The first Safari Park in the world, outside Africa, was established at Longleat, UK.
Henry, the 6th Marquis of Bath, started 50 years ago at his Longleat estate in the Wiltshere countryside. There were reports predicting catastrophic consequences. It has to be pointed out that people had different outlook in 1960. He was even questioned in Parliament.
The Marquis had huge death duties and was the first aristocrat to open his home to visitors in 1949 which was unheard of. It covered some of the bills but big country estates cost a lot of money to run.
He had an idea to set up a safari park where people could travel through and the animals roam freely like in Africa but on a much smaller scale.
The idea came from circus owner Jimmy Copperfield. He persuaded Lord Bath to fence in 100 acres on his estate. It was opened at the beginning of April, 1966 and visitors had to pay £1 per vehicle. The visitors could watch a pride of 50 lions which they would not have seen otherwise roaming in natural surroundings.
After all the dramatic reports that visitors will be dinners for the lions and the whole safari park will be closed down in no time it was a huge success. The first year counted 500,000 visitors and not one of them was fed to the lions.
The success of the safari park saved the Marquis his magnificent Elizabethan Mansion and the surrounding estate of 10,000 acres.
Nowadays the park has 1200 animals and on Bank Holidays the queues stretching for miles; up to four miles.
However, the name of the successful Longleat Safari Park is some times overshadowed by the antics of the family.
The 7th and present Marquis of Bath is an eccentric. He has a fortune of £150million but is never far from controversy.
The flamboyant 83 year old former Lib Dem peer wanted Wessex to be independent. Wessex is an ancient region in which his estate is. In 1992 when he inherited the title his first act was to sack his brother Christopher who run the safari park and also told him to get out of his cottage on his estate.
Alexander George Thynn, the 7th Marquis, never forgave his father putting his brother in charge. Both acts created a lot of bitterness in both sons
Lord Bath married in 1969 Anna Gael born in Hungary. He has two children Ceawlin and Lenka. However, the Marques has made his name having a huge string of women. He admitted that he has over 70 lovers and some live in cottages on the estate.
His wife now lives in the South of France.
His son Ceawlin, which has the King of Wessex's name, has the title Viscount Weymouth and will inherit his father's title. He runs the estate now after his father stepped back from running the estate for the last six years.
Ceawlin brought in David Bradley from Legoland and Hollywood designers from the Titanic to create new attraction; one of it will be Jungle Kingdom.
The 50th anniversary will be celebrated by a series of events in June. BBC programme Animal Park will also film a new series.
But with all their wealth and beautiful surrounding they do not live happily together. Three years ago Ceawlin removed one of his father's vivid art works which he keeps painting on his bedroom walls.
They fell out and Ceawlin moved into another wing. The Longleat House has 130 rooms.
When Ceawlin, 41, got married to Emma McQuiston, 29, in 2012 neither of his parents attended the wedding because Emma was half-cast. It would ruin 400 years of bloodline.
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