This zoo exceeded my expectations. We had a wonderful day out and loved that we could get close to many animals. There was multiple feeding opportunities to observe and the chance to learn about the animals behaviours. There is a good variety of animals and opportunities to feed the animals at a fair price. We had bought a Groupon voucher which was good value for money but would definitely pay the zoos full priced entry as it is a good zoo. The zoo also has a fantastic play area and well stocked gift shop. As we visited in low season it wasn't too busy and most of the cafes were closed.

Visited during half term and it was brilliant. Not too busy, lots of opportunities to feed animals - there was a wait for this but this is to be expected. Staff very friendly and helpful. Lots of the food/drink kiosks were closed (probably because it's not peak season). Definitely visiting again and would highly recommend. Worth noting that you cannot take picnics inside the zoo - you can go out to your car and have pic nic then return with your ticket / receipt or alternatively there are plenty of places to buy food.

Came here for my 30th birthday, I can honestly say it was the best day of my entire life. The zoo itself you can see how much the keepers love the animals. They all look healthy and content. I do want to say a special thank you the primate keeper. Her expertise on them was something else. She loved each and every one of them she clearly had great communication with them and it was so lovely. I highly recommend this place. All the staff are brilliant and the experience is out of this world. Thank you so much to you all

I believe this was a lovely zoo a couple of years ago, it is bit shabby now but what with covid and no foot fall it must have been difficult to feed all the animals which they were all well fed and pay there informative friendly staff, especially the young man in the vulture house. They were starting some repairs and clearing areas so hopefully more space for some of the animals. Some animals were locked away which was sad to see but I don't know the reasons why, so won't judge but didn't like seeing it, made me feel more uncomfortable and quiet sad. We went on a wet, cold November day, I do hope in the new year things will be better for the animals and staff x

Had a day out with a good friend catching up.. what a lovely place for a day trip. The big cats were a bit shy but that didn't spoil the day. If you're with someone in a wheelchair be prepared for a workout there are some steep paths All in all though fab day out we paid the extra £5 to feed the giraffes. You can also pay to feed the leemas and the penguins. There are other experience you can pay for like feeding the tigers or the sloths I think they are £35, which would be a great birthday treat for someone. Clean park, friendly staff animals look happy and seem relaxed .. nice family day out.

Did the African keeper experience & it was amazing to get so close to the animals, I have a new found love for rhinos, our host ( Kieran )was great full of useful information & friendly, we had so much fun!!!! Although the park looks a little run down the animals are very well looked after, all the big cats all have really glossy coats. Food options are limited and not advertised the fist place we tried only had sausage rolls, the second place did panini's which is what we had and it wasn't till nearly home time we stumbled across a chip shop. We will definitely be returning to do more experiences. Thank you for a great day

Having booked to visit the zoo to experience feeding the giraffes, it certainly was a worthwhile trip and one that I’d highly recommend to anyone - particularly those who want to experience feeding various animals at the zoo (though feeding the animals comes at an additional cost to the entry fee). There are various enclosures at the zoo, ranging from lemurs to kangaroos. It’s definitely a good day out for the family, though aspects of the zoo do need updating and refreshing.

Had a great day here. Plenty of Animals to keep you interested. Loved the bear. You can walk in amongst some of the animals which the kids found so exciting. They loved the play park. I was happy with the ticket price. The food in the restaurant was delicious..a wee bit pricey but since the tickets were so cheap, it's hard to grumble. Free parking, no picnics or smoking allowed within the zoo.

We really enjoyed our trip here. There are a good selection of animal exhibits and options to feed a few different animals at an extra cost. We paid to feed the giraffes, which was very popular and we had to queue for about 15 minutes. One thing which needs improving is food service, which was both limited and slow. I felt sorry for the poor guy who seemed to be doing practically everything in his own.

5/5 -Value for Money Best place for a day out and if you fancy animal feeding (lemurs,penguins,giraffes etc.) Neatly maintained and friendly staff and safe for kids as well. I suggest pre-booking online for this place as on the day price might vary. Outside food is not allowed and there is a cafe for refreshments and lunch with some basic menu like fish and chips and sandwiches, coffee ,tea and hot chocolate. You will get to see the animals so close and its a goosebumps experience when you come across the giants Tigers that close. Overall its worth every single penny and a refreshing experience.

