive discounts for carers and members of the military all year round? Find out more below to see if you qualify.

ESSENTIAL COMPANION TICKETS

We are proud to partner with Nimbus Disability , operators of the Access Card scheme, who process all ‘essential companion’ (previously ‘Carer’) eligibility. You will now need to apply online for an Access Card through Nimbus Disability, at least 10 days before visiting.  We are unable to accept any same-day applications.

Find out more here.

Free Military Admission

Serving military members are granted free admission to Knowsley Safari. All you need to do is show your pass.

Blue Peter Badge Holders

Blue Peter badge holders can come to Knowsley Safari for free. One child badge holder with a valid badge card goes free with each full-paying. Free Blue Peter Badge entry cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offers and does not provide free entry to any evening or out-of-season events.

Gift Vouchers

Are you always struggling to find the perfect gift? Treat the animal lovers in your life to Knowsley Safari tickets! Whether it is a birthday, Christmas or anniversary present, a day at Knowsley Safari is sure to create lasting memories like no other gift. Gift tickets will be sent out in the post and are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

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