HAPPY ENDING FOR HOLIDAY ROMANCE

HAPPY ENDING FOR HOLIDAY ROMANCE

A mother who almost died in child birth has taken her son on a week-long holiday to the place where romance blossomed with his father almost a year ago!

The 18 year old Shetland Pony, called Ferraa, and four week old Floyd have returned to the Children’s Farm at Blackpool Zoo where Ferraa became pregnant to a stallion called Badger last year whilst spending the summer there.

Ferraa gave birth in April at her home, Eagland Hill Shetland Ponies Stud near Preston, where vets battled through the night to save her after rare and life threatening complications nearly killed her.

Since then, the zoo has been inundated with hundreds of well wishes from visitors and owners Emma and Steve Timms from Eagland Hill decided to take the proud mother and her adorable foal back to the Children’s Farm for a week-long visit, which started on Saturday 19th May.

Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Co-ordinator at Blackpool Zoo, said: “We were delighted when we found out that Ferraa became pregnant whilst staying here last year.

“She is, in pony terms, on the older end of the scale to be having a foal and after we found out that there had been complications during the birth we hoped and prayed that she would pull through.

“Ferraa and Badger became firm favourites in our Children’s Farm after it opened last year and visitors from all over the UK have been in touch asking for updates and sending their love.

“We are over the moon to be welcoming mother and foal back to the zoo and everyone has been looking forward to seeing the beautiful Floyd.”

Emma Timms, owner of Eagland Hill Shetland Ponies Stud, added: “We took Ferraa in more than six years ago after finding her in a terrible condition where she was being kept as a pet. She had not had any foals before and she was considered infertile.

“We nursed her back to health and she became pregnant with her first foal, which was brilliant news. The first pregnancy and birth went without a hitch and she was a great mother.

“She was sent to Blackpool Zoo for the summer as a companion for Badger and we were amazed to find that they had mated whilst they were there, as she is quite old to be having young.

“The birth was extremely difficult and we had to take milk from Ferraa soon after Floyd was born as the vets didn’t expect her to last through the night.

“Whilst we were feeding the foal he was continually licking the wall and my husband couldn’t get the Pink Floyd ‘Another Brick in The Wall’ out of his head so we decided to call the foal Floyd.

“To everyone’s amazement Ferraa pulled through and is back to full health now. We were inundated with messages from people that had grown to love Ferraa and Badger whilst they were at the zoo last year and we thought it would be a nice idea for them to go back, so Ferraa could show off Floyd and everyone could see how fit and healthy she is once again.

“When she returns we will send Badger with a new mate in the hope that love will, once again, blossom beside the seaside!”

Blackpool Zoo is open every day of the year Current opening hours are 10.00am until 5.45pm and last admission is 5.00pm. Visitors can save on admission prices by booking online at www.blackpoolzoo.org.uk.

-Ends

Notes to editors:

Pictures show: Ferraa and Floyd

More information about Blackpool Zoo:

Blackpool Zoo’s visitor numbers continued to hit record highs in 2011, with the year being hailed as the busiest in the zoo’s 39 year history.

Blackpool Zoo is owned by ParquesReunidos, the second largest European leisure parks operator and a leading world-wide player. The zoo is home to over 1,500 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates set amidst thirty-two acres of mature woodland and lakes.

The zoo’s signature animals include elephants, giraffes, big cats, gorillas, orang-utans, sea lions, primates, zebras and kangaroos. It is open every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, from 10am.

For further information please contact:

Paula Holden, Julie Hackett or Denise Dawson at ICG on 01772 679383 or email paula@icgonline.co.uk julie@icgonline.co.uk or denise@icgonline.co.uk

Out of office hours contact: Paula Holden on 07772268378            

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