West Midland Safari Park's new Ice Age exhibit to open this week
The UK’s largest Ice Age exhibit, costing £1.25 million, is set to open in the Midlands on Friday.
Ice Age is an immersive, multi-sensory experience, which will allow guests at the West Midland Safari Park to step back in time and walk among the magnificent creatures that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.
The project has three distinct and interactive time zones and also features an enormous rumbling volcano and huge atmospheric ice cave, both of which can be walked through by explorers.
Complementing the Land of the Living Dinosaurs that opened in 2015, Ice Age continues the prehistoric journey and shows life on Earth after dinosaurs became extinct.
The exhibit, located in the Discovery Trail, begins at the start of the Cenozoic Era nearly 65 million years ago and features more than 20 life-sized species of mammals, the majority of which are animatronic.
These moving, breathing and roaring creatures include a giant ground sloth, menacing hell pig and a herd of ginormous mammoth.
Intimidating guests as they embark on their adventure, a ferocious smilodon will guard the entrance to the exhibit among rock work, with the Ice Age lettering emblazoned underneath.
Also known as a sabre-toothed cat, the smilodon is one of the most fierce and recognisable prehistoric animals, with canine teeth of up to a foot long to aid in precision killing.
Neil James, project manager, said, “We are extremely proud of our new exhibit, which has taken over six months for us to create, install and complete.
"We have called upon international expert manufacturers and sculptors to create these magnificent creatures and their animatronic attributes, making them seem as life-like as possible.”
“The biggest challenge for us was installing the huge volcano without giving away too much.
"Although we had several setbacks due to the cold weather, the build has been very successful and we have utilised a previously unused space.
Guests will be able to experience the significant climate changes the planet underwent millions of years ago to the present day; from volcanic lands and lush greenery, through to barren landscapes with vast
ice sheets stretching across large parts of the Earth.
Park developers began the project over two years ago, with a vision to tell the story of how plants, animals and geography have changed over millions of years, including the effect of man’s influence on the planet.
