Zoo Trip #60: Marwell Wildlife (Thur 11 May 2017)

I had a late start for this trip to Hampshire as I had an eye test for new glasses in the morning in Chippenham and then had to drive home for my camera bag as I'd forgotten to put it in the car. Consequently it was 1420 hr before I reached the Hawk Conservancy Trust, where I stopped off to buy a coffee, eat my picnic lunch beside the vulture enclosures and have a wander round looking at the birds on display (see Extra for Danebury, one of their star Bald Eagles), and 1600 hr when I arrived at Marwell Wildlife, only just in time to get in as last entry is one hour before closing (1700 hr) - luckily I didn't know this or I'd have had a very stressy journey!

The final couple of hours of their opening hours are actually the best as the hordes are mostly on their way out and the animals are becoming more active as the temperature drops. I concentrated on looking at the big cats - the Amur leopards, Amur tigers and snow leopards, and saved some time by catching their road train as far as the leopard enclosure. The tigers had just been fed and I got good views of the male in his half of the enclosure and the mother with her three cubs (now a year old) in the other. In passing I also saw the cheetahs from the train carriage and okapis, meerkats and penguins.

As we were evicted at five there were some delays getting past the M3 and onto the A34 in the rush hour but it was a fast journey after that and I stopped in Newbury for much needed coffee and cake.

My membership expires in a week or so but I hope to get another trip in before then and spend a little longer.

L.
13.5.2017 (2013 hr)

Blip #2105 (#2355 including 250 archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #009
Blips/Extras In 2017 #156
Day #2604 (514 gaps from 26 March 2010)
LOTD #1340 (#1466 including 126 on archived blips)

Zoo Trip series
Marwell Wildlife series
Hampshire series
Tigers series

A Day In Hampshire, 11 May 2017 (Flickr album of 47 images)

Taken with Pentax K-50 (Red) and Pentax HD P-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR lens

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Bob Marley - Redemption Song (1980)
Robert Nesta Marley, OM (6 February 1945, Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica – 11 May 1981, Miami FL)
Redemption Song (Wikipedia page)

One year ago:
Smokey 1519 hr