We have been coming here for years now but I can truly say that Monday was our best visit yet!! We had an amazing day with our keeper and guide for the morning Chris who was introducing us to the big cats at the zoo (with a stop at the wolves) Genuinely a childhood dream of mine to meet the Jaguars and Tigers so close. Chris was so knowledgeable about all the animals we met that morning and made the whole experience even more valuable. I couldn't rate the hand feed experiences or the zoo any more highly, and we even managed a first at the zoo with their female tiger hand feeding from my partner and it was the first time she ever did that! What an honor! Would love to get a copy of the video he took of that moment happening!!

Went to the zoo during summer holidays. Was warm and fairly busy but we had a really good experience. The staff are really friendly and happy to chat. The only 2 let downs are not allowing picnics, when you are allowed to buy food from there and eat it around the place, and also paid for penguin feeding, the guy who did it seemed miserable. Overall great experience. Worth the travel.

The zoo is looking run down with fewer animals. Prices in the food and shop seemed too high. I recommend you take a picnic and bypass the gift shop. Pushing hand feeding various animals at £15 a go ...watched the otter feeding they got to give it 4 bits of fish...for a zoo promoting natural feeding to pimping out their animals to make money. If it wasn't for the special offer family pass I got I would be a bit cheesed off with this visit.

Had an amazing experience here being a zoo keeper for the day. My son is a wheelchair user, so we were concerned that he would not be able to access the activities. My wife emailed before had and we’re very reassured that they would adapt the experience on the day. The keepers went above and beyond to support us, and we had the best day, my son has had a really rough time with his health lately and this experience really helped bring him some joy he so much deserves. He said it was the best experience of his life so far, which means the world to us. He loved every minute but particularly enjoyed feeding the rhinos and honey badgers. The zoo itself is great to, love how a lot of the animals walk around freely. We are definitely going to be returning with the rest of my family for another experience. Thank you all so much

We went as a group on a package that included feeding the giraffes & entry to the zoo. The keeper that took us round was informative & happy to answer questions. We then spent some time going around the zoo. Had an excellent tuna melt panini in the cafe with views of himalayan bears & lemurs. Another highlight was being able to get close to the emus & a very friendly kapkbara who loved being fed & scratched.

We got tickets only for a surprisingly cheap deal ( £5 each ) so that was a massive bonus. Arriving waiting time to get in was about 15 minutes because of qué and people checking in for animal encounters, this should be a separate line to speed things up for people who are not doing that.. it was raining so most animals where inside at the start of the day, unfortunately most windows to the exhibits where either to foggy or dirty to see anything. When the weather finally cleared up enough to see the animals all the enclosures looked really nice, and the animals looked healthy and happy. The children were so excited to feed the gibbons at no extra cost. The prices for food were a little expensive. There needs to be more interactive parts for children to do ( something to do with the animals like how strong is a lion, pull a rope and see how strong you are compared. Or can you jump as high as a kangaroo, something interactive along with the enclosures for kids to get more engaged ). The paths need some drainage as a lot where flooded walking around. Apart from that it's not to bad, will be back in summer hopefully for a better experience

I really enjoyed myself, close up to the animals. They look cared for and happy. You can't take your own food in!!! And the gift shop is so expensive you need to take out a loan. £2.50 for a can of pop. My only concern is the penguin enclosure did not have sufficient water for them to swim in. A good variety of Animals.

This is one of the best zoos we have visited I always went as a child and now we take our children. We haven't been disappointed once when visiting, 9/10 times you get to see everything. On our last visit we found out the wolves had gone, But they had now got honey badgers. The kids love it here and so do we and they always run great deals online. 10/10

Had a lovely visit today at safari zoo for just £2 pp with the voucher we bought online. But I think most of the peopel availed this offer as it was really busy when we arrived. And its still Feb not even the peak season... We got to see most of the animals except the red panda and the sloth... Please do note that it can be explored only by walking and you have to park your cars before entering...which we were not aware of before visiting...

