Wildlife at close quarters

THE term 'wildlife park' is, of course, an anomaly in Britain, as the `life' usually resident - be it lions or tarantulas - does not, by any stretch of the imagination, run 'wild'.

But at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, `invisible' enclosure boundaries and sympathetic plantings of vegetation to match animals' native environments give visitors the impression, in many cases, of wildlife roaming free and all the animals exude a remarkable sense of wellbeing and contentment.

On arrival at the 160 acres of parkland and gardens, it actually appears that there are white rhinos and zebras wandering free in front of the 19th-century, gothic-style manor house. In fact, their prairie-style enclosure is discreetly bordered by deep ditches - completely safe but no mean thrill when a rhino seems to be running towards you.

The park aims to show its collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates in a way which helps visitors understand what is special about them and how they have evolved to survive in very different habitats.

The meerkats, for example, are housed in a gritty, arid-looking enclosure to reflect their native Namibian landscape and the effect is extended by spectacular nearby outdoor summer plantings of cacti and succulents.

The meerkats' exhibit is bordered by a wall so low even young children can peer over to see these fascinating crowd-pleasers dig, feed, sunbathe and chase each other at really close quarters.

A group of meerkats always sends one of its number to the highest local vantage point ­ in this case, the branch of a dead tree - to look out for predators, so while later watching a hawk wheel in the sky during a birds of prey flying display elsewhere in the park, we speculated about the pandemonium temporarily created in that arid corner of the walled garden.

Among other creatures in the walled garden are otters - very vocal during our visit, easy to view and in impeccable condition - and penguins. The latter are fed twice a day and during the ensuing scrabble for fish, the keeper gives a short and interesting talk about the birds, their natural environment and requirements when in captivity.

Horticulture is very important at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens and the results achieved are impressive. Avocados have fruited and in the tropical house, the fruiting of bananas has led to the breeding of the bird `white eyes' (Zosterops) - particularly welcome, as they dispose of mealy bugs, which are often the scourge of hot houses.

Among the other animals to see are camels, lions, leopards, red pandas and giant tortoises, while on a smaller scale, there are more that 200 fruit bats in the bat house.

This is a really spectacular exhibit. The bats can be viewed either at ground level or from above and not only perch on branches in the middle of the `house' but also right on the windows you look through.

Unlike many species of bat, fruit bats actually have quite appealing faces and this, together with a good close-up look at their antics (no blood sucking!) hopefully does much to address the negative perceptions many have about bats in general.

If you are brave enough to face the bats, then you will probably also enjoy the insect house and reptile courtyard where, among other things, you can see a colony of leaf-cutting ants, scorpions, red spitting cobra and Chinese water dragon.

For the less adventurous, the children's farmyard has many breeds of domestic mammals and birds which, unlike their less familiar counterparts elsewhere in the park, are happy to be handled. In fact, some of the pens have been designed to enable children to reach through and stroke animals such as goats, and afterwards, there are good facilities to wash hands.

Speaking of facilities, the toilets are plentiful and very clean, the park is more than amply provided with drinks kiosks and even in the height of the season you are unlikely to have to fight for a bench to sit on, as there are a huge number.

The park is small enough to walk around comfortably in a day and see just about everything, though there is a narrow gauge railway to give you a grand tour if you prefer.

Extra activities include brass rubbing in the former dining room of the house, so you can take an animal, albeit a waxy one, home with you.

All in all this is an excellent value family day out and it is a pleasure to see such thoughtful care of the `residents'. If you were an animal in captivity, you couldn't do much better than here.

Fact File
Cotswold Wildlife Park Burford
Tel: (01993) 823006
Fax: (01993) 823807
Website: www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

• Location: On the A361, 18 miles north of Swindon.
• Open: From 10am every day except Christmas Day
• Admission: Adults £7; children aged three to 16 years £4.50, under threes free; senior citizens £4.50. Season tickets available.
• Parking: Free
• Dogs: Welcome on a lead.
• Facilities: Large restaurant, three refreshment kiosks and a sandwich bar, extensive lawns for picnics; plenty of well-kept toilets with easy access for the disabled; two gift shops, one just for children; free use of invalid chairs; public telephone.