Visit To Port Lympne
A few weeks age, my partner and I visited Port Lympne Wild Animal Park & Reserve, here in Kent. We were gifted the tickets last Christmas and our visit included a gorilla feed and truck safari.
So, as you can imagine, we were excited to experience the thrill of feeding these mighty Western lowland gorillas. The family included a silverback, adult females and young males, with the youngest being only three years old. We had to make our way to the roof-top for the midday feeding, which included cucumber, yellow peppers, lettuce and chicory. They actually get fed up to seven times daily.
What fascinated me is how they all knew their place in the pecking order to be fed, not straying from their ‘spot’, even if a stray chuck of cucumber landed within a few feet. One particular gorilla held her arms up to catch whatever was being thrown; these apes are so intelligent.
After we’d thrown all the food and they realised they weren’t getting any more, some of them made their to the rear of the enclosure to pick nettles to snack on. The keeper told us they prepare the nettles so as not to catch their mouths and get stung.
Afterwards, we had some lunch then boarded the truck for our safari experience. Unfortunately, the heavens opened and most of the animals decided to stay in their indoor enclosures. I don’t blame them; we got drenched even with a cover on the roof of the truck! A couple of brave giraffes stayed outside, along with a hippo, who seemed to be enjoying rolling around in the rain.
Despite the weather, It was a great experience and we had a fabulous day.
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