longleat safari gorilla

GORILLAS LAND

LONGLEAT SAFARI AND ADVENTURE PARK

Location:  Warminster, United Kingdom Date opened:   April  11 th  19 66 Number of species:   unknown

Arrival of first gorilla(s):   May  15 th   1978

First gorilla birth:   no birth

Gorilla exhibit  (Gorilla Colony ) :

Total area:  unknown

Mixed enclosure:   no

Number of outdoor yards:   2 (??  m²)

Number of indoor yards:  0

Number of bedrooms:  unknown

Current gorilla population:

Previous gorilla population:

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Longleat Safari Park’s silverback gorilla Nico who loved watching TV dies in his sleep aged 56

Nico lived on his own island in the middle of a lake at Longleat in a purpose built, centrally-heated house, complete with classical pillars and his own television

• 09:07, 9 Jan 2018
• Updated 09:32, 9 Jan 2018

One of the world's oldest silverback gorillas has died.

Nico, whose 56th birthday was celebrated in July, died in his sleep on Sunday, Longleat Safari Park said.

He spent most of his life at the park in Wiltshire after arriving from Switzerland in the 1980s.

A spokeswoman for Longleat said on Facebook: "Everyone here has been truly saddened by the death of Nico.

"His main keeper has been working with Nico virtually on a daily basis since 1989 and has forged an extraordinarily close bond with him.

"It goes without saying that he is particularly devastated by the loss along with the rest of his keeping team who have cared for Nico over the years."

Keepers were unsure of Nico's exact age and there was a likelihood he may have been older than 56.

The gorilla, who once tipped the scales at 34 stone, lived on his own island in the middle of a lake at Longleat in a purpose built, centrally-heated house, complete with classical pillars and his own television.

Keepers feared for Nico when partner Samba died of old age 10 years ago because he sat whimpering for days.

But they managed to cheer him up by letting him sit in front of a TV placed outside his cage.

Nico loved The Simpsons, anything with horses - and Planet Of The Apes.

He also had a series of lookout stations and giant tree trunk climbing frames where he could sit and watch the antics of the nearby colony of three younger gorillas - brothers Kesho, Evindi and Alf.

The oldest male gorilla in the world lives in the USA and was born in 1961 while the oldest female, who also lives in America, was born in 1956.

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Longleat Safari’s gorilla Nico, 56, found dead after passing away in sleep

The great ape, who was one of the world's oldest silverback gorillas, celebrated his 56th birthday back in July

• Sun Reporter
• Published : 1:56, 9 Jan 2018
• Updated : 8:26, 9 Jan 2018

ONE of the world’s oldest silverback gorillas has died aged 56.

Nico’s body was found on Sunday at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire. He had died in his sleep.

He lived on his own island in the middle of a lake in a purpose-built, centrally heated pad with his own television.

Nico, who once tipped the scales at 34 stone, arrived at the park from Switzerland in the 1980s.

He may have been even older than 56.

A spokesman said his main keeper was “devastated” after “working with Nico on a daily basis since 1989”.

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They added: ""It goes without saying that he is particularly devastated by the loss along with the rest of his keeping team who have cared for Nico over the years."

The oldest male gorilla is located in the USA, and was born in 1961 while the oldest female was born in 1956.

Longleat Safari Park: The incredible animals you can see up close

It is Wiltshire's only zoo, but how well do you know which animals you can actually visit at Longleat Safari Park?

• 12:18, 14 JUL 2021
• Updated 16:16, 14 JUL 2021

When you are planning a day out with the kids and you decide a trip to a zoo is on the cards, they’re bound to ask whether they will be able to see their favourite animal…whether it’s a wolf, a giraffe or some other exotic animal.

Wiltshire Live has put together a list of some of the most exciting and entertaining animals you could see up close at Longleat Safari Park - Wiltshire’s only zoo. Though if you’re in the north of the county, Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford, Oxfordshire is probably closer.

Located just outside Warminster, the 900-acre park is home to more than 500 animals - many of which can be seen in the lengthy drive-through, giving you a great view of them from the comfort of your own vehicle.

Read more: James Blunt, Robbie Williams, Zoella and other celebrities with Wiltshire connections

And if you’re a fan of cheeky monkeys, there’s a drive-through monkey enclosure too. Be warned though, the mischievous little beings like to remove bits of vehicles for their own entertainment so you’re able to skip that section if you want to - it’s probably best if you don’t fancy a repair bill.

So, what can you see at Longleat?

1. Elephants

Well, an elephant - just the one. Anna came to the safari park in 2011 after 55 years in the circus. She hasn't been around another elephant for the last 19 years.

