Blackpool Zoo - Animals and Exhibits

Animals and Exhibits

Elephant and Reptile House

Blackpool Zoo has housed Asian Elephants since the late 1970s, the first two being two young females named Kate and Crumple, who arrived from Sri Lanka. Initially, the elephants shared their enclosure with giraffes and rhinoceros, but these two species were removed to make room for two more elephants, Marcella and Indra, who were rescued from a bankrupt European circus. Kate, Marcella and Indra, now all middle-aged, still live at the zoo. The indoor area of the Elephant House contains a large collection of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and fish, including Yacare Caimans, Poison Dart Frogs, Green Anacondas, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Red-bellied Piranhas and various others.

Gorilla Mountain

Opened in 2000, Gorilla Mountain is home to five Western Lowland Gorillas, a silverback male named Bukavu, and four females named Miliki, Kena, Njema and Meisie. Meisie is the daughter of Bukavu and Miliki, and was born in 2010.

Lemur Wood

Opened in 1999, Lemur Wood was Blackpool Zoo's first walk-through enclosure, and houses three different species of lemur: Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Red-Fronted Lemurs and Red Ruffed Lemurs.

Active Oceans

The Zoo's sea lion and penguin enclosures. The Sea Lion Pool, which houses Californian Sea Lions, was first built in the 1970s, and is the largest sea lion pool in a British zoo. The pool also has a 250-seat arena that allows visitors to watch the sea lions interact with their trainers, who use positive reinforcement training. The Penguin enclosure, which is next to the Sea Lion Pool, opened in 2009 and houses a flock of Magellanic Penguins. Blackpool Zoo is the only zoo in the UK to keep this species.

Giraffe Heights

Opened in 2008, Giraffe Heights is home to an all-female herd of six Giraffes, named Ciara, Quiver, Sive, Sonia, Saoirse and O'Grady, as well as a group of three Blesbok antelopes. The paddock includes a walkway where visitors can hand-feed the giraffes.

Pride of Blackpool

Two enclosures, the first housing a pride of African Lions (a male named Wallace and three females named Jasmine, Rachel and Gillan) and the second housing a single, male Siberian Tiger named Zambar.

Amazonia

A large, walk-through enclosure opened in 2006, that houses several South American animals, including Squirrel Monkeys, White-Faced Saki Monkeys, Goeldi's Marmosets and various species of ducks and other birds including the Black Curassow.

Wallaby Walkabout

Opened in 2010, this enclosure houses Red-Necked Wallabies and both Grey and Red Kangaroos.

Children's Farm

Opened in May 2011, this area is aimed primarily at children, and offers hands-on experiences with several domesticated animals, including donkeys, pigs, rabbits, Llamas, chickens, ferrets, Pygmy Goats, Ouessant Sheep, reindeer, cows and geese.

Other Animals

Other species in the Zoo's collection include Red Pandas, Meerkats, Bactrian Camels, Oriental Small-Clawed Otters, South American Tapirs, Aardvarks, Mountain Zebras, Bongo, Red River Hogs, Cottontop Tamarins, Spider Monkeys, Bornean Orangutans, Great Grey Owls, Barn Owls, Von der Decken's Hornbill, Rainbow Lorikeets, Ostriches, American Flamingos, Common Peafowl, Emu, Eastern White Pelicans, Aldabran Tortoises, Egyptian Tortoises, Nile Monitor Lizards, Royal Pythons, Tiger Salamanders, White's Tree Frogs, African Land Snails, Hissing Cockroaches and many more.

Dinosaur Safari

A walk-through area with over thirty life-size, fibre-glass statues of extinct animals on display. These include Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Tanystropheus, Dimetrodon, Spinosaurus, Smilodon and the Woolly Mammoth, among several others.