advise for going to Longleat

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LongLensPhotography

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I am planning a trip to Longleat this weekend.

What are the things to look for / watch out for?

I will be taking 70-200mm f/4 + 1.4x with me. This is the best I've got. Would 1DsII suffice or would I rather sacrifice decent AF and take 40D instead for extra reach? How about shooting through car windows?
 
and monkeys pulling bits of your car............looks less scary then lions, but still nasty
 
I wouldn't worry too much about AF speed, you'll be lucky to see anything actually moving anyway. Except the deer and they will be sticking their heads through the car window for the feed, so something very wide might be good. ;)

The monkey pen is closed at the mo, so you're going to leave with your car intact. Also, get there early as last weekend, all that most people saw were the other cars.
 
I live only about 15mins from Longleat so happy to answer any questions you might have! Last time we went over there, the monkey enclosure was closed due to the monkeys picking up a bad case of herpes (I kid you not!). Even if it were open, I'd advise you *not* to drive through the monkey enclosure unless you're happy with your car being wrecked - the little devils can strip a car bare faster than an inner city gang!

The lion and tiger enclosure is worth driving through but as others have said, don't expect much in the way of action - they normally just loaf around doing very little. The lens combination you mention is ideal for this enclosure as the lions & tigers are within a reasonable distance of vehicles so you don't need a super zoom to snap them. Also, try not to go there on a hot day as they'll never move!! Although you're not supposed to do it, I'll admit that I do sometimes wind my window down a tiny bit to allow myself to shoot through the crack - naturally you do this at your own risk - these are wild animals, after all (and big ones at that!).

Hope all this helps! I'm probably going to pop over there again myself soon as I want to try out my new Nikon 70-200mm VRII :)
 
Bardo said:
Last time we went over there, the monkey enclosure was closed due to the monkeys picking up a bad case of herpes
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Several in this thread have already said not to f*** with the monkeys :lol:
 
Bardo said:
...Although you're not supposed to do it, I'll admit that I do sometimes wind my window down a tiny bit to allow myself to shoot through the crack - naturally you do this at your own risk - these are wild animals, after all (and big ones at that!).

...:)
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If a bunch of members went and did this, and were then eaten would it be classed as a TP meat?
 
"advise for going to longleat"

keep your head in the car when in the lion enclosure!!
 
baboons like packed lunches...

you may need a long lens
 
I read that wrong.... I thought you said "Baboons are LIKE packed lunches" and then was dissapointed with the lack of a punchline... so I shall make some up:

Baboons are LIKE packed lunches... you are always dissapointed when it turns out to be marmite and cucumber.

or

Baboons are LIKE packed lunches... really not what you want after they've been left in your car for 6 hours on a sunny day

:D
 
You could try for some "Sea Lions catching bits of dismembered fish" shots from the boat, combined with some "those indistinct lumps in the water are our 2 hippos. They're the most dangerous animals we have, they kill over 200 people a year" shots. If you take the boat trip, that WILL make sense!

Actually, there are loads of great photo ops at Longleat, most of them not in the safari park. Pet's Corner is good and you often get the chance of some good close-ups with snakes, tarantulas, ferrets, etc being brought out to play with the visitors. There is a Flickr group called Longleat:Everything which is worth a look to get a few ideas of what shots you can get.

HTH.
 
How lions spend their time at Longleat:



You could almost hear the chorus in the cars with young children "Mummy, what is that big lion doing to the lady lion?" while Daddy spent an awful long time examining his fingernails :D
 
Haha! I've just spat my coffee :D
 
desantnik said:
I read that wrong.... I thought you said "Baboons are LIKE packed lunches" and then was dissapointed with the lack of a punchline... so I shall make some up:

Baboons are LIKE packed lunches... you are always dissapointed when it turns out to be marmite and cucumber.

or

Baboons are LIKE packed lunches... really not what you want after they've been left in your car for 6 hours on a sunny day

:D
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baboons like packed lunches...and scratch like mad...:D
 
desantnik said:
Definitely watch out for the lions... nasty things those lions.
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The Tigers are actually more dangerous. Worst predator of the lot is is the Polar bear but you won't find many of those at a safari park.
 
Make sure you car windows are clean! When in the lion enclosure, you have to keep your windows up - there are patrol cars making sure you stick to the rules.
 
minimeeze said:
Make sure you car windows are clean! When in the lion enclosure, you have to keep your windows up - there are patrol cars making sure you stick to the rules.
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Seagulls and pigeons make that task very hard :gag:. I'll try my best.

Do lions and tigers ever jump on the car (the bonnet for example)? I imagine that could cause some damage to a car.
 
Looks like the lions spend their time jumping each other...

I have seen a big cat get on a car though, but not try and sh*g it :D
 
desantnik said:
I have seen a big cat get on a car though, but not try and sh*g it :D
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Probably just a Focus or an Astra.....good to see that lions still have some standards and self respect.

Bob
 
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