Knowsley Safari Park

I recently went on a trip to Knowsley Safari Park, these are some of the images I captured on the day.

Above: Californian Sea Lion

The Californian sea lion is the cliche circus seal obligingly balancing a ball on its nose and jumping through hoops, of which both were demonstrated. In the wild however, the California sea lion is sleek and faster than any other sea lion or seal, some can top 25 miles (40 kilometers) an hour. They are also rigorous hunters and can hunt continuously for up to 30 hours, each dive lasting 5 minutes.

Above: Blackbuck Antelope

The blackbuck is a small, delicate antelope from the open plains and dry forests of Pakistan and northern India, and the Punjab in the west across to Bangladesh. Due to excessive hunting and the destruction of their habitat, their numbers have been much reduced. Today there are more blackbuck in Texas where they were introduced for hunting than in India.

Above: Bongo

At almost six feet (two meters) high, the mountain bongos are the largest of all forest antelopes. Although they are notoriously shy, they sometimes freeze in place when in distress, making them easier to catch and as a result they are a highly endangered species. They originate from west, central and east Africa.

Above: Giraffe

Giraffe networks are now only found in north-eastern Kenya, eastern Sudan and Eritrea. Their overall height of around 4.57m (15ft) and excellent eyesight allows them visual contact with others in the herd, which can be spread over 0.8 km (1/2 mile).

Above: Olive Baboon Family

The Olive Baboons belong to the Old World order of monkeys and are very intelligent, leading a highly regulated social life. Baboons themselves are omnivorous, however they are also sometimes prey to carnivores such as lions and leopards. Baboons have powerful canine teeth and can be fierce, and the threat of several of them combining together to attack is enough to keep most predators away.