Category: Top News
Published on: May 30th, 2025
Things got wild on Thursday 22nd May, as Knowsley Safari became the secret location for a high-stakes BBC Radio 1 competition, and one listener even admitted she went “feral like a baboon” in the heat of the moment!
As part of Radio 1’s mystery location challenge, listeners were given a string of cryptic clues, including a hint to wear closed-toe shoes and a play of Mumford & Sons’ Little Lion Man, to figure out where presenter Minah Shannon (of The Traitors fame) was hiding. The final destination? Knowsley Safari!
While Greg James presented the show live from Liverpool city centre, Minah was on location here at the Safari, waiting for the first two contestants to arrive. Rainhill listener Maddie Talbot and fellow contestant Jade cracked the clues and made it to the park first, earning themselves a ride on the Baboon Bus with Minah and the Knowsley Safari crew.
Their mission was a tense game of Split or Steal inside the baboon enclosure, with a pair of tickets to Radio 1’s Big Weekend at Sefton Park on the line.
Jade opted to split the prize… but Maddie had other ideas. With a cheeky grin, she announced she was going to steal both tickets, saying she’d “gone feral like a baboon”!
While Maddie walked away with both Big Weekend tickets, Jade didn’t go home empty-handed as both contestants received Knowsley Safari goodie bags and a return visit to the park.
And the fun didn’t stop there. During the Animal News segment on the show, our Senior Ungulate Keeper Louise chatted on air to Greg and Minah about Shaka the rhino’s new custom-made boot, which is helping to support a longstanding foot condition. Minah even got to meet Shaka up close, alongside Keepers Louise and Alex, for a special behind-the-scenes moment.
A huge thank you to BBC Radio 1 for an unforgettable morning of games, surprises, and plenty of animal antics.
