More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Families went wild for the reopening of Wingham Wildlife Park today but despite their inner excitement, the park's main curator said the site maintained a very relaxed feel.
The animal attraction on the outskirts of Sandwich welcomed its first visitors in 10 and a half weeks, operating with a new maximum capacity of 500 people.
Comparatively, that's a tenth of the number it would usually welcome on an average Bank Holiday Monday.
But keen visitors have been so well behaved that animal collections curator Markus Wilder BSc is already pushing to increase that number.
He told KentOnline: “It's been absolutely brilliant but if anything it has been a little bit quiet. Everybody has behaved themselves and followed the rules so well.
"We were worried that people would turn up without booking a time slot and such, but it's run more smoothly than we envisaged.
"I think it's because families are used to the social distancing now that it's felt very relaxed. We wanted to dip our toes in but we will certainly be looking to increase numbers."
Wingham Wildlife Park, which houses the largest number of animal species out of all wildlife parks and zoos in Kent, has been closed since March 23.
Following the Prime Minister's announcement that zoos and outdoor attractions such as safari parks could reopen today, it has introduced a strict one-way system and visitors must pre-book tickets.
There are 14 time slots from 9am until 3.30pm spread across each day. People must arrive during their slot, rather than ahead of it, but those running late can email ahead and still be permitted.
There is no restriction on the length of stay so people can remain at the park until it closes at 6pm - and buy a toy from the gift shop if they wish.
Other changes include the continued closure of its children's play area. With 50% of furloughed staff still off, Mr Wilder confirmed there are no animal experiences or talks.
A video on its Facbeook page shows families what they can expect:
Mr Wilder added: "We’ve been waiting a long time for this as the past 10 and a half weeks have been a real struggle for us.
“I’ve tried to keep up to date with guidance from the government and also industry organisations to keep our plans on track, which means we were ready to open with plenty of social distancing measures in place to ensure that people can come out and have some fun outside, in a safe and positive environment.
“I think judging from what people say on our live streams, a lot of families need this opportunity too.”
As it stands, visitors are not be required to wear face masks, but depending on government guidance, they could become mandatory.
South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay visited Wingham Wildlife Park ahead of the re-opening.
He said: “My inbox has been filled with emails from constituents eager to see Wingham Wildlife Park back open again and I’m delighted that family groups can visit all the wonderful animals that Kent’s fastest growing wildlife park have to offer.
“This is great news for Kent, great news for South Thanet and great news for Wingham.”
