It’s a half-term jungle out there – so go wild over the wildlife

I spent an enjoyable afternoon at West Midland Safari Park, sans kids,
recently. At Birmingham’s answer to the Masai Mara you can drive
yourself around spotting the lions, elephants and 163 other species, or
take a guided bus tour.

On the Discovery Trail my wife and I
watched the sea lion theatre, slithered through the reptile house and
screamed through the creepy crawlie exhibition. All very educational and
great fun for youngsters.

Brockencote Hall, a pretty lakeside
manor house hotel in rural Worcestershire, is barely a 15-minute drive
from the Safari Park and is including complimentary tickets in a special
two-night half-term break.

If you feel like monkeying around on the
South Coast, Mortons House Hotel in picturesque Corfe Castle offers a
similar two-night deal with free entry for families at Monkey World, in
nearby Wareham.

All the delightful residents of this ape rescue
centre were saved from abuse or neglect around the world and it’s a real
pleasure to see them enjoying themselves at last in deepest Dorset.

You
can meet 240 primates representing 16 different species, from chimps to
gibbons. I was relieved to learn that ‘Gordon’s orang-utans’ refers to a
happy family of apes – and not the last government.