We visited the zoo on a Sunday in December and what a time we had! We did the red panda and sloth experience which both exceeded my expectations! We fed both red pandas and fed Stanley the sloth too whilst learning all about them. We added on hand feeds when initially booking aswell. First was the giraffe hand feed; this was a little short however you can book on the day for £5 so clearly is the most popular! Great value. Then we hand fed lemurs, similar to the giraffe experience but again really cool to do! Next we had a big cat feed, the big cat is chosen on the day and when we visited it was the tigers. We had fed tigers before but this was a lot cooler, you got closer to the tigers and learnt a lot about the tigers there! Then we did the giant otter feed. This feed was quiet compared to the others, and it was awesome! Plenty time to feed them! We still had plenty time to wander around the rest of the zoo and look at all the animals there. The enclosures were good sizes, the animals all looked well, and we were amazed how many animals were mixed in with others! We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

Booked with a stay at the cottages owned by the zoo. Entry and Feeding experiences included with cottage stay. We had a wonderful day at the zoo for our daughters birthday. The staff couldn't have been nicer , friendlier and totally made the day out such a memorable experience. Getting so close ( safely) to the animal's was so cool and and getting to talk to the keepers about the animal's was so interesting. It is hilly and poured down the day we went ( it's the lake district) so take appropriate clothing for the weather. Not allowed your own food in as there are large sections where the animals ( lemurs , capybara , wallabies, and free flying birds) and some people can't be trusted not to feed animal's. It also gives the zoo a bit more of a chance to bring in some income.

What an amazing Zoo, an absolute diamond. My family and I have been to many Zoo's and yes this is not the biggest but there is just something about here. Having the ability to walk through enclosures with the animals and birds is an experience that will stay with me and having the opportunity to hand feed Giraffes. My only gripe was some of the other visitors where not following the guide line on distancing but thankfully it did not spoil our day. This is somewhere we will be visiting again, completely value for money. Hope you give it a go.

Great safari zoo. Reasonably priced, many different types of animals. Sometimes, they hide in shade when it's really hot. Staff are wonderful. You can even feed the animals, if you want. Well behaved animals, some are posers. Great day out with the family ☺️

We attended a Sloth experience for 4 and I must say for the £99 price it was worth every penny!!! This also allows entry to the rest of the zoo afterwards. The keeper gave a great deal of information and allowed questions during the experience. 'Stan' was extremely active and feeding him was very enjoyable. The rest of the animals are easily seen when walking about. Our experience was prior to the zoo opening for the general public but it was busy when we left. Great zoo, great experiences. 👍😁

Overall, a fun family afternoon out. However, some of the enclosures leave a lot to be desired. For example, I can't help but feel that some landscaping work could be carried out on the giraffe and rhino enclosures to add some interest and variation for the animals, rather than just exposed dust fields with not a single tree, shrub or plant, stream or pond between them. The admission tickets were extremely expensive and did not include the cost of a map, which had to be purchased separately. We enjoyed feeding the giraffes carrots, although that was another paid 'extra'. It was noteable that the only 'zookeeper' I observed throughout the entire park was the young girl organising the 'paid extra' feeding of the giraffes, despite our being at the park for several hours. I do hope that the animals are being well cared for. Don't bother buying the animal feed pellets they offer for sale, as none of the animals are attracted to it, or interested in it. If you have young children beware the large gift shop, through which you are required to walk all the way around in order to exit. All in all, it was very evident that this was a money-making machine designed to milk all visitors for cash, to the maximum extent possible. I don't feel that our experience here was any superior to, or better value than our (significantly cheaper) local zoo, and therefore have no plan to visit again.

My daughter absolutely loved the zoo! Great to see the new team at the zoo doing such a fantastic job you can really see the work that they are putting in. We booked the VIP Giant Otter & Red Panda experiences and they didn't disappoint. Very friendly and knowledgeable keepers made my daughter's birthday. Free parking. Very accessible for all. Decent hospitality. No picnics allowed in the zoo but you can go in and out of the zoo whenever you choose to. The gift shop is amazing. Highly recommended day out in the south lakes.

