A BABY boom at Knowsley Safari Park has left the paddocks echoing to the sound of tiny and not-so-tiny feet.
More than 100 baby animals have been born in recent weeks as the attraction experiences its annual population explosion and park bosses say that, with more on the way, this season’s final total could be as high as 130.
Safari Park general manager, David Ross, said: “I’ve been here 38 years, and I can say hand on heart that the park is now looking better than I’ve ever seen it before.”
Top spot in this year’s breeding league table is occupied by the Pere David’s Deer, who have produced 23 fawns, closely followed by the axis deer, with 20 new additions.
The Pere David’s, in particular, are a real Knowsley success story. Critically endangered in the wild, they are breeding in such numbers in Prescot that the park has been able to “export” groups to other attractions.
Elsewhere in the park there are 18 baby meerkats, 13 red lechwe antelope fawns, 11 bison calves, six eland antelope calves and six baby baboons
