Knowsley Safari Park bosses are predicting that a big increase in lion numbers at the attraction will help to make their 39th summer season the best-ever.
The beginning of April and the Easter weekend traditionally mark the start of the busiest period of the year at Knowsley, which is the only safari park in the North West and one of only five in the UK.
Thanks to the successful rearing of several litters of lion cubs in recent months, the Knowsley pride has now swelled to more than 20 strong, the biggest in its history.
Safari Park General Manager, David Ross, commented: ³I¹ve been here since the park opened in 1971 and since day one the opportunity to get Œup close and personal¹ with the big cats has been the essence of the Safari Park experience.
³I¹m sure that the sheer number of lions we now have in the Knowsley pride will prove to be the biggest wow factor of the summer with our visitors.²
The birth of three white rhino calves over the past nine months has also made the park a European hotspot in terms of breeding this rare species. The trio of Œbig babies¹ - Flannery, Cara and Kimba - are now all on view together for the first time.
The park has also just welcomed a dozen new ostriches - including six rescue birds - increasing the Knowsley flock to 18.
In addition, Knowsley now has two breeding groups of meerkats, a species that is riding high in popularity at the moment thanks to Alexsandr, star of a current high-profile TV commercial.
2009 will also be the first full season for Knowsley¹s new £600,000 sealion enclosure - which includes underwater viewing facilities - and for the park¹s free-roaming group of marmoset monkeys.
Meanwhile, several popular features return for the main season including bird of prey displays and the Knowsley amusement park which features several new rides this year.
David Ross added: ³It¹s all systems go for the summer. This is the week that we unveil our new features and welcome back our peak-period attractions.
³There¹s a real buzz about the place as staff put the finishing touches to the improvements that have been made over the winter, and the weather should be getting warm enough for all our animals to be out in the paddocks again.
³What¹s special about this season is that there¹s a general feeling about the park that our Œproduct¹ is better than ever this year, thanks to our new developments, recent high-profile animal births and of course ever-popular attractions like our baboons.
³For this reason, all the staff are looking forward to welcoming large numbers of customers old and new over the coming months.²
Mr Ross also pointed out that in the light of the current economic situation, admission prices for this season have been pegged at their 2008 levels.
The Knowsley chief hopes this will help the park to build on its recent success. In the12 months to the end of December the attraction welcomed 523,000 visitors, matching the 2007 figure which was the highest since 1972, the first full year the park was open for business.
Knowsley Safari Park is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. For more information ring the 24-hour information line on 0151-430 9009 or visit its website at www.knowsley.com.
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