For a day out this was a brilliant choice, there is more than enough to keep the family entertained without having to walk for miles. The overwhelming selling point is the closeness of the animals, the enclosures are near to the walkways and there are enclosures that you can walk through with the animals free to roam and come right up to you, the vultures and condors were super impressive up close. The variety of animals on offer is outstanding for such a small location. Would have been five stars if there had been a bit more protection for animals like the peacocks who roam freely around the park, leading to some ignorant visitors chasing them and plucking their tail feathers and the concession stands were extortionate, £2.50 for a mini-milk and £1.80 for a can of lemonade, but saying that you are free to leave the park to picnic at your car if you choose, still highly recommended for a day out.

An AMAZING zoo, the animals all look well cared for and the keepers are very knowledgeable and helpful. We booked two experiences to feed some animals and it massively exceeded my expectations, I've recommended it to all of my friends. Even the food and gift shop were amazing, we'll definitely be going back

We came here to do the big cat experience. What an experience it was! The staff upon arrival were friendly and helpful and during the encounter / walking around. They explained everything in detail and gave information about the big cats. We arrived a few hours before, which for me was plenty of time to explore the rest of the zoo, its great that a lot of animals are roaming around. There are lots of parts that are under refurbishment which I guess is a good thing. Definitely recommend visiting here, the experiences are amazing.

Everyone who decide to spend their day in the Zoo should try animals feeding experience x I really found lots of enjoyable memories when was feeding giraffes. They and strong, however very gentle. Love it every minute spend in there. Visited on 06.06.23

I'm really upset about how bad this zoo has become. Years ago, it was brilliant, and I really enjoyed going. I think the problem is not enough income to fund it. It looks so run down and tired. There was a little train that was no longer there anymore. There doesn't seem to be enough staff anywhere, and they all seem to be miserable. The worst part is the restaurant. You aren't allowed to take a picnic, so you have no choice but to buy food from there. It was the worst meal I have ever had, soggy chips, dry fish, and mushy peas that looked like they'd been there a year. We left so much because it was absolutely horrible. The animals are great to watch and there it a brilliant play area. There's information around the zoo about the animals, which is interesting. I found it a bit depressing reading so much information about poachers, don't get me wrong, it's important to raise awareness, but it's not really what you want to see so much of when you want a nice day out. The shop at the end is huge and they've made it so you have to walk right around it. It's definitely not worth a 2 hour drive from Manchester.

I bought my partner an African Keeper Experience for Two voucher for Christmas. We arrived at the zoo early and spent the morning feeding and cleaning out the rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest and zebra. It was lovely being "backstage" as the members of the public started to arrive. The two zookeepers looking after us were very friendly and gave us lots of information about the animals we were looking after. In the afternoon we had the chance to feed a tiger, a giant otter, lemurs and penguins. The whole experience was great, particularly getting very close to animals. The safari park had a huge variety of animals and were housed in lovely enclosures, with no sign of any animals pacing which we have seen in other zoos. The enclosures provided lots of privacy for the animals if they wanted it - we never did see the snow leopard. The only downside of the day was the limited catering options open (we visited in September), the only food available seemed to be hot dogs or sausage rolls.

It was really good to see the animals that they did have to see, but the experience was not so great. Food vendors were a little over priced but on one of the hottest days this year the £3.00 ice cream (chocolate magnum) was needed, also the £3.99 bottle of water was a little bit extortionate (but the staff would refill with tap water). But one vendor did refuse me this. Hopefully it was just a one off and the next time I go with family it’s slightly better. Definitely could increase the star rating for this small zoo if the experience is better. Regardless thank you for the time here.

