MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 41

This week I fed lemurs and lorikeets, had lunch in a café with a view of tigers from the window, watched a flying display of hawks and owls and saw a group of otters munching minced meat. Yes, I was back at Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne. My husband and I were taking part in a ‘Lemur Experience’, which lets you spend half an hour inside the lemurs enclosure, feeding them with fruit.

We were given large bowls containing chopped fruit as well as some biscuits, and we sat inside the cage holding the bowls on our laps. Instantly the ring-tailed lemurs were upon us, perching on our laps or shoulders, using their long fingers to delicately take a piece of apple and then hold it to their mouth as they nibbled. Lemurs are beautiful creatures; like monkeys, they are primates but unlike them their long tails are not prehensile, they are just used for balance. It’s a very special thing to be close to such lovely animals, and though you are advised not to stroke them, the feel of their soft fur against your cheek as they rest against your head is super.  Their keeper, a young lady called Daisy, came in with us to take photos and to answer all our questions. Like many of the other keepers, she began as a volunteer before being taken on as a paid member of staff. All the staff I met at Paradise Wildlife Park obviously enjoy their jobs, and their love for animals shines through. They work long hours – they can’t just pack up and go when the visitors leave, as the animals must still be cared for – but it can be a rewarding job for those with a genuine feel for wildlife.

The display of hawks and owls, as well as a large red and gold macaw and a couple of lovebirds was excellent and entertaining. A barn owl swooped from post to post and a large Harris hawk demonstrated its enormous wingspan. Later it was the turn of  Stella, the Eagle owl. Stella is getting on a bit, and likes, naturally, to take things easy. So, instead of flying (which uses far too much energy!) she slowly plodded along the grass, giving the impression that she was in charge of her section of the display. It would begin when she said so and would end when she was ready, and not before.  So Stella sat on the fence, flew a little, deigned to collect some food, then sat, and sat, and sat until eventually she decided to go back to her cage. Apparently that part of the routine is nicknamed ‘Stella Time’ – no one knows quite how long it will last!

Feeding the lorikeets with nectar was another enjoyable event. These vividly-coloured small parakeets are beautiful, and have long tongues with tiny hair-like bristles on the tips, which help them to soak up the nectar. When we entered their aviary we were given pots of the liquid and the birds swooped down and perched on our hands and arms and, in my husband’s case, his head, and they dipped their tongues into the nectar. After having a ‘conversation’ with a cockatoo in a nearby aviary and admiring various other birds, we went to see the stunning snow leopards, cheetahs, ocelots, tigers, lions and leopards. The lions had a white cub, called Zuri, which is Swahili for ‘Beautiful’ and is also of Basque origin, where it means ‘White’.

A favourite animal of mine is the red panda, and often at zoos they tend to be curled up asleep high in a tree, but those at Paradise Wildlife Park seem to be active. Certainly, each time I visit they are climbing in the branches or feeding on the platform, munching bamboo. These sweet-faced, gentle creatures hail from south-east Asia, and although called pandas are more closely related to racoons, weasels and skunks. Nearby are the otters, they move so quickly, jostling for position as they are fed. Otters are other creatures that I could watch for hours, admiring their sleek bodies and the way that chase each other around the enclosure, seemingly full of energy.

Zoos such as Paradise Wildlife Park are a pleasure to visit – attractively laid out, plenty of trees and flowers, walkways that enable you to get different views of the animals, and enclosures containing interesting, beautiful creatures that encourage you just to ‘stand and stare’. This zoo is deeply committed to conservation, with a separate establishment in Kent (not open for general viewing) that is a haven for big cats, with many breeding successes.

What a wonderful day we had – we were even lucky with the weather. It didn’t rain (well, only a little)!