West Midlands Safari Park gears up for new season with rhinos

Staff at West Midland Safari Park are gearing up for a busy few months after the attraction officially opened for the season.

Until Saturday the site had been open to visitors only at weekends but is now open every day through to November. And one of the attractions proving popular with visitors is the Realm of the Indian Rhino.

Two Indian rhinos — five-year-old Sophie and two-year-old Rap — arrived at the park near Bewdley last February.

It was the first time the park has hosted the breed since it opened 37 years ago. The pair settled into the enclosure, which includes central heating, beds made of bark and a heated indoor pool.

Staff at the park are eagerly awaiting the opening of its African Village which will be ready to welcome visitors by Easter.

It is a walk through exhibit showcasing African village life and it includes an area where people can feed Somlian sheep, pygmy goats or Cameroon sheep.

One of the largest walk through lemur exhibits in the UK will also be opened over the next few weeks.

Earlier this month the park welcomed the arrival of a new baby which was celebrated as a boost to a project to save the world's rarest species of deer.

The young animal, called Philamena, is a Philippine spotted deer — a now-rare species with only around 300 left in the wild.

West Midland Safari Park director of wildlife Bob Lawrence said the park's new season had got off to a good start and very busy on Saturday. The last few weekends have been exceptionally busy.