Had an absolutely fantastic day visiting for my birthday! The feeding experiences making this zoo extra extra special making memories that will truly last a lifetime! It's amazing to get chance to walk through some of the animals and hand feed them not many opportunities to get to do this! We went in January and there was probably less than 100 people in the zoo it was brilliant felt like you'd got the place all to yourself although cold all the animals were still viewable and going about there surroundings as normal. The animals looked so well looked after and the keepers are truly passionate about what they do and the knowledge they are able to pass on! We'll be back

Lots of free parking. Staff lovely and friendly. Lots of animals to see. Free range animals Feed the animal experiences. Kids enjoyed the park. There were some areas that were less accessible for people with mobility issues/in a wheelchair. Not much space to que/get past where small cafe was (with Lima house in.) All in all worth a visit, they support conservation work and the animals look happy.

Nice little day out. Went during half term weekend so queue was an hour long at opening time. You're not allowed to bring picnics inside due to them having an open walk around trail where you can get up close to lemurs, emu, kangaroos, peacocks, capybara and a few others. It's a decently sized park. But unfortunately they have gotten rid of the wolves and penguins that used to be there! They used to have a walk in vultures area but that is now also closed off! Good for a day out every couple of years but it isn't a zoo to visit often. Only saw 2 meerkats and one looks a lot worse for wear. Not sure why it looks pretty ill or why there is only 2 ( as meerkats normally live in big groups) Would definitely book online as you can normally grab tickets for £1-£5 instead of £25 ish for an adult and around £20 for a child. Double check any teddies you buy at the gift shop as they rip the tags off and we nearly ended up with a finger sized hole in our teddy!

Great zoo. We’ve seen most of the animals which was fantastic. We didn’t pre book any of the feeds but there were a few going on whilst on site so we got to see these too. There are a couple enclosures with animals roaming free that you can walk through. Paths most of the way; the only muddy but was around kangaroos. Would definitely recommend.

Heard mixed reviews before. We really enjoyed it, animals were great and well cared for. Good one-way and covid measurements in place made it not feel crowded. Loved the lemurs the most. Only dislike was that the shop at the end was a nightmare with a 3 year old and was twice the size of the jaguar enclosure.

Place felt a little run down, and oddly situated. No real sense of where you are going in the zoo. Not a lot of space to allow for social distancing but I guess that cannot be helped and even though they had time slots for arrival the place was still overly crowded at times. The animals in the carnivore section were healthy and their enclosures were well kept. Overall, would go again in the very distant future, but it was definitely worth the visit considering the admission price offer when we decided to go for it.

Excellent, great day out. Brilliant variety of animals and lots to do for children, park and little hands on activities as you walk round. Plenty of good toilet facilities and baby changing. Post-COVID procedure excellent, plenty of space. A few places to eat, but very limited menus. Would definitely recommend taking a picnic as you are able to head back out to the car to eat and then return inside with your ticket.

Amazing safari Park. Animals looked well cared for. Staff were amazing especially in the vulture enclosure, keeping them at a safe distance, as their food is brought in in a wheelbarrowso they think anything with wheels contains their food and here I was in a wheelchair. Some areas were a little hard to get around in a wheelchair but not too bad. Would definitely recommend as a day out for all the family.

Fabulous day out even though the weather was great. All the animals were out nice to be up close to them. Amazing to walk through the Vultures enclosure having them fly over ur head. Lots of space for all the animals animals seemed happy and content in their environment. Would highly recommend definitely worth a visit.

Fantastic little zoo.needs visitors to help it keep running. 4 species of big cat here which was a bonus as I love big cats. A pair of lions.a pair of snow leopards which are fast becoming my favourite cat.a pair of sumatran tigers.and a mother and sin jaguar. The plight of all these cats is on a knife edge. In the last 100 years the population of lions in Africa have fallen 90 per cent. There are estimated to be around 300 sumatran tigers in the wild.with around 400 in zoos and wildlife parks worldwide. The snow leopard numbers are difficult to estimate.possibly around 6000 in the wild. Zoos and wildlife parks need visitors to support captive breeding programs to ensure the future of these species Nice food and drink.

We have loved this zoo for a long time. This visit while at the bears a lovely keeper could see my son was a little upset the bears were over with people having an encounter so he couldn't see them so she took us in to the back area so he could see them up close, it was incredible. We also paid to do the Red Panda experience for my daughters birthday, Pan was gorgeous and we had a great time.

