"Thud" went the pink bottom of the baboon on the bonnet as he hitched a ride on our car. We were in the baboon enclosure - our favourite attraction - at the North of England's only Safari Park at Knowsley, on Merseyside.

Luckily for us, our car came out virtually unscathed, unlike a nearby people carrier, which ended up needing a new wing mirror, rear number plate and replacement aerial as the creatures collected almost enough parts to build their own vehicle.

The five-mile safari drive had begun peacefully with a herd of fallow deer grazing gracefully around a large waterhole, followed by the tiger and lion enclosures. Most of the dozen lions lay lazily in the sun ignoring the cars, while the large male patrolled the fence.

The next area contained antelope, emus and wallabies and a bird called the Jungle Fowl, which is the ancestor of the domestic chicken.

Buffalo, Wildebeest, Oryx, and various types of deer and antelope occupied the "African plains area", alongside the five white rhinos each weighing up to three tons. The rhinos munched happily on the grass as we drove slowly by, not giving us a second look. Camels, ostriches and llamas also roamed this large section of the park.

We headed down to the elephant house to see the new arrivals, two new baby elephants called Nala and Ashanti. Both very cute but at over 220lb, you wouldn't bounce one of these babies on your knee.

Knowsley Safari Park also has a reptile house with various snakes, lizards and spiders, all behind glass.

The sea lion and parrot show was a great crowd pleaser. Max and Biffo, the Californian sea lions, performed a number of balancing and jumping tricks. The parrots drove a car, rode a scooter and played basketball - tricks that were loved by the children.

Lake Farm was home to domestic farm animals, where we had the opportunity to stroke the animals.

The visitors centre, amusement rides, caf and picnic area were all together at the end of the safari trail.

After a bite to eat, we headed straight back into the Safari Park, because the entrance ticket allowed us to drive round as many times as we liked.

Fact file

Knowsley Safari Park, Prescot, Merseyside L34 4AN

How to get there: Turn off M62 on to M57, then onto A57. The park is well signposted.

Admission: Adults £8, children and OAP's £6, family ticket £23 (2 adults and 2 children). Guide book £4 including either CD or cassette, giving you an audio commentary while driving through the park.

Opening times: March to October 10am to 4pm.

For more information, telephone 0151 426 9009 or visit the website www.knowsley.com

Updated: 08:55 Saturday, July 26, 2003