A myriad of all things wildlife from Black-footed penguins to tropical birds in free flight, flamingos to tropical butterflies can be found at Skegness Natureland Situated at the northern end of the seafront. Natureland is one of the premier attractions in Skegness with 120 000 visitors sampling its delights every year. Now run for by Skegness brothers Duncan and Richard Yeadon and their families, the upkeep of Natureland is much more than a business, it’s a labour of love! “There is no suchthing as a typical day”, said Duncan, when we caught up with him during a recent visit, “and that’s why coming to work each day is so enjoyable”, he added.
The love of animals and care towards them shown by all the staff is strikingly evident as you are welcomed through the main entrance and their pioneering work with abandoned baby seals is world renowned. Over the years they have also cared for dolphins, whales, a walrus and pelican as well as birds of prey and oiled seabirds. Every year lots of seal pups abandoned or seperated from their mothers, are washed up on the beaches around Skegness. A 2am phone call to Duncan and his team is not uncommon and the lucky pups make it back to Natureland’s Seal Hospital to be cared for. Eventually the pups progress to the Rearing Pool to learn how to survive in the wild before being returned home to the sea. “That’s the best part of the job”, Duncan admitted.
Duncan’s love of nature can be traced back to his days as a young boy when he and his brother used to help their father John, Natureland’s first manager turned owner, during their school holidays. Although it was not expected that the brothers would follow in their father’s footsteps, eventually they both took over the reins when John retired. Duncan is very much a “hands on” director and can turn his hand to anything, even feeding the crocodiles and handling the tarantula and scorpions! “The danger in handling spiders is exaggerated really” he told us. “A nip from a tarantula is more like a bee sting, but whilst our scorpions aren’t deadly poisonous, we don’t take unnecessary risks!” The Tropical House contains a variety of other animals, reptiles and creepy crawlies, many which were bought by members of the public as pets. Small lizards and iguanas can grow up to 3 feet long in a short space of time and their owners are unable to keep them in their houses for obvious reasons and so Natureland provides a good home to these animals. “A crocodile is for life, not just Christmas!” Duncan joked. Animal lovers can make a positive contribution to the upkeep of Natureland by becoming members of the Adopt An Animal and Friends Of The Seal Hospital schemes which have been immensely popular since their inception.
Being a director of Natureland is much more than just a job for Duncan, it’s way of life. The rejuvenation and updating of the older exhibits and his constant pursuit of excellence makes it hard for him to completely switch off and even on family days out he finds himself continually looking around for ideas that he can incorporate into Natureland. “You live it rather than work it” he tells us. Duncan is a keen tennis player and also relaxes by restoring his beloved VW Camper van. He’s also been taking drum lessons for about a year and together with his love of rock music, has also become an accomplished swing drummer who lists the music of Glenn Miller among his influences.
Looking to the future and already having added a new coral reef tank this year, Natureland also plan to update the rest of the Aquarium too, keeping things fresh and modern for the thousands who revisit year after year. It is surprising how much there was to see and do inside Natureland. “Our prime aim is to care for and look after the animals. We strive to give our guests a pleasant, interesting and entertaining visit alongside the work we do with the seals” Duncan concluded. These elements work spectacularly hand in hand together to give all their visitors both a memorable and interactive experience.
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