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Original poster

To be worried about the drive through safari?

109 replies

slipperandleggings · 14/08/2021 13:48

Anyone been?
Do the animals really wreck your car? Kids are begging to go but I'm worried about loosing a mirror!
I know we can walk a different route but they really want to drive... just risk assessing before booking!

OP posts:
OnceUponAMidnightBeery · 14/08/2021 23:10

Many years ago (back in the 1980s or 90s) we went to one of these.

Monkeys sat on the car but no problem. We went onto the next safe stage, very hot day, DM wound her window down.

DSis and I watched, keeping quiet from the back seats, as a massive moose came up behind her, stuck it’s head in the window, and snorted down her neck.

I think we’ve still got the camcorder footage/photos somewhere....

Emmelina · 15/08/2021 00:43

We’ve never had stuff taken off our cars, but they’ve always gone for the car in front so I think it may either be luck or our bits just being on very securely!
At Longleat you can skip the monkeys. The other animals there don’t touch you.

XenoBitch · 15/08/2021 00:46

Was years ago... went to Longleat and went through the monkey bit in a car. They took off the fabric part of the roof (was a long time ago!) and both wing mirrors.
It was not even our car. Was borrowed from a relative.

WeAllHaveWings · 15/08/2021 01:02

Been years since we've been through a safari, not sure I would now. Last time the lions got very interested in a car in front and one grappled with and started chewing their front tyre, the rangers had to come up in their jeep and chase them away.

FlyingRabbitsAtNoon · 15/08/2021 01:05

On family trip as a child, a tiger bit our bumper. Some monkeys also tried to open the windows (they failed, thankfully).

Take a rubbish car (but no so rubbish that a tiger could successfully remove the door Wink)

PennyWus · 15/08/2021 03:05

Monkeys went to town on the car ahead of us! Older car with lots of trim, well at least it had lots of trim when they drove in...

Also last time I went to Whipsnade, I was picnicking on a hill overlooking the animal drive through. An arsey range rover driver was trying to get a good photo of a camel that was strolling across the road. Camel took offence, walked round side of vehicle, turned and thumped VERY hard with rear hoof. Hell of a dent in the panel!

Plumtree391 · 15/08/2021 04:43

You can tape down your wind screen wipers before going in the enclosure and push in/close your wing mirrors.

It is lovely experience and I'm not surprised your children are begging to go. The baboons are cheeky though. The lion generally tend to just look at you and yawn!

Chunkymenrock · 15/08/2021 05:35

There's usually a bus you can join to go through, rather than risk your car.

liveforsummer · 15/08/2021 05:56

Do these places have onsite car shops? 😆 How does one get home in the rain with no wipers or up the motorway at 70mph with an unsealed windscreen? Is 'monkey stole it' a reasonable excuse to avoid getting fined for not having a number plate? 😬

RampantIvy · 15/08/2021 06:56

I can confirm that the monkeys in Longleat are utter vandals. We went last month, and one leapt onto the rear window and started tugging at the windscreen wiper. As I was in the back I banged on the window, and the monkey jumped off.

swapsicles · 15/08/2021 07:32

A camel ripped off my wing mirror at west Midlands safari, decided my little car was perfect to scratch its backside on! It did rock the car a fair bit too but nothing I could do except borrow some duct tape from the nice customer services at the end

Kotatsu · 15/08/2021 07:42

Nothing happened to our car at Longleat, but a monkey ran onto the car in front, took the little ball off the end of their aerial, popped it in his mouth and ran away again... Kids loved it though.

I think I'd take the risk in my car, but if I had access to a banger, I'd take that instead.

Hallowbat · 15/08/2021 07:55

We did Blair Drummond the other day and the monkeys completely ignored the cars to our disappointment so we will try one of the above mentioned next time

Original poster
slipperandleggings · 15/08/2021 16:41

Thank you all so much for your memories and advice, it's made me chuckle!

So, we are off to Knowsley tomorrow as planned and DH is adamant we will drive through. I'm BRICKING it as the car has its MOT the next day 😂😂😂.

Anyways. I'll keep you all posted ....

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 15/08/2021 16:43

I can confirm that the monkeys at both Longleat and Knowsley know a good BMW or Merc to pick on.

Also do not go go through the Rhino enclosure at Knowsley in a Bentley as we witnessed once...

Shattered04 · 15/08/2021 16:58

We had an undamaged but entertaining time at Woburn in the monkey enclosure with a car roof full (one shat on the sunroof, so a win there!)

After that, I seem to recall we went in the tiger enclosure. DD (9ish at the time) did not realise that tigers usually don't behave the same as the monkeys, and absolutely lost it when one sauntered in our general direction! Grin

Though having now seen that lion video with one opening the door, maybe I shouldn't have been so complacent about the tigers to her! Wink

123feraverto · 15/08/2021 17:16

Longleat
Trip 1 - the monkeys have taken a minion I had hanging from the towing loop

Trip 2 - Monkeys pulled one of the windscreen jets off

Trip 3 - feeding the red deer when we ran out of food they kicked my car - no damage but could have

Trip 4 - monkeys pulled off the other windscreen wash jet , and lifted up one windscreen wiper

Trip 5- monkey just pooped on the bonnet

Each time they have chewed at my aerial

We've seen them rip off the rubber seals that run along the sides and the roof

We specifically take my car which is 17 years old - don't know what we'll do when I have a newer one

Ilovecaviar · 15/08/2021 17:40

West Midlands safari park is awesome, no monkeys, two lanes of traffic all the way round and plenty of close up opportunities. Long leat and Knowsley were awful, a lot of damage from the monkeys and really backed up queues of traffic.

impostersong · 15/08/2021 20:24

We did longleat and the monkeys pulled our car apart, avoided it the next time we went which was better. Though the deer were terrors - you can stop to feed them and they wouldn't let us leave. Kicked the car too.

So worth it though, would do it again, perhaps without the monkeys.

MancMum2000 · 15/08/2021 20:27

We were lucky at Longleat and just got a big piss down the windscreen! Guy behind had his antenna damaged though.

Looubylou · 15/08/2021 21:34

I last did one as a child in the 70's- I thought it was fab having monkeys all over the car - my parents less so. 😂

Kitkat151 · 15/08/2021 21:37

@slipperandleggings

Thank you all so much for your memories and advice, it's made me chuckle!

So, we are off to Knowsley tomorrow as planned and DH is adamant we will drive through. I'm BRICKING it as the car has its MOT the next day 😂😂😂.

Anyways. I'll keep you all posted ....

Last time we went to Knowsley the monkeys scratched our car🙄
Maskedrevenger · 15/08/2021 22:29

We went to Blair Drummond last month, we even went through twice, you can bypass the moneys if you want. The monkeys were all lying in the shade with no interest in the cars. It was very hot, not usual in Scotland, so they were maybe not as frisky as they usually are.

CharlotteRose90 · 15/08/2021 22:32

If your going to Knowsley and you have a big car like 4x4 do not go in the monkey enclosure. Go round the side bit. I’ve been in twice and it’s always the big cars the monkeys damage. My ex got his windscreen wipers and washers pulled out on our first date. My friend also went in her Fiat 500 and they ripped the fuel cap off.

LaBelleSauvage123 · 15/08/2021 22:41

This thread is reminding me of the Car Share safari park episode. Hilarious.

To be worried about the drive through safari?