Asian Adventure is the latest attraction at the award-winning adventure park and zoo bringing new and existing Asian animals together in the £500,000 custom built enclosure.
New to the Folly Farm family will be a pack of endangered Asian wild dogs also known as dholes and a series of birds including white naped cranes, great white pelicans, red crested pochard, mandarin and marbled teal ducks.
Asian Adventure will also be home to existing Folly Farm residents including the Chinese muntjac deer, Asian leopard cats and a breeding pair of red pandas, Lotus and Baika.
Part of a European endangered species breeding programme for red pandas, Lotus and Baika arrived at Folly Farm in September 2018 and have been living in a temporary enclosure while Asian Adventure was under construction. It’s hoped the pitter patter of baby red panda paws won’t be far off once they’ve settled into their new enclosure.
Tim Morphew, Zoo Curator at Folly Farm, said: “The launch of Asian Adventure is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work and dedication.
“The whole enclosure will take you on a journey through the habitats found in the Far East and by theming and replicating these environments, we’ve recreated a serene ambience that will hopefully add some zen to your Folly Farm visit.
“Significant research has gone into the design and development. We’ve included models of local fish markets, traditional music and replicated a typical national park.”
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Along with the new animals, four new habitats have been created and two have been upgraded to the highest standard. Replicating their natural habitats, these include bespoke climbing frames, ponds, underground dens to shelter from the sunshine and (more commonly) rain as well as trees and plants indigenous to the area such as silver birch and acers.
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Tim continued: “Our conservation partner for this enclosure is the Red Panda Network.
“Already we’ve donated £2,000, which employs a dedicated person to look after the red pandas in Nepal for a whole year. We’re proud to be sponsoring Menuka Bhattarai who was the Red Panda Network’s first ever female forest guardian.
“So, when you visit Asian Adventure not only are you learning about the environment and culture in the Far East but also contributing to the care and conservation of these endangered species.”
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “This is yet another exciting development for Folly Farm, the team are to be congratulated for refreshing and improving what the attraction has to offer its visitors – and this is one of the reasons why Folly Farm is one of Wales’ top paying attractions. I’m sure that the Asian Adventure will be a big hit with visitors this summer and wish the team a successful summer.”
