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Raptor and Reptile Centre
Raptor and Reptile Centre
The Raptor and Reptile centre is situated near Ringwood on the western edge of the New Forest and is home to many Birds of Prey and reptiles. The official name of the centre is Liberty's Raptor and Reptile centre liberty being the name of the centre's very own American Bald Eagle.
American Bald Eagles are the national bird and symbol of the United States of America and were close to extinction at one point in America but fortunately due to conservation measures the population is now recovering.
Weighing in at about 14 pounds and with a wingspan that can be in excess of 7 ft the American bald eagle is a massive bird of prey and coupled with a flight speed of up to 44 miles per hour they truly are impressive hunters.
Although they prefer fish as their main diet they will hunt and scavenge other prey and have been known to be opportunistic with the odd picnic or two.
The centre has a number of other raptors too although not the kind that were seen in the film Jurassic park. A true raptor is a bird of prey that hunts for food on the wing and generally have talons and beaks designed to pierce and tear the flesh of their prey.
The centre puts on a number of displays through out the year including Falconry displays. Falconry often referred to as the sport of kings and is the art of hunting with a bird of prey. This has been practised for centuries in the New Forest and elsewhere around the world.
You can even book your own falconry day if you want to try the sport of kings yourself.
The centre also has an interesting collection of reptiles from around the world as well including Bearded Dragons, Iguanas, Water Dragons and Geckos. And for the budding photographers amongst you can also arrange photography days were you can really close to Raptors and Reptiles and get some outstanding shots.
Open Daily from March to October 10.00am to 5.00pm
Weekends Only from November to February 10.00am to 4.00pm
School Half Terms Open Daily 10.00am to 5.00pm
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