2. Sea lions

You’ll need to be prepared to board a boat to see them. Californian sea lions can be found in the huge lake - but prepare to get splashed when they leap out into the air at feeding time.

While you’re cruising along on the boat watching the sea lions, you might spot two of the lake’s resident hippos - Spot and Sonia. But hippos being hippos, they may not be visible so prepare to be disappointed.

4. Gorillas

If you’re on the boat, on the lake, you’ll pass Gorilla Colony, an island home to several gorillas. If you’re really keen on getting up close and personal, Longleat offers VIP experience days - pay extra to feed them face-to-face with a keeper.

The park is home to two dozen lions, which can be viewed from your vehicle as you embark on the drive-through.

Siberian beasts, endangered Amur tigers can also be spotted on the drive-through. There are believed to be only between 350 and 400 adults left in the wild, so it’s quite the sight.

If you’re 10 years old, rhinos are probably pretty exciting animals to see. They’re huge, angry-looking characters with massive horns on their heads! Luckily, Longleat is home to four named Nanju, Marashi, Razina and Ebun. They’re known to charge, sometimes at vehicles - but armored tractors are nearby, ready to keep them in line where necessary.

If you’re feeling brave, drive through the monkey enclosure - it’ll usually give you a great laugh. If you'd rather avoid the possible repair bill accumulated by the rascals, you can easily bypass them.

Wolf Wood is home to plenty of grey wolves (though they aren’t always grey, they come in many colours). The park’s pack is made up of eight, but generally, you won’t be getting any special views during the day - they’re most active at night.

State-of-the-art Koala Creek is home to a group of Southern koalas and they are believed to be the only ones living in Britain.

11. Giraffes

In winter, the Rothschild's giraffes spend most of their time inside. If it’s reasonably warm outside, they’ll be roaming around their reserve. You can even purchase a VIP experience day, where you’ll get to spend time up close to the beautiful beings for a minimum of 30 minutes.

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Black and white beauties, everyone loves a zebra. They live in a 60-acre African enclosure with a group of giraffes.

13. Red pandas

Did we leave the cutest to last? Cuddly red pandas can usually be found snoozing in their open enclosure, which even allows you to view them when they're inside.

They might not be included in the main list, but we should probably mention that you can also see cheetahs, otters, lemurs, deer, tortoises, penguins, parrots and much more.

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Explore the UK's first safari park at Longleat

Longleat, wiltshire.

Feed giraffes by hand and walk on the wildside with lemurs at this popular safari park, found in the picturesque grounds of historic Longleat House.

First opened in 1966, Longleat Safari Park was the first drive-through attraction of its kind outside Africa, and it's still running strong today. With countless species of animals and attractions like Penguin Island, Stingray Bay, Jungle Cruise and an adventure castle, it's a great day out for the entire family. Explore the animal habitats on a road tour through the park, before stepping onto the Main Square and venturing into koala habitats, outdoor playgrounds and hedge mazes.

Special events run throughout the year, including the ever-popular Festival of Lights over the Christmas period; this large display of illuminated Chinese lanterns adorns the entire parkland and adds a touch of festivity to everything. And, of course, visitors can also extend their stay in the area with a tour through Longleat House and its surrounding pleasure gardens.

Longleat Safari Park is due to re-open on Monday 15 June - make sure to check the website through the link below for availability and opening times.

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Longleat Safari Park: Baby wallaby emerges from mother's pouch

• West Country
• Longleat Safari Park
• baby animals
• Thursday 4 April 2024 at 12:08pm

Zookeepers have described the "emotional" moment a baby wallaby emerged from its mother's pouch for the first time.

The joey weighed less than a gram when it was born at Longleat Safari Park.

The red-necked wallaby joey was growing inside the pouch for seven months before it finally poked its head out.

Gemma Short, Head Wallaby Keeper at Longleat Safari Park, said seeing a joey take its first glimpse at the world "makes you emotional every time."

"It's always exciting when you finally see the joey's head pop out," she said. "They have such large eyes!"

"It's something I will never get bored of seeing. I feel like a proud keeper every time," she added.

Ms Short said the joey is currently around 60cm tall, and zookeepers are keeping an eye out for when the joey leaves the pouch.

"It won't be long until the joey is hopping around causing havoc with the other animals," she said.

"When it comes out of the pouch, we will be able to sex it and then give it a name," she added.

Longleat Safari Park said they are "delighted" with the new arrival to the current nine-strong group of wallabies.

Keepers added the red-necked wallaby, also known as the Bennett's wallaby, is not rare and breeds "extremely well" in both captivity and the wild.

The marsupials are native to the east coast of Australia and are commonly found in eucalyptus forests.