Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Hale, Milnthorpe,
Cumbria LA7 7BW
Tel: 015395 63027
About Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is situated not far from Hale, Milnthorpe, in Cumbria, and is a family attraction rich in British and overseas animal and plant life that can be observed throughout the year without the weather putting a dampener on things. An enjoyable and enlightening family day is guaranteed, the family attraction’s position is truly advantageous, being in the centre of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty adding to its lustre. And that’s more, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is only a five minute ride to the M6.
An out of the ordinary mixture of exotic species and state of the art hands-on displays, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis ticket holders can take a virtual step back through 3 billion years of life’s evolution. Lakeland Wildlife Oasis spotlights how it emerged across the globe, with a range of exhibits from fossils to computers, as well as a variety of some of the planet's most endangered species, which the subject of the institute’s world-renowned breeding endeavours.
Equally a classic family attraction and a conservation ground-breaker, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis fosters public interest in and appreciation of the natural world about us, while taking a front role in schemes that aim to preserve wildlife and their threatened environments. Therefore, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is just the ticket for visitors who seek to broaden their knowledge on addition to having a grand family day out.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis outlines the progress of evolution by the medium of models and 25 or so interactive displays, besides the panoply of live animals on show, ranging from starfish, snakes and chameleons, to monkeys, flying foxes and poison arrow frogs. Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ entry hall looks at how life might have begun and features single cell organisms that exist all around us now. Their biology can be studied thanks to microscopes and other kit on hand in the hall.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis ticket holders can take in the delights of The Aquarium, where projection microscopes pinpoint the activities of numerous waterborne exhibits. Among the inhabitants of the tank are freshwater and sea-going fish, including extraordinary species like the odd African lungfish and mudskippers, as well as fleets of strange fish that live as much on land as in the water – not something that you’d get at any old family attraction! Among the hands-on displays that ticket holders can get to grips with is one that allows users to make a souvenir fossil rubbing.
Folliwng the evolutionary trail, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ Butterfly House boasts a mini tropical jungle, adding colour to a family day by virtue of its exotic flying butterflies and insects. A big pull for ticket holders is the colony of South American leaf cutter ants that transport leaves, petals and other detritus down a suspended rope walkway to their abode. There, they cultivate their staple diet of mushrooms.
Other attractions at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ Butterfly House are some colossal tropical millipedes, tarantulas, stick insects and weird plants such as the giant Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Oleander, passion flowers and palms.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ Tropical Hall is awash with jungle undergrowth and fauna, including numbers of birds and fruit bats that have a metre-width wingspan. The Hall’s interactive displays provide an unusual opportunity to "Design your own Mammal", and a "Whale Weigh" station. Over and above all these features, there are tons of reptiles like the Lizards lounge dwellers, an open-enclosure with regular "Meet the Reptile" staff expositions, providing ticket holders with the prospect of getting up close and personal with iguana, python and chameleons – worth the price of the ticket alone if you like things that slither!
Amphibians get a look in at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ Tropical Hall, including the world’s most endangered frogs, the mini orange mantella of Madagascar, the bizarre axolotls of Mexico, and vivid-toned poison arrow frogs from Central America.
On the plant front, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ Tropical Hall has some stupendous Nepenthes (picture plant), bromeliads and other air plants, orchids, epiphytes (bark growing species) and hibiscus flowers.
Mammals at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis include tree shrews, pygmy marmosets and Earth’s smallest monkey species, whose antics always perk up a family day out.
Dinosaurs and birds take a bow in the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis Aviary walk-through, with a star billing going to the waldrapp ibis, of which only 120 survive in the wild. They share their abode with the similarly rare Java peafowl, plus hordes of spoonbills and demoiselle cranes. Small aviaries house other species like the super-rare pure white Bali starling. For twitchers, it’s worth the price of a ticket alone.
Ticket holders on a family day out can additionally admire the Patagonian hares, muntjac deer, and the rarely-seen fossa - the greatest carnivore of Madagascar. It looks like a puma with a distended tail, which its uses to balance while hunting lemurs in the Malagasy tree tops. It's one of the world’s most endangered species and Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ are the only individuals in the north of England. They’re a component of an international breeding effort that aims to forestall their extinction, as are their neighbours, the lemurs.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis’ recently unveiled South American Safari walkthrough features groups of cotton-eared marmosets, squirrel monkeys and agoutis. Also a popular sight on a family day out to Lakeland Wildlife Oasis are meerkats that dart about their enclosure under a transparent dome, while the monkey house is a-chatter with squirrel monkeys, tamarins and breeding marmosets.
A ticket for a family day out to Lakeland Wildlife Oasis also opens up the way to a children’s animal stamping trail, free parking, the Creature Comforts Café, Gift shop, Picnic areas and disabled access, making it a family attraction that everybody can enjoy. Additionally, pre-booked birthday parties take in a touch-tour of the Oasis and a chance to hold some of the family attraction’s exotic species. As an extra treat, visitors can take on the mantle of Keeper for a day, tending, feeding and interacting with a host of creatures, thus acquiring some insight into the workings of the zoo for a fraction of the price charged by bigger institutes.
Lakeland Wildlife Oasis welcomes school groups with a touch tour in the indoor parts of the Oasis, lasting for some 90 minutes. A staff guide highlights things like species classification and camouflage, with work sheets provided.
Enlightening but fun exhibits at Lakeland Wildlife Oasis also include an insect design game using a "bugatelle" rolling ball– not something you’ll see on any old family day out! Visitors can also attempt to snaffle some plankton to make a fish finger, walk the Evolution Trail, dig into a tool chest in the walk-through aviary or construct their own virtual genes - all making for a top family day out at the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis.