A rescue sanctuary in Lincolnshire with over 250 wild animals in its care works together with European federal governments and authorities to safeguard animals from the exploitation of the unique family pet trade.
Ark Wildlife Park was established and opened in 2016 by Jamie and Michelle Mintram at West Fen Lane in Stickney, near Boston.
Standing throughout 12 acres with over 250 wild animals in its care, Ark Wildlife Park is called as the very first rescue zoo in Lincolnshire.
Arctic Foxes are among the more popular animals at the website. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Jamie (48) and Michelle (41) deal with police, councils, border patrols and even nationwide federal governments throughout Europe to mark out on the questionable unique family pet trade – where harmful wild animals are made use of for monetary gain of traders throughout the world.
They state that the unique family pet trade is the 3rd biggest money manufacturer worldwide of organised criminal offense, behind drugs and weapons.
Origin stories of these animals vary from the heartbreaking to the astounding, and the consistency of these events tend to accompany emerging patterns in pop culture.
The most harmful of all, according to Jamie, was Netflix’s inescapable 2020 series Tiger King, which is implicated of glorifying and promoting Joe Exotic’s practices of breeding and keeping huge cats.
The park is home to Lynxes, Servals and Bobcats, with Caracals coming quickly also. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“When we first opened we never received any calls about big cats”, Jamie said. “Then all of a sudden, Tiger King is released and still to this day we get at least one call a month about a dangerous wildcat which needs to be rescued.”
The very same can be said of the enduring Compare the Meerkat advert for CompareTheMarket.com, which has actually led to an increase of meerkats at Ark Wildlife Park after individuals saw adverts and presumed they would be cuddly family pets – which unconditionally is not the case.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has actually likewise added to this, rather. The Guardians of the Galaxy movie legend saw Rocket Raccoon end up being a household name, and regrettably led to increasingly more individuals taking in raccoons as family pets without doing their previous research study.
Terrapins that were discovered at Skegness Boating Lake were taken in by Ark Wildlife Park, consisting of one with an unique tire mark scar on its shell, from when it in some way endured being run over by a car.
The macaques are lastly residing in peace once again after years of laboratory screening. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A number of Rhesus Macaques have actually discovered a much more secure home than their previous environments, where they served twenty years as laboratory monkeys with electrodes strapped to their brains.
They are naturally really mindful around people as an outcome, and keepers needed to use chemical boiler fits in their very first conferences with the macaques, in case any laboratory screening left them with harmful illness.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Barbary Macaques have actually given that followed the 2 Rhesus Macaques to Ark Wildlife Park, offered their own pen to live at after among the Barbary’s was discovered chained by the neck inside a garage.
A typical style among this is the ill treatment of these animals from owners who plainly didn’t do their research study into the requirements of securely keeping a wild animal.
Serving as rather the shock for law enforcement officer, this crocodile was discovered in a drug dealership’s bath tub in Manchester. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
This was never ever more apparent than when Ark Wildlife Park were called about a crocodile that had actually been discovered by authorities throughout a drugs raid in Manchester.
The croc, which naturally exists in saltwater conditions, was discovered drifting in a bath tub of cold faucet water prior to it was given safety and taken in by the wildlife park.
The website’s most recent arrivals are South American animals called kinkajous, which likewise have a distressing story of poor treatment to opt for their journey to Lincolnshire.
Ark Wildlife Park owner Jamie Mintram with among the kinkajous in their nighttime house. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The 4 charming little rain forest mammals discovered their method into the hands of an infamous animal trader and breeder, who hopped from European borders to strike offers for his series of unique animals.
He was robbed by Spanish authorities, who took the kinkajous after it was discovered that they had actually been residing in dreadful conditions and brought them to a zoo in Spain.
Ark Wildlife Park was then gotten in touch with about real estate the animals, and they set to deal with developing a customized center for the kinkajous to call home.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
That has actually now opened to the general public, implying you can peek through the glass at these terrific animals in a now safe and more natural surroundings for them.
The nighttime house is thought to be the very first of its kind in Lincolnshire, and Jamie says it reveals the quantity of effort and financial resources needed to take care of an unique animal like this.
He said: “How many individuals established a nighttime house to keep their unique animals which are expected to sleep throughout the day and be awake in the evening? With all the appropriate lighting and heating?
“It’s certainly not a cheap proposition looking after them, which is something that is overlooked by those in the exotic pet trade.”
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Visiting Ark Wildlife Park isn’t practically experiencing these stunning animals, however. There is a lot for youths to do, whether it be checking out the brand-new interactive dinosaur park, using the soft backyard or conference more domesticated animals, such as charming bunny rabbits.
Ark Wildlife Park is open 7 days a week from April, however up until then it closes on Mondays and Thursdays. It is open from 10am to 4pm every day, encompassing 5pm closing time throughout the summertime.
Admission tickets can be purchased from the Ark Wildlife Park website, costing £35 for a family pass, or £10.95 per grownup and £8.50 per 3-15-year-old.
MyLocal Lincolnshire is the brand-new home of The Lincolnite. Download the app now