Really enjoyed the day out, the Rhinos are amazing to see, one was being challenged by a Wildebeest! The walk through area were the Leemar's are was great fun, they were everywhere and there was plenty of Gophers too. It was disappointing not to be able to walk through the bird aviary but I'm not sure if there was a spout of bird flu possibly kicking about. The big cats were a bit of a let down, the male Lion was locked away and no tigers? We did see the Snow Leopards and Cougars which were beautiful. The ticket prices were on offer at £10 each which was great value so we will buy some more before summer! The Reindeer too! The antlers on it are out of this world, the largest things I've ever seen on an animal 😳

Good day overall with sunshine Came in what I would guess is off season so nice and quite Sadly some of the animals chose to stay inside (giraffes/zebra) and the aviaries were closed due to bird flu As a keen photographer would of loved for some nice clean glass to shoot through for the big cats but that’s just being picky. Had food in the cafe which was ok although maybe cook chips a few min longer as they were a little raw. Animals seemed content and little things like keepers saying hello to them showed they actually care for there welfare.

100% loved it. Ignore reviews who complain about stuff, they need to realise there is a shortage of workers and extortionate fuel bills to pay, all these animals depend on your visits to help feed them, staff need paying food needs buying, you get the idea 💡 it's not expensive for what you get in return. We arrived 10.30am and no waiting, toilets were immaculately clean and staff were very pleasant, as for the animals they had some of the best enclosures I've ever seen and so many area's where they all roam free and you walk through unfenced, maybe that's why it's classed as a safari zoo 😀 The area's some of these animals have are superb and they all look so healthy and at our time of visiting, end of July there were two baby monkeys one of whom was only a day old, and the mother was sitting so close as if to show her baby off. Fantastic day out for the family and well worth every penny. Yes there are lots of area's being refurbished but as they say "Rome wasn't built in a day " Support these places so we can help sustain a world with beautiful animals in it, that can roam around freely. Highly recommended and well worth it.

Great day out at South lakes Safari Zoo. Spent about ~4 hrs here on a quiet Monday in September. Pleased to see all the animals apart from the Lions. Lots to see and do and great to walk amongst the animals, having lemurs laying in the grass by the path and Emus walking by you. We had lunch in the top restaurant whilst watching the giraffes. You can't bring your own food in but then you're walking with the animals. Lovely day out, would certainly recommend.

On first entering the park we were a little unsure if we were going to enjoy the day or if there was going to be enough to see. We had booked 3 feeding sessions and were looking forward to seeing the animals up close. The park looked a little tired around the edges but after spending all day there we came home with a totally different opinion. The animals are very well cared for. We could wander with the smaller animals and they could wander with us. It was amazing to be able to stroke a capybara and her babies, feed the lemurs, giraffes, penguins, kangaroos, cute little prairie dogs and more. The staff were very knowledge about the animals and you could sense that they cared about them. We would definitely recommend and would visit again.

My friends and I had a fantastic time here! We travelled here for the arctic wolf experience, and had the best time. Lauren, the keeper, was great. Very knowledgeable. The zoo isn't the largest I've been to but it's a decent one. They offer opportunities to hand feed some of the animals, such as the giant otters, giraffes, and lemurs. It was the first time I've done it and it was well worth the few extra pounds to do it.

Had a great day. The zoo has loads of animals, and we got to see them all. There are a lot of animal experiences if you want to feed them. There are a few enclosures that you can walk through, with lots of animals in, which was really good. We have been to quite a few zoos, and this has to be the best so far. The gift shop was great, with loads of things to buy. The food was good too and reasonably priced. Would definitely visit again.

An average zoo in need of a good clean and refurbishment! There was plenty of animals and display and it was good that you could get up close and interact with some. It was positive that booking early got 50% off, I wouldn’t pay full price to come here. The food in the restaurants was over priced and the shop at the end was very expensive.

