UK safari park announces new attraction opening this year

2022: The year of the safari park

West Midland Safari Park has announced the opening of a brand new attraction this year that will bring guests up close and personal with some big animals. The popular summer holiday day out, which opened in 1973, is introducing a walk-through experience that allows attendees to walk with the parks biggest attractions. While similar experiences are already in place, this will be a first for the UK. Currently, visitors can enjoy the park's Discovery Trail and get up close and personal with penguins, red pandas, sea lions and bats. However, the new installation will also include walk-through experiences for more impressive beasts like lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and tigers. [caption id="attachment_312095" align="alignnone" width="920"]

A CGI rendering of the experience[/caption] But it doesn't stop there. While the walk-through experience will undoubtedly draw tourists from across the UK, new lodges are also in the process of being built. Despite the West Midland's already having eight lodges in total, those being in the elephant enclosure and cheetah habitat, the new focus is turning to giraffes and rhinos. The plan was announced last month and they are due to open in April with plans already submitted for Sumatran tiger lodges. Each open-plan lodge can house five guests and comes with balconies, outdoor seating areas and of course, enormous windows to view the animals. On-site chefs will deliver breakfast and can also prepare dinners. "This will see new habitats, housing and facilities being built for our giraffes and white rhinos, enabling our brilliant team of wildlife keepers to continue the high standard of care they provide for our animals," Managing Director Chris Kelly said last year.

"Alongside the new animal facilities, we will be installing eight new lodges, four of which will offer spectacular views of the white rhinos, with the other half bringing you face-to-face with our beautiful giraffes, from the second-storey balconies."