Buyagift blog

Our Buying team recently returned from a crazy whirlwind adventure to Paradise Wildlife Park. They knew that they were going to get to see all kinds of amazing animals, but what they didn’t know was that this day would change them all forever…

Let’s get one thing straight about animals: they’re awesome and the best thing about our visit to the zoo was the chance to learn about the animals, whilst tickling their tummies or feeding them grapes!

Steve told us all about the preservation work the ‘Park was doing, took us on a gentle stroll around the animal habitats, and dropped a couple of absolutely cracking cat related jokes. He fed a massive tiger called Rocky right in front of us, showed us the actual tiger from the first episode of Jonathan Creek and was generally incredible; if you do get the chance to go on one of our Big Cat Keeper experiences, request him by name because he is hilarious, and he had a pretty rugged kind of survivalist “vibe” going on which was outstanding.

 

We also got to tickle tapirs, which was adorable. You kind of pat them on the tummy and then they flop onto the ground and grin while you scratch and rub and generally sort them out. Alex and Clem were well into it, and I’m pretty sure we have photo evidence of that, so even if both of them wish to renege on their “I don’t care, take a picture of me sprawled across a prehistoric cross between a horse and a pig” chat: too late – it’s been blogged.

Everyone was desperate to meet the red pandas by this point, not that the rest of the ‘Park wasn’t amazing, but Tim had been mouthing off about how cute they were (gosh, as if we didn’t know Tim). Barry ushered us all into their little enclosure and we fed grapes to them and it WAS THE BEST. THING. EVER.

And that was our day at Paradise Wildlife Park. We laughed, we cried, we found some mind-blowing wolf related merchandise in the gift shop, and everyone had a ruddy-bloody good time. Thanks a bunch to all the people who showed us around, stuffed our brains full of knowledge and our stomachs full of delicious blueberry muffins.