Hurtling Hippos is a J. Bakker DeniesPolyp ride located at West Midland Safari Park. It has operated at the park since 1995 under a number of names including Cape Octopus and Tarantula. The ride was extensively rebuilt for the 2012 season, including new hippo-shaped gondolas and a mechanical overhaul. [1]
History
The ride was originally built for Dutch showman J. Dauphin in 1976, who travelled with the ride in the Netherlands. At the end of 1989 the ride was sold to John Codona, who opened it at Codona's Amusement Park in Aberdeen, Scotland for the 1990 season. Following 5 seasons of operation the ride was sold to West Midland Safari Park at the end of 1994.