New lions and a giraffe that's 'too short' - inside UK's oldest safari park as it turns 60

When Longleat pioneered the world s first drive-through safari 60 years ago it was an instant hit For the first time in Britain people could view wild predators up close and personal from the comfort of their own vehicles And while the big attraction at the estate was of course the mischievous monkeys would famously jump on cars ripping off windscreen wipers and tearing at roof boxes to the delight of children and horror of their parents It was Henry Thynne 6th Marquess of Bath who came up with the idea of a where people could drive through a pride of lions in their own cars to help save his enormous Elizabethan estate from mounting death duties and taxes And he was personally on hand to greet motorists and collect entry fees on the first day it opened in 1966 As well as being Britain s first drive-through safari park Longleat House was also one of the first stately homes to be opened to the public on April 1 1949 Now the home of the 8th Marquess of Bath its attractions also include a railway And while Longleat welcomes nearly one million visitors each year the idea of his happening was once unthinkable In fact the introduction of lions to the park in 1966 sparked such outrage that Parliament even discussed the risk of dangerous predators escaping into the Wiltshire countryside Working with renowned circus showman Jimmy Chipperfield Henry Thynne sourced the large cats from big game dealers in Uganda and European zoos Some of the original big cats were acquired from the set of the famous film Six decades on the park cares for 18 lions across two prides To mark the 60th anniversary Longleat has introduced two lionesses from the southern sub-species and guests are being asked to help name them from a shortlist of six possibilities drawn up by the carnivore keepers It is really exciting to have new lions arrive in our anniversary year says Darren Beasley head of animal operations When we opened in 1966 we were the first drive-through safari outside of Africa and to see lions prowling through bluebells is such a special sight and now to be creating a new pride is extraordinary These two girls have come from Denmark and are two-years-old We are looking forward to settling them in and getting to know them before looking for a male to join them And we know how much people enjoy seeing them in our safari Just remember to keep your windows wound up