AT the Lake District Wildlife Park, there are so many different animals that if we asked you to choose a favourite you might find it difficult to decide.
We know from our regular visitors that some of the most popular animals are zebras, tapirs, gibbons, lemurs, red pandas and otters.
Others admire Bill the bald eagle, and some are just in awe of Urma the four-metre long Burmese python.
The keepers struggle to decide on a definite favourite. They love all the animals that they care for, but they can often have a ‘favourite of the day’ based on how they are behaving!
Over the next few weeks, we will tell you all about some of our favourites and why. Our education officer Lucy is lucky enough to work with most of the animals at the Park and is fond of all of them - but she has real soft spot for the giant African spurred tortoises.
There is something mysterious about these gentle giants that is hard to describe, and she has been fascinated by them from a very young age. She was extremely lucky to meet Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island Galapagos tortoises and has snorkelled with green turtles.
The Galapagos and the Aldabra are the largest island tortoises, but the Giant African spurred is the largest mainland tortoise.
At the Park, Fred is the largest being around 60 cm in length. He still has some growing to do and could reach up to one metre. However, it is Margaret who is Lucy’s favourite because she is so friendly.
She is inquisitive and will even try to climb on your lap when you feed her. She may not be the cuddliest of animals, but she has a good try!
Lucy is also amazed at how fast Margaret can move. When she gets walking, she can reach speeds of up to 1mph. During the reptile talks, she will demonstrate this especially if she spots the colour red, such as red wellies! It is thought that tortoises are drawn to bright colours and as Margaret is partial to the odd tomato, it is easy to see why.
Lucy enjoys explaining to visitors how amazing these animals are. It is so rewarding to see how much people love getting up close to these gentle giants.
Margaret and Fred live with four other tortoises, Tulula, Donatello, Raphaelo and Michaelangelo.
They have a new outdoor house currently under construction and so keep an eye on our website and social media feeds to find out when they will be moving in!
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