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Visitors will have the chance to come face to face with some of the planet’s greatest predators in an awesome new animatronics feature which opens at Longleat this Easter (March 24th).

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Utilising animatronic technology ‘Predators’ offers extremely close encounters with everything from a life-sized hunting great white shark to a super-sized Venus flytrap.

 Designers have created a series of 14 dynamic scenes featuring a collection of moving models including a deep sea anglerfish, a dive-bombing harpy eagle with a seven-metre wingspan, a polar bear, a giant 12-metre-long saltwater crocodile, a Komodo dragon and a three-metre-tall spitting cobra – which actually spits.

One of the scenes features a larger than life lion looking down from a rock ready to steal a zebra carcass from a pack of hyenas. The scene comes complete with authentic roars, yips and snarls.

Another portrays a giant red-backed shrike, also known as the butcher bird, sitting on a thorn bush where its victims; including a lizard, ladybird, beetle and a grasshopper are all impaled on spikes.

Alongside modern day carnivores the new attraction features prehistoric predators with a magnificent sabre tooth cat and a 10-metre-long Baryonyx dinosaur brought thrillingly back to life.

There’s even a giant Venus flytrap plant which visitors can trigger into action by throwing over-sized flies into its snapping traps.

“The aim of the new feature is to make each of the predators as authentic and interactive as possible,” said Longleat’s Steve Mytton.

“Our team of designers and model makers have paid particular attention to the animals’ eyes, skin, fur, feathers and scales. 

“Although some of the models are significantly larger than life we still wanted them to look as realistic as possible and the sheer scale of the designs reveals their true predator power,” he added.

Located in and around Longleat’s Main Square, each of the models is set within its own environment and linked by a series of interpretation boards describing how these special animals use their unique adaptations to become some of the planet’s ultimate predators.

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