Flamingo Land is a multifaceted entertainment complex located in Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England. It encompasses a theme park, zoo, and resort and has a storied history dating back to 1959. Since 1978, it has been owned and operated by the Gibb family. The inception of Flamingo Land Resort can be traced to 1959 when Edwin Pentland Hick, a cinema entrepreneur, sold his cinema chain and used the proceeds to acquire a struggling country club. His vision was to transform the land into a zoo. Initially known as The Yorkshire Zoological Gardens, the site covered nine acres and featured a colony of flamingos as one of its initial animal exhibits.
Flamingo Land Incident update
In 1963, the park introduced the UK’s first captive bottlenose dolphins, one of which was affectionately named Sooty, inspired by the popular children’s TV puppet. During the 1960s, a small funfair began to operate on the premises. In 1965, the company underwent a public offering on the London Stock Exchange, trading as Associated Pleasure Parks. In 1968, the park was rebranded as Flamingo Park Zoo. A notable development occurred in 1968 when the park acquired a killer whale from a Seattle-based aquarium. This made Flamingo Park the first facility in the UK to house a killer whale, which shared its habitat with bottlenose dolphins. However, the killer whale, named Cuddles, displayed aggressive behavior towards both the dolphins and the trainers, leading to his eventual sale to Dudley Zoo in 1971.
A serious incident unfolded at Flamingo Land on a Sunday afternoon, reportedly involving an industrial accident on one of the rides that left a man with severe leg injuries.
North Yorkshire Police were alerted to the situation around 1:30 pm at the Flamingo Land theme park and zoo in Kirby. The accident is believed to have occurred on the Dino Roller ride. In an official statement, the police confirmed the details: “Police were called by Yorkshire Ambulance Service to an industrial incident at Flamingo Land Resort near Pickering. A member of the maintenance staff suffered leg injuries while working on a ride. The man was airlifted to the hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Although serious, his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.”
The Yorkshire Ambulance Service also released a statement: “Yorkshire Ambulance Service received an emergency call just after 1.20 pm this afternoon to an incident involving a man who had been injured at Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire. Two ambulances and an air ambulance were dispatched to the scene, and the patient was flown to the hospital for further care.” Footage from the scene shows a helicopter landing near the park, with other emergency services in close proximity. The incident reportedly took place on the Dino Roller ride. Visitors who were in line for the Kumali ride reported witnessing the air ambulance flying overhead before it landed in the park.