HOME FORUMS PBASE KIDS CONTACT US MICK EDWARDS early SONIA REILLY TAXIMAN early TAXIMAN mid TAXIMAN late TAXIMAN final Terry Bobrowicz "Crew" of 76 Terry Bobrowicz Poolside STOCKLIST 1992 GO WILD GO WINDSOR QUICK QUIZ HOME FORUMS PBASE KIDS CONTACT US MICK EDWARDS early SONIA REILLY TAXIMAN early TAXIMAN mid TAXIMAN late TAXIMAN final Terry Bobrowicz "Crew" of 76 Terry Bobrowicz Poolside STOCKLIST 1992 GO WILD GO WINDSOR QUICK QUIZ

SONIA REILLY's photos CONTACT US       FORUMS       PBASE Welcome to the new home for Windsor Safari Park - resited in the summer of 2008 after five years with fasthosts Okay, now we are somewhere else so I recommend that you look to your left at the left hand column menu. This lists the premier areas of the site and if you have any Windsor Safari photos up your sleeve, particularly the Safari Vehicles on site and the Park 1982 - 1992 then PLEASE contact us with your photos!! Lioness on the rock. Commentary on this page has kindly been provided by top Windsor Safari Park expert Tiger1. 'Tiger1' worked at the park for 5 years between 1988 - 1993. He worked with the big cats as deputy head of carnivores. I now have the pleasure in printing out his comments, alongside the photos on this page, which were all kindly provided by Sonia Reilly, another star Windsor Safari Park employee. The Lioness resting on the rock is "Red Tag". She was quite a formidable character and was seen as quite a handfull by most of the pride. She was often getting into scraps with the other girls but was a tough nut to crack. She moved to a safari park in the midlands along with the rest of the pride upon Windsors closure in 1993. She eventually died in 1995 after a particularly vicious attack from the other females. Two young lions on the rocks Two young Lions rest on the rocks and watch the world go by. Little do they know that they are resting on remains from the original London bridge. The bridge was bought many years ago by an american. Dismantled and shipped over to Arizona where it was rebuilt in the desert. Ironically it does not span a river but is dry beneath it. The remaining "leftovers" eventually found their way to Windsor, where they were stacked for the lions, tigers and baboons to play and rest on. John Child ! LOG ONTO HIS SITE RIGHT HERE for more cartoons and to contact him view his thread! SONIA REILLY I knew Sonia quite well. I worked closely with her former husband with the big cats. Sonia worked with the childrens zoo and education centre and she raised many young animals including lion cubs, chimps and baboons. We would often go over to pets corner to see the lion cubs and play with them. It was amazing to get a feel of how small and vulnerable the young cubs were, then to go back to the adults and see how strong and ferocious the cubs would grow up to be! Sonia did a great job in raising many young animals during her time at Windsor. One particular animal I remember, was a baby baboon. His name escapes me now, but I do recall him being particularly mischievious. Sonia would have to put a nappy on him which required much skill, and a hole for the tail!. You can see this "little monkey" further down the page!

DATING become a zoologist! OLD OLD FORUMS falkor videos WALTON ART DATING become a zoologist! OLD OLD FORUMS falkor videos WALTON ART

        Here we see some of the Baboon troop playing on the rocks, (also from London bridge).
All the troop would be closely watched by the lead male.

During my days at Windsor this was Big Sam. He would take no prisoners in the event of any mis-conduct.
He protected his females with great vigour and woe betide any other male trying to muscle in on his harem.

With teeth three inches long and jaws powerful enough to crack a skull you didn't want to mess with him.

Cleaning these animals was definately not for the faint hearted either.

With 90 + animals having access to a small concrete house and a diet of fruit, veg and occasionally meat, the stench was, well, overpowering to say the least!! We would don our wet weather gear and a face mask and go in with pressure washers blazing. We would come out, well, very wet and very smelly, but very satisfied. Not a job for people with a weak stomach and I have known new staff to quit after just 20 minutes on the job. One lad not realising that he would actually have to clean the cages! he thought he would be sitting around all day watching them. He had a smelly wake up call. He left the same morning! I do remember the occasion when the new enclosure was ready for the Baboons. It was decided the safest and quickest way to transport them, without the stress of darting over 90 animals, was to entice them all into the Lion feeding cage. The cage was adapted with small doors and reversed up to the baboon house. The doors were opened and the entire troop went into the cage. 90 + screaming Baboons, in a cage, stuck on the back of a landrover was then driven across the park to their new home. Cage groaning and vehicle swaying the Baboons made it to their new enclosure. The doors were opened and the entire troop were released. In one fell swoop without any darting the entire troop was moved. Hats off to those that planned it. Oh, and "Big Sam" maintained his authority throughout!

"Go Wild at Windsor (1988)" view the 11 minute clip!

we have 11 minutes of the video including Tigers, Lions, Birds of Prey Show, Butterfly House, Elephants, Giraffes and the Killimanjaro Toboggan Ride

Here we see two of the Windsor elephants. The Asian elephants seen in this picture soon moved on to Port Lympe in Kent shortly after I arrived.

They lived in harmony with an African elephant in an enclosure behind the Lion reserve. Soon after the asians moved away, a new enclosure was built in the heart of the park with a state of the art house with heated quarters and a large paddock with a 20 foot waterfall and river running through it.

There was also a large overhead viewing platform. Flamingoes would have a run at one end of the enclosure. This is where the african elephants would stay until the closure.

My fondest memories of the elephants would be with Masai and Kora. Masai was such an incredibly gentle creature who would hug you so gently with her trunk and Kora was so cute. A young elephant who became very sick. The care that was given to these elephants by their keepers was second to none. During Kora's sickness the staff would be at the house 24 - 7 to ensure she was as comfortable as possible.

I spent many hours there myself helping when I could. A bond formed between the staff and animals I have not seen since. When the Elephants moved away when Windsor closed one of the staff moved with them and continued with the highest level of care. Sadly both Masai and Kora have passed away but their memories live on.

Here is one of the many Bactrian Camels. (Bactrian has two humps and Dromedary has one hump).

This camel is currently in his winter coat and would soon shed this in the spring.

During this process it would look so messy, many would think it was out of condition but this is not the case. The hair would fall off in large clumps and leave a terrible mess all over the reserve. I have known people phone up the park and ask for us to collect the hair for them so they could spin the wool and make jumpers. A pretty smelly process but a warm one.

And here is Sonia with that naughty little baboon >>

Although how sweet does he look sitting on Sonia's shoulder?

Thanks to Sonia for taking the photographs viewed on this page. Memories that are kept alive in print. A time of life that could have drifted away has been relived over and over thanks to her pictures, and the pictures of all the contributors to this site. Best wishes to all who visited Windsor Safari Park and especially to all those who worked there.

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