Work Set to Start on £1.5million Big Cat Home at Blackpool Zoo

Alyona the Amur Tiger at Blackpool Zoo

Work to build a new £1.5million home for big cats at Blackpool Zoo is set to commence in early May.

The Pride of Blackpool exhibition, which currently houses Amur tigers and African lions, will be extended and renovated to create a state-of-the-art facility designed around the specific needs of each species.

Increased indoor space and a larger off-show management area will be complimented by extended external paddocks and improved keeper facilities, which will enable the best possible care for the magnificent and endangered animals.

Visitors will be able to enjoy stunning indoor and outdoor views of the lions and tigers as they go about their daily business.

Works are expected to be complete in time for Spring 2023 and final discussions are underway as to where the current big cats will be moved to while the renovations take place.

Darren Webster, Zoo Director,

said: “We are thrilled to announce that we will soon be breaking ground on a new and improved home for our big cats.

“The house and outdoor areas have been meticulously planned out to secure the long-term future of big cat species at Blackpool Zoo.

“It is the latest in a series of significant investments in the last decade and each one improves the environment for our much-loved animals, dedicated staff and valued visitors.

“After two difficult years it is wonderful to make this exciting announcement and we look forward to watching this project become a reality in the coming months.

“It is particularly pleasing to be starting the work during our 50th anniversary, as it marks another very important milestone in the advancements of animal husbandry in recent years.

“Alyona the tiger and Wallace and Khari the lions are hugely popular with our visitors and I am sure lots of people will be coming to wish them bon voyage in the next few weeks.

“It’s time to look to the future while celebrating the past here at Blackpool Zoo and I am sure this summer will be the best one yet.”

Denise Mullen is a journalist, columnist, writer and entrepreneur.

THIS ONE’S FOR YOU LATIN LOVERS OUT THERE...

By Denise Mullen

Good friends of ours are incredibly proud of all three of their kids and rightly so. Not only are they bright, well-adjusted and talented, they’re fun to be around. The middle son is at Cambridge studying classics. Now, if, like me, you thought that might be something to do with old cars, gents’ vintage mock croc cocktail slip ons or even a cocktail, you, like me, would be wrong. Ancient languages. That’s what it is. And I have to say I hugely enjoyed watching the University of Cambridge’s Prof Mary Beard, Professor of Classics - and absolute belting TV presenter - translating some of the bawdier graffiti from the walls of an ancient Roman brothel. It was on some sort of Yesterday TV programme my husband made me watch (at least it wasn’t ‘Abandoned Engineering’). We understand, of course, that ancient languages are at the root of much of Europe’s modern-day versions. And the Italian language is obviously closer than most, given Rome is where Latin speakers hung their laurel wreaths and put their feet up. So, is it a bit like being a language mechanic? You know what’s under the bonnet, so that’s bound to help you work out the twiddly bits either side, right? Well, that’s certainly part of it, but apparently there’s other fun to be had. Said young gent had ventured abroad, to Rome as it happens, during a break from studying ancient scripts, and was soaking up the culture and the sunshine. A visit to the Sistine Chapel is an unmissable part of anyone’s itinerary if they’re ‘doing Rome’ so no surprise that this educated young man was keen to take the tour. A quick aside. Another young friend of ours, when touring Rome, this one has a first in a medical science-related subject, asked her fiancé on entering the Sistine Chapel ‘how many are there?’ He responded, ‘How many what?’ She pressed on ‘Chapels’. On seeing he still didn’t ‘get it’ she carefully spelled it out, ‘well if this is the sixteenth, how many other chapels are there?’ But we digress. So… As our ancient languages friend’s group wandered around trying to take in the staggering beauty of the place, a brightly clad Cardinal strode past, scarlet robes swinging, then doubled back to have a quick chat with their guide. Now our lad does speak French rather well, but not Italian. The Cardinal addressed the group and asked, in Italian, if anyone spoke his language. A knowledge of Latin allowed our young Englishman to reply, amidst the shaking heads, that nor did he, but he did - speak Latin. There then followed a long and lively conversation between the Cardinal and a Cambridge student from Lancashire, in Latin. Subjects ranged far and wide and the Cardinal was clearly enjoying himself. He was, he declared, absolutely thrilled to find a tourist who he could engage with in the ancient tongue. His parting shot, if that’s the right expression, as he gripped the younger man’s hand in a firm shake, was: ‘you know your Latin is very good but….’ our friend waited nervously… ‘did you know you speak it with an ancient Greek accent?’