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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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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Trinpy · 30/03/2015 10:24

The one we went to they said not to stop the car going through the monkey enclosure because they will attack the car. Unfortunately, the idiots in front of us thought it would be hilarious to stop their car for ages at that point so we got attacked too . The second we started moving again they left us alone though.

manchestermummy · 30/03/2015 10:24

Knowsley monkeys weed all over my car, and smashed banana on the windscreen.

Do not enter in a hire car!

GunShotResidue · 30/03/2015 10:26

Longleat monkeys sole some rubber trim stuff from our car, and the little water squirter on the bonnet (I'm actually quite good with cars, but my mind gone blank and I can't remember what anythings called!)

We followed a big brand new BMW through last time and they seemed to go for that even more, maybe because it was so shiny.

At West Midlands you don't drive through any monkeys, or at least not when we went two years ago. It was much cheaper than Longleat too.

Mrsjayy · 30/03/2015 10:26

We bypassed the next year we went they have bits of cars displayed as a warning before you drive in

BrieAndChilli · 30/03/2015 10:26

We went through in our old banged up mondeo as it had an ive bash on the side, scrapes etc so didn't care, monkeys ripped the seals from around the windscreen, Aerial etc.
next time we went in my (new to me) zafira. We had decided in advance we wouldn't do the monkeys, got there and DH said "they aren't doing any damage today, monkeys are well behaved" kids begged to go trough so relented. Money's were good but one fell off the back and ripped the rear wiper off in the process. Not happy!

Housemum · 30/03/2015 10:28

What do they do for people who can't drive? Is there a minibus/shuttle through the enclosure that you could do instead? (I've not been to a Safari Park since Windsor which ages me a lot as Lego has been there for about 20 years now! They used to have zebra print shuttle buses)

Original poster

whothehellknows · 30/03/2015 10:29

See, this is helpful. I should set up a business hiring out old bangers just outside a safari park, so that people can drive them through without having to worry!

OP posts:

Bumpinthenight · 30/03/2015 10:30

It's the rhinos you have to worry about at West Midlands Safari Park Sparkling

londonrach · 30/03/2015 10:31

But the important question....what are the monkeys doung with these bits of cars.... (Cross with parents who refused to take us anywhere where animals were caged when younger...)

Stinkylinky · 30/03/2015 10:32

My stepdads brand new Merc got trashed by monkeys at Longleat when I was a kid. He wasn't impressed.

Superexcited · 30/03/2015 10:33

I have been to Knowsley a few times and never go through the monkey enclosure. We usually sit outside the monkey enclosure and laugh at everyone who has driven through and is getting their cars wrecked. Windscreen wipers, bumpers, aerials, window seals, number plates are just not safe around monkeys.

RedToothBrush · 30/03/2015 10:41

Monkeys have an amazing skill for going for the most expensive, newest or well kept/loved car in the enclosure rather than the old banger.

I think its probably down to them being the most shiny. So a regularly valeted hire car would have a target painted on its side.

Chuck a bucket of mud over it and you'll be laughing.

Sparklingbrook · 30/03/2015 10:43

Aww poor sad face Vicky Bump.

I hope WMSP has got significantly better than last time I went, it really wasn't great.

mariamin · 30/03/2015 10:44

We have driven through a few times and never had problems. But we did see one car having its aerial taken off by two monkeys. They do seem to target a particular car, so odds are it won't be yours. But if it is, they can cause a lot of damage.

Songofsixpence · 30/03/2015 10:48

I wouldn't do it in a hire car.

We went round Longleat in a hire care and gave the monkeys a wide berth, having been round Woburn and the little sods peeled a black rubber seal thing out of our roof.

I wasn't convinced the damage waiver that DH took out would cover destruction by monkey

heronsfly · 30/03/2015 10:50

Longleat monkeys got our aerial and pulled off half the number plate last year, dd1 wasent impressed,it was her car and we all laughed !

Sidge · 30/03/2015 11:00

We had the parking sensors poked out of our car by the bastard monkeys!

Does anyone remember that clip in a comedy show (I think it was Not the Nine O'clock News) where the family in the safari park got their car picked apart by the monkeys, they were all laughing, then the camera pans back and there is a stripped out car with 4 skeletons sat in it?

meglet · 30/03/2015 11:05

last time we went (dad's car) there was a mummy monkey holding a dead baby monkey on our car. I was pregnant and needed a wee and the whole damn place was gridlocked (high summer).

go in autumn when it's quieter and you won't get stuck in traffic.

ScotsWhaHae · 30/03/2015 11:09

This is hilarious! I did think it was a bit of a myth!

My 'local' safari park is Blair Drummond and they don't have any monkeys or primates that you drive through, they are on an island that you get a boat out to.

The rhinos freak me out though!

ChocolateCherry · 30/03/2015 11:25

As an aside, when we went to Longleat years ago we were given a tape to play whilst we drove round. 'To the left you will notice the tiger enclosure...blah blah etc.'

Even though it made no real sense listening to it outside of Longleat, it strangely became one of Dds favourite tapes and for ages after she'd ask to listen to it at home . Maybe she was hoping those blimmin monkeys would reappear

MissMogwi · 30/03/2015 11:29

They will have a go at your car! We went to Knowsley (you can take a car safe route) and they pulled the spray thingies off the bonnet. I have an excellent video of DP doing his nut while me and the DC laugh our heads off.

A minibus next to us was destroyed. Trim pulled off, number plate, the lot. The kids on board were loving it, the teachers/staff not so much.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 30/03/2015 11:30

The Woburn monkeys weren't too bad when we went there last time. However, it was cold so the monkeys were just hitching a ride on the bonnets to warm up.

I wouldn't risk it in a hire car.

GaryBaldy · 30/03/2015 11:34

ohmyactualgiddyaunt · 30/03/2015 11:35

Twice. Both at Knowsley. The first time they pulled off the back number plate and the second a rubber roof seal thing. If we ever venture back it will be the monkey safe route for us.

MarjoryStewartBaxter · 30/03/2015 11:36

Knowsley monkeys are evil, Manchester . Last time we went we bypassed the monkeys and drove around outside the fence. We watched them descend on a car and rip various bits off before one giant male sat at the bonnet facing the driver with a "yeah, what are you going to do about it?" stare as they drove through the remainder of the enclosure

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