Just a few of the animals we saw last week at the Peak Wildlife Park near Leek.
Meerkats - great fun to watch. I think the photo bottom right of the collage should be entitled 'Alexander and Sergei begin their journey to the centre of the earth'. Apologies to those readers who don't know of the Meerkat adverts here on British television.
Fluffy Wallabies, their fur bushed out because it was so cold. It seems apt to have wallabies here as up until about twenty years ago there were wallabies on the Roaches in the Staffordshire Mooorlands and many people still remember seeing them. They first arrived in the mid 1930s when Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Courtney Brocklehurst established a small private zoo in Roaches Hall, Upper Hulme. Information from a label on on 'Wally' found in Lud's church 1st December 1993, now in a glass case at the top of the stairs in the Nicholson Institute and Library in Leek.
Humbolt Penguins, charming creatures even though the aroma of their fishy dinner was overwhelming. There is an area where you can watch them swimming underwater. The little visitors and their parents loved them and the viewing area was always busy.
A whiskery Otter of the Asian short-clawed variety. When we last visited the Peak Wildlife Park there was one lone, male otter who had lost his mate. Eventually, another one was found for him and when we visited there were now five otters in the little family.
There were three of these sheep in the paddock but this one seemed to take a shine to us and came down to the fence to meet us. I think they are Swiss or Valais black-nosed sheep. They have such cute faces.
Ring tailed lemurs - we spent ages watching them and their antics. There were also black and white ruffled lemurs and black lemurs, interestingly as with blackbirds the female is brown. The latter two types were quite shy but the ringtail lemurs made up for that and played to the crowd - well us and two others.
Last but not least fluffy bunnies. I do like a fluffy bunny and these were huge! Each one had its own little home.
Hard to choose a favourite from these but I think the Otter would have to be at the top of the list.
