APRIL FOOL!

If only – but we were just kidding! April Fool!

Bringing the magic of Maidstone Zoo back to Kent Life!

Nearby Cobtree Park is best known locally as the site of Maidstone Zoo. This was Sir Garrard’s Tyrwhitt-Drake’s private collection of animals which was opened to the visiting public from Spring to Autumn each year between 1934 and 1959.

The 1939 programme lists thirty six kinds of animal including bears, camel, cheetah, chimpanzee, deer, elephants, kangaroos, lions, llama, yak, zebra and wolves. There were also numerous types of birds, fish and reptiles. Apart from the exotic animals there was a stud of cream ponies, one of only two in the country.

The zoo grew in size – a 1949 site plan shows about 120 cages and paddocks covering about 10 acres.  The wolves and foxes were kept in the natural setting of the woodland and a Pets Corner with small animals was set up for children – not dissimilar to todays “Farmyard Friends” area at Kent Life.

A miniature railway with a petrol-powered ‘steam’ engine and two carriages ran on tracks and we are working hard with our volunteers to reinstate this, running from today’s Cobtree Park to us here, at Kent Life.

But perhaps the most exciting news is the plans to bring a small family of elephants to Kent Life. We have taken advice from local experts and are currently drawing up plans to develop unused grazing areas to house them. Our zoo license application has been submitted, and we are confident the new arrivals will be made to feel at home here.

We are aware that we need to prioritise the health and well-being of our elephants, and that we must provide the space and socialisation that these animals need in order to thrive. By doing so, we are sure they will provide a unique and educational experience for our guests, while also contributing to the conservation of these majestic giants.

Watch this space – we will keep you updated with our progress!