West Midland Safari Park 50 years on: Five decades of safari fun and conservation

Nestled near Bewdley, the park has been a refuge for some of the planet’s most endangered species.

Just a few weeks ago, Akuna, a Grévy's zebra, gave birth to her second foal: a daughter called Lola. There are only 3,000 Grévy's zebras in the wild, making this a profound win for the species.

Over the past five decades, conservation has only become more and more vital as species suffer the consequences of deforestation and global warming.

And places like West Midland Safari Park have stepped up to the mantle, making conservation work a pivotal part of their ethos.

The safari park opened on April 17, 1973, and just over a month later the attraction was graced with Hollywood royalty.

Hollywood icon Sophia Loren paid a visit to the park with her film director husband Carlo Ponti, and four-year-old son Carlo Ponti Junior.

She was presented with a lion cub which had been named after her, and was taken on a special minibus tour of the 280-acre site, briefly stopping to feed a giraffe.

When Sophia visited the park, the attraction had 447 animals and a ticket to get admission to the site would set you back just over £1.

The animal collection at the time included a tortoise, a cockatoo, 14 fish tanks and a pony, as well as the park’s very own guard dog.

Much has changed over the past half a century, including the opening of an array of luxury lodges, where guests can stay overnight in close proximity to breathtaking animals, including tigers and red pandas.

Other memorable moments in the park’s history included a couple from Rowley Regis who asked for a wallaby to attend their wedding.

Eager to oblige, Wally the wallaby donned his best bib and tucker, and greeted the happy couple as they emerged from the church. A few months later, they emigrated to Australia.

While the drive-through monkey jungle was popular with children, the mischievous creatures proved too hot to handle.

In 1990 a monkey nicknamed The Artful Dodger escaped from his enclosure, and was at large for 17 days before being captured in Bridgnorth.

A monkey hotline was set up for locals to report any sightings.

Andy Plumb was born in Bewdley the same year that West Midland Safari Park opened its gates and it has shaped Andy, who has worked there for 29 years, in more ways than one.

“I’ve lived in Bewdley all my life and had worked in horse racing as a jockey,” Andy said. “A job came up at the safari park working with wildlife, but it was just for a few months.”

Nearly three decades later, Andy is still at the safari park and loving his job, and both of them are marking their 50th year together.

It’s also where he met his wife, a former accounts manager at the park.

“It’s been a part of my life in a profound way, it’s changed my life. I met my wife here and we had children, we’ve been married for nearly 20 years.”

In February 1998, the elephants arrived at West Midland Safari Park, and a new love was introduced into Andy’s life. While horses and elephants are very different creatures, Andy had some intrinsic skills from his life as a jockey that bore him well with the elephants.

“It was a new love for me but what we did with the elephants was very similar to what I had done with horses all my life,” Andy said.

“Working with elephants one on one, there’s no other animal like it really. No other animal is as involved.”

The safari park currently has two elephants that Andy and the team look after: Sutton and Five.

It also has two male elephants who are now out on a breeding loan in Europe, where they have fathered children.

A typical day on the job for the small but intimate team looking after the elephants involves animal husbandry to ensure the welfare of the animals, which includes checking the elephants’ teeth, skin, bloods, weight, and temperature.

“It’s changed a lot from when I first started,” the 49-year-old said, “it used to shut for four months of the year when I first started and it was just us and the animals, which was quite nice actually. I enjoyed the early years here very much.”

However, working with any endangered animal brings anxiety into the wonders of the job, as zoos do everything they can to battle the existential threat to the species in their care.

Andy said: “We are always worried about them. Elephants are not faring well in the wild and they’re not faring well in captivity.

“We need to work together if they’re to have any chance of surviving. Otherwise our kids and grandkids will only be able to see them in books.”

Three long-serving humans who have helped shape the park's 50 years

Head of Wildlife Angela Potter is the safari park’s longest serving member of staff and the job has had a profound impact on her life.

Not only has Angela spent 43 years at the safari park, but she has lived there for more than three decades and even raised her daughter at the park.

Angela’s daughter, Shannon, is now 25 years old and teaches maths and physics.

Angela said: “There hasn’t been one single day when I haven’t wanted to come into work.” Her job involves running the wildlife team and collection, looking after both the animals and the keepers.

This means Angela takes care of new animals brought into the zoo and is responsible for exporting animals out to other collections for breeding programmes.

“I’m normally the first person in for the day and the last to leave,” Angela said. “It’s a lot more than a job for me. It’s not just a job, it’s my life.

“I had my daughter here and she grew up at the safari park. It’s been really nice, it’s a really nice way to bring up a child.”

“You don’t ever take it for granted. Seeing these animals, you still get that feeling of awe.”

Head of Creative David Powner from Penn, Wolverhampton, has worked at the safari park for 35 years.

The 59-year-old is head of creative at the park, which includes overseeing a range of artistic responsibilities such as design, graphics, and photography. With so much going on David’s is a very busy job, which includes monitoring lodge and enclosure developments.

One of his projects involves talking with planners as the park works on a new development for its hippos. “It’s gone from what was a small safari park to one of the major wildlife parks in the country,” David said. “New owners came in and we saw a quite dramatic growth in the park and in the way we have moved forward.”

David said: “The job suits me down to the ground as I’ve got such a passion for animals. I just love the rhinos and the elephants.

“But one of my favourite parts is that the team’s great and my days are spent with really lovely people.”

Engineer Sarah Pitt has worked at the safari park for 28 years, starting the job fresh out of school.

The engineer from Bewdley started working at the park at the age of 12 as a guidebook seller.

But the attraction gave her the opportunity to embark on a career she has enjoyed, developing greatly over many years.

The 47-year-old said: “I’ve always been interested in cars.

“And when I finished school at 17, they offered me an apprenticeship here.

“Working with the animals is great and very enjoyable. It’s brilliant. The range of jobs is the best part of it for me – no two days are the same.

“There’s a variety of tasks we do, which involves working outside, working on rides, vehicles, fixing animal pens.

“Everyone seems to get on and help each other.

“It’s changed quite a bit since I started here. Everything has grown.

“We’ve got the lodges now and the park just keeps growing and growing.”