14/01/2019
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AT LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE PARK
In my role of FSB Membership Advisor, I always enjoy meeting business owners and am always really interested to learn about what they do and about their plans and aspirations.
But... Sometimes, you don’t always appreciate what the day may bring forth…
I recently had an amazing opportunity to visit new FSB Member – Steve Nichols who owns and runs Lincolnshire Wildlife Park located at Friskney, in between Boston and Skegness.
The Wildlife park does not purchase any of the residents that live there but is a sanctuary for those that would probably otherwise have been destroyed, had Steve not provided a safe haven for them. Over the years the park has grown, and Steve has worked tirelessly to ensure that the largest and best equipped spaces are available for all of the animals, so as to be able to continue the great work that the Park does and have the capacity to cope as more animals need help.
The wildlife park is the home of the Parrot Zoo Trust, a charitable sanctuary, with the largest collection of Parrots and Parakeets in the world, being home to over 1000 individuals comprising of over 100 different breeds, which is one third of the UK Parrot population, providing care and also re-homing birds when they need help.
The Park is also home to 11 Bengal Tigers – the largest single collection in the UK, Black Panther, Pumas, Lemurs, Marmoset Monkeys, Meerkats and Reindeer to name but a few! There are a wide range of other birds, animals and reptiles making up the guest list, all of whom are obviously well cared for and valued as individuals.
Steve is widely regarded as an expert in his field nationally and Derren Brown is the patron of the Parrot Zoo Trust.
Steve kindly took time out to show me the Park and also afforded me a fantastic opportunity to go behind the scenes with the Bengal Tigers.
I was really impressed by the organisation and security that is in place to protect the animals and the staff and totally blown away by the chance to get so close to these amazing big cats. Beautiful hardly covers these powerful and imposing creatures but to hear them breathe and look so closely at them at (just over!) arm’s length was truly fabulous!
I would recommend that you pay the park a visit when you get a chance and see for yourself.
Full information about the Park, the animals and visiting are available at:
www.lincswildlife.com
Lincolnshire Wildlife Park
https://twitter.com/ParrotZoo
Thank you Steve and all the staff at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, wishing you all continued success for 2019!
