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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you've driven through a safari park...

138 replies

whothehellknows · 30/03/2015 10:02

Did the monkeys really try to eat your car? I'm driving a hire car until mine is fixed, and I'm not keen to return it with missing wipers etc. Is all that just a myth, or should I not do it?

OP posts:
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frankie001 · 30/03/2015 10:03

I wouldn't do it in a hire car. You do have the option of not driving through that section depending on which park you are going to.

MarthaMonkeynuts · 30/03/2015 10:04

No, it's not a myth. They do pull bits off (often the aerial) and chew them, and memorably, once, poo on the sunroof Grin

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 30/03/2015 10:05

We never went through the monkeys enclosure for this reason, we never fancied having the car wrecked just in case they did pick it apart.

Sparklingbrook · 30/03/2015 10:05

No monkeys at our nearest one. They all died apparently. Sad

TBF we drove through and didn't see a huge amount of animals, and put about 4 years of wear on the clutch.

Hope yours is a bit better.

passmethewineplease · 30/03/2015 10:05

I wouldn't do it in a hire car.

My sister had her Ariel pinched.

Mrsjayy · 30/03/2015 10:05

Oh no don't go through in a hire car any damage will need to be paid for by you. We have a monkey footprint on our car roof from long leat

TarkaTheOtter · 30/03/2015 10:06

If it's longleat you can bypass the monkeys.
Our car got hoofed by a deer too though so that's something to watch out for.

Molichite · 30/03/2015 10:07

We took the bus round Longleat and saw baboons ( I think) take a couple of parking sensors out of the car in front.

If it's longleat you're going to I would really recommend taking the bus. The driver was fabulous, gave us the names and life stories of loads of the animals, lots of anecdotes, and it was a lot more fun than driving round ourselves saying "look, a lion!".

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 30/03/2015 10:08

My brother had his rear bumper pulled off by a lion. Was roaring in at us through the window, then followed us as we moved off and went for the fucking car.
Horrible places.

livsmommy · 30/03/2015 10:08

We went a few weeks ago and watched them peel the black seal thing from the top of the window of the car next to us and run off with it, definitely not a myth!

Original poster
whothehellknows · 30/03/2015 10:09

It's Woburn, so I think we can skip the monkeys. considers borrowing exH's car for the trip

OP posts:
LotusLight · 30/03/2015 10:11

We went through in Longleat with no damage. I did find it a bit dull in places and you could not go as fast as you needed because of other cars ahead but on the whole we enjoyed it. Mind you you see a lot more and a lot closer up on youtube which is a bit cheaper too.

Sparklingbrook · 30/03/2015 10:11

Phew. Not my local one then in the West Midlands. Wink

Mrsjayy · 30/03/2015 10:11

Most of them let you bypass now

PuttingouthefirewithGasoline · 30/03/2015 10:12

100% do not do it, when you think right - nothing can go, its all secure, you can guarantee they will find something!

ChocolateCherry · 30/03/2015 10:13

Omg yes. Years ago we drove through the monkey enclosure at Longleat. You can avoid it if you want, but Dh insisted because dd would love it.

We had a rear trim/spoiler thingy across the back of the car. They destroyed it. Dd was hugely entertained for all the wrong reasons watching Dh trying to get the car out (and probably learnt lots of interesting new words from daddy too Grin).

It was an older car, but we still had to repair it. The monkeys are hugely strong, bigger than I imagined close up and very clever. It's also quite scary actually as they can target a car and pull it apart Shock.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 30/03/2015 10:14

The Woburn monkeys aren't as bad as the longleat ones. I reckon the longleat monkeys have done courses in mechanics Wink

We also had our bumper bitten by a tiger at longleat. We were quite proud of the gnaw marks and left them there.

LuckySaint · 30/03/2015 10:14

I went to one last year and the monkeys pulled off my rear reg plate.A nice man with a big stick got it back for me, but I wouldn't risk it in a hire car.

Sparklingbrook · 30/03/2015 10:15

There's a video on You Tube somewhere of a couple of monkeys mating on someone's bonnet at a Safari Park. Sad

BigfootFilesHisToesInYourTea · 30/03/2015 10:17

I've driven through a few times and been fine, never in a car that I cared too much about though.

On one occasion we followed a white hatchback which was obviously someone's pride and joy (customised with spoiler and fancy trim etc). The monkeys were merciless. It was not pretty.

ChocolateCherry · 30/03/2015 10:17

Also if the monkeys have selected your car and there are cars in front of you and behind you're effectively boxed in with no exit. And accelerating forward and slamming on the brakes to get them off makes absolutely no difference as Dh now knows.

Ilovenannyplum · 30/03/2015 10:18

Woburn monkeys stole our aerial Hmm

Sparklingbrook · 30/03/2015 10:21

I now don't understand why anyone would drive through the monkey enclosure. Confused

SnotQueen · 30/03/2015 10:21

Sounds like these Longleat monkeys have been building a Frankenstein car somewhere and are planning an escape!

butterfly2015 · 30/03/2015 10:22

We went to longleat last year and the monkeys snapped off the rear wiper. The car in front left with no parking sensors and had all the rubber trim stripped off the roof.

It was great though. We had them all over the car, hanging off the mirrors and the kids absolutely loved it.

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