T E N E R I F E ’ S O N LY Issue 668
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W E E K LY N E W S PA P E R
03 September 2010 - 09 September 2010
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German TV series having a Loro fun! TOP Tenerife tourist attraction Loro Parque was transformed into a real TV studio for six months - for the Germans! The parrot park, in Puerto de la Cruz, has become the main stage for a long-running series on German TV, which starts on Tuesday (7th September), at prime time. The daily show, to be broadcast on the country’s leading station, ARD, will reveal how the animals live. It will also depict the dayto-day happenings behind the scenes of the most recognised environmental park in the whole of Spain. The TV series, filmed between January and June, of this year, will be shown at prime time from next Tuesday (7th September). Leading roles in this huge project are all played by the park’s animal inhabitants, supported by resident biologists, veterinarians and keepers. A spokesperson for the company which shot the series said: “We have captured first-hand the beauty and majesty of the park, and the different activities that are operational every day. “We have combined these stories with the Island landscapes, and its outstanding eco-systems and natural parks. “We have also emphasised the privileged climate enjoyed by the animals and people involved.” It is such a shame the series is not being shown on a local Tenerife channel because it really does show the Island at its sunniest,
colourful best. Yet such is the splendour that it could entice more German tourists, especially families, to the Island. Altogether, 40 one-hour episodes have been recorded in high definition, with the best technology avail-
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able, to ensure the success of the huge project. The Germans flew in a complete production team and spent half the year recording, producing and even editing the series, directly in the park. The spokesperson added: “We did the entire produc-
tion at Loro Parque. It was something exceptional and we have never before carried this out in similar productions.” Patricia Delponti, Director of Communications at Loro Parque, said: “This series is a great boost for the international promotion of our island. “It has also been a great, dedicated effort by the German team, and we are convinced that with the high quality of its content, and its unique settings, it will become a real magnet for
attracting visitors to the island. “It shows our excellence in facilities, environmental responsibility and beauty in every landscape, scenery and the activities promoted in the series.” Loro Parque began life in 1972 as a zoo featuring 150 parrots. It now boasts 3,000, with over 300 species, and is acknowledged as having the most important collection in the world. But the park is far moved from those early days because it is now home to dolphins, sea lions, gorillas,
chimpanzees, tigers, flamingos, alligators, sharks and many other attractions. It also has the world’s largest penguin population living in the Penguinarium, which displays a reproduction Antarctic climate and has 12 tons of snow falling every day. Such is the variety, and number of shows featuring dolphins, orca whales and sea lions, that Loro Park is rightly regarded as the second biggest attraction in Tenerife, after Mount Teide. Continued on page 4.