Specialist glass manufacturer Romag were commissioned to provide high performance laminated safety glass for a new large tiger enclosure at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park.
The new installation has been specifically designed to provide a ‘close encounter’ visiting experience where the public could see the animals easily through glass that would hold its transparency and clarity, whilst being protected by glass strong enough to withstand the weight and power of the largest big cats such as tigers.
Five sheets of low-iron 39mm security laminate glass were manufactured for the enclosure by bonding together several layers of mirror quality float glass under heat and pressure, using an interlayer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) in Romag’s cutting edge clean rooms and high pressure autoclaves.
The laminated panels were delivered for installation on the day requested by the park after a short turnaround period of only a few weeks.
A streak of four Bengal Tigers became the first inhabitants of the new enclosure and viewing facility. They were an immediate hit and visitors were amazed at being able to get within such close – and safe – proximity to the world’s largest cat.
Steve Nicholl, director of the park, said: "We have had nothing but compliments from all visitors who have come to see animals in the big cat enclosure. Particularly, we have received glowing reports from photographers on just how clear the glass is, even after it has endured all of the seasons and changing weather conditions.
“Romag provided excellent advice and service when we were selecting the appropriate glass for the project and delivered what was promised quickly and on time. This gave us confidence to again select Romag’s high quality laminated glass for installation in our new ‘Bengal Gardens’ attraction, which is another unique new research enclosure currently under construction.
“This will be a huge enclosure that will hold a further eight tigers that will be arriving on completion, making the collection of tigers at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park the largest in the UK. We are confident Romag’s glass will once again ensure our visitors can maintain that ‘get up close and personal’ experience, whilst remaining completely safe.”
Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, formerly known The Parrot zoo, opened in 1993 and has grown to be one of the largest parrot and exotic bird sanctuaries in the World. In 2008, the park diversified into assisting other animals that had entered the private sector, including meerkats, lemurs, monkeys and a numerous amount of mammals including big cats.
Romag is a UK pioneer with over 70 years of glass laminating experience and expertise. Romag was established in 1943 and has built a strong reputation around the globe for manufacturing high quality specialist security glass products in a range of shapes and sizes to meet individual client aspirations. Romag has supplied safety and security glass for projects in critical national infrastructure, transportation, government buildings and leisure facilities.