MINI initiated the partnership with a MINI Safari takeover in August, whereby families attended Longleat to go on a special animal adventure in a MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), whilst also raising funds for Tusk, a wildlife conservation charity.
As part of the partnership, MINI will also provide Longleat with a pride of animal-print MINI Countryman PHEVs. With up to 26 miles of electric range, the cars will help make their on-site movements around the park more sustainable, whilst also providing a low-emission alternative to attend their off-site educational outreach further afield.
David George, MINI UK Director for UK and Ireland, said: “We’re all animal-lovers in the MINI team so we’re really excited to be partnering with Longleat, a brand that shares our core values and adventurous spirit. The MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid is both spacious and versatile; the perfect fit to enable Longleat to carry out the important work they do, whilst supporting their future sustainability ambitions. Hopefully, the animals will approve too!”
Longleat’s animal team will also use the MINI Countryman PHEVs to travel around the park to carry out tasks such as feeding the animals, maintenance work, veterinary runs and more.
Shaun Steel, Commercial Director at Longleat, said: “As the first Safari Park created outside of Africa, Longleat has always led the way in creating magical animal encounters for families, with conservation and animal welfare also key in our values. We’re thrilled to be partnering with MINI, a brand that’s synonymous with adventure and bringing a smile to people’s faces. The new fleet of MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrids are important for our on-site work with the animals and off-site educational outreach, as well as fitting-in with our sustainability ambitions; they are the perfect addition to our pack!”
