Who is the owner of Port Lympne?
Since 1984 the animal parks have been owned by a charity (The John Aspinall Foundation, currently led by Damian Aspinall). The collection is known for being unorthodox, for the encouragement of close personal relationships between staff and animals, and for their breeding of rare and endangered species. Since 1984 the animal parks have been owned by a charity (The John Aspinall Foundation, currently led by Damian Aspinall).Since 1984, both parks have been owned by the John Aspinall Foundation, a charity.The Aspinall Foundation (formerly The John Aspinall Foundation) is a British charity that promotes wildlife conservation. It was set up by casino owner John Aspinall in 1984 and runs the two zoos he established, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park and Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England.Since 1984, both parks have been owned by the John Aspinall Foundation, a charity.
What to expect at Port Lympne?
There’s so much to see and do at Port Lympne Reserve, we recommend around 3-5 hours to experience everything the 600 acre reserve has to offer from endangered animals, walks with stunning views and historic landscaped gardens to good food and even a little retail therapy in our Gatehouse Gift Shop! Your ticket to Port Lympne includes a 45-minute truck safari through our stunning reserve. Hop aboard and spot Kent’s only spectacled bears, giraffes, water buffalo, herds of deer, and so many more incredible animals. PortLympneSafari #portlympne #kentdayout.Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve offers a unique family adventure like no other zoo! Set in over 600 acres, you’ll see big cats, small cats, primates, gorillas and many more animals before discovering life sized prehistoric creatures in Dinosaur Forest!On arrival at Port Lympne Reserve, you’ll be warmly welcomed and meet your keeper. Spanning six hours, you’ll work alongside them participating in hands-on activities such as feeding, cleaning, and enrichment creation. Throughout the day, you’ll learn all about the reserve’s global conservation efforts.
Who owns Port Lympne?
Both Howletts and Port Lympne have been run by The Aspinall Foundation since 1984. He lived in the house and set up a private zoo, Howletts Zoo, in the grounds. In 1973, because of need for further space for his collection of animals, Aspinall bought Port Lympne near Hythe, Kent. He opened Howletts to the public in 1975, and Port Lympne Zoo in 1976.Both Howletts and Port Lympne have been run by The Aspinall Foundation since 1984. The zoos are known for the encouragement of close personal relationships between staff and animals, for their breeding of rare and endangered species and for the deaths of keepers who have been killed by the animals in their care.Damian Aspinall took over Port Lympne and Howletts when his dad John – its wealthy founder – died in 2000. Ever since his focus has been on breeding gorillas and returning them to the wild. And his mission has already had success -across Howletts and Port Lympne, 120 gorillas have been born and 77 still live there.
What is the closest town to Port Lympne?
Port Lympne is approximately 5 miles from the seaside town of Hythe and approximately 9 miles from Ashford in Kent. The park is situated over a combination of flat and hilly ground with a safari ride on reconditioned army trucks, plus a variety of walking zones. Howletts is the smaller and flatter of the parks at 90 acres and is therefore more accessible. Port Lympne lies in 600 acres of hilly terrain and as a result is quite steep in places. There are, however, selected routes suitable for wheelchair users. We recommend Howletts for our disabled visitors.
Which is better Port Lympne or Howletts?
Howletts is the smaller and flatter of the parks at 90 acres and is therefore more accessible. Port Lympne lies in 600 acres of hilly terrain and as a result is quite steep in places. There are, however, selected routes suitable for wheelchair users. We recommend Howletts for our disabled visitors. Children 0-2 years of age are admitted free of charge to Howletts and Port Lympne along side a fully paying adult ticket or annual pass holder. Children aged 16 years and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks reserve the right to refuse admission.