West Midland Safari Park

West Midlands Safari Park stands in Bewdley, Worcestershire, on the edge of the Severn Valley. It opened in spring 1973 as a small collection of former circus animals. The park now holds more than 165 species, including the largest groups of white lions, cheetahs, hippopotamuses and meerkats in the UK. A drive-through safari winds through heathland recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The park also runs the Ongava Research Centre in Namibia, working with Save the Rhino and the University of Cape Town. The park is worth the journey for its conservation work and firsts in British zoos. It was the first UK safari park to display all five of the African big five game animals. In 2004 it became the first European zoo to breed white lion cubs. The park also achieved the first UK birth of an African elephant by artificial insemination in 2014. Its cheetah and dhole enclosures sit within a larger heathland restoration project. Visitors find a mix of safari drives and walk-through areas. The African Plain shows southern white rhinoceroses beside Rothschild’s giraffes and Ankole cattle. Cheetah Plains is the UK’s largest drive-by cheetah reserve. Penguin Cove keeps Humboldt penguins in a pool with a semi-submerged beach. Discovery Trail brings visitors close to small creatures like lesser hedgehog tenrecs under staff supervision. Reptile World displays species from king cobras to Cuban crocodiles, while SeaQuarium holds exotic fish such as Asian arowana and red-bellied piranhas.