We had a great 2 days at the zoo. The encounters were so much fun and the hand feeding was a great experience as well. The food prices were very reasonable and the gift shop was not over priced like usual at different places like this we also got a great deal and booked a cottage through them which came with loads of extras

A surprisingly nice place! We went to the African shed first and felt really sad to see one solitary rhino and a few giraffes huddled together. Later we found that there is a huge terrain for the animals to roam around! In fact there is an entire family of rhinos! In an ideal world I wouldn’t want to see any animals in captivity, but we human are a curse for these amazing creatures. Most of the animals can be viewed at very close proximity. We saw kangaroos and peacocks and emus loitering around human beings! There was a Sumatran tiger and a few wolves! Lots of primates and lemurs who do their thing. The two huge red Amazon birds are very boisterous. Overall great place to view nature up close. I would rather prefer them to be left alone in their habitat and human beings mind their own business and not ruin their habitat!

On the whole, we had a good day, however it doesn't flow well, in directions of foot paths, lack of information with some animals. Some footpaths are uneven and dotted with unnecessary ramps, need a re-think for small children and disabled. Having to go back to the car to eat own picnic, although I did see a few people at some picnic tables. The gift shop is a maze to exit and they would sell more items if affordable. A few tweaks and could be 5 star.

Good for animals. Small area for walking. They don't allow picnics but seems they are very happy to sell you food. Plenty of picnic benches. I can understand not allowing during safari part (walk through) but allow them in sitting areas away from animals like at the park

This place gets 1 star because the kids seemingly enjoyed it. The whole place is u kept and overgrown with weeds and bushes. In some cases you can't see the animals due to the huge plants. Lots not open to the public or boarded up. The site doesn't allow picnics or your own food to be consumed due to free roaming animals. I witnessed one young family sat on the floor of the car park eating their picnic. Yet, there were people eating food purchased on the benches in the zoo. People walking round with ice creams, chips etc. I see no difference. Food menu is very limited and literally chip shop food. And you have to walk through the gift shop to get out! Which by the way is bigger than the majority of the enclosures. So sad that money is the sole objective of the owner.

In the nicest possible way - do not pay full price for this attraction. Go if you can get a good deal! The animals are lovely and you can walk through the enclosures of some, it is expensive to join in the private feeding sessions. There’s a lovely little kids park, the gift shop is massive and the park is set in a lovely area. Despite the masses of picnic benches everywhere you cannot bring food into the zoo. This was a disappointment as we arrived at 11:30 and our baby refused to eat before we went in but seemed to get hungry when we were furthest away from the car. If we could have brought snacks that would have made our day last longer. Also the toilets had ran out of loo roll and there was mouldy parts around the sink. Not great. But overall I would recommend - just try and get reduced price tickets if you can! We paid £2 each + £1 for a map and £3.99 for animal feed.

Amazing day out! The park was relatively quite, easy to find all the animals and the staff were all very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I booked a sloth experience for my friends birthday and it was one of the best things I've done as a huge sloth fan. We will be back again to see stan! Definitely recommend!

I loved how close you could get to the animals, there was a vast variety of different species. Nice walk around. Plenty of food and snack options. A great gift shop to.

Great place to visit all the animals look healthy and happy now.....so pleased we can still go during the lockdown my daughter loves it.

We visited with our grandchildren over the bank holiday weekend. Overall it was a reasonable day out. We were impressed by the range of animals and it was a good opportunity to see the larger and more unusual animals. The zoo has made a good effort to cope with the virus crisis, with plenty of hand sanitizers round the park, and some one way systems where feasible. A lot of common sense is required from visitors to be completely safe. The downside is the quality and range of food offered at the few outlets. The main cafe had a miserable choice of unappetising sandwiches when we entered at noon. The only vegan option offered was chips. If the park is prohibiting picnics then they need to be much better at what they offer, or drop their high prices significantly. The vending machines serve a disgusting selection of coffees, so stick to tea if you need a hot drink. The staff were helpful in trying to fix this, but I’ve experienced better vending machines. The ice cream sold for example was one scoop of soft ice cream with sprinkles, peculiarly sold as a Dinosaur for just below £3. Those families with young children need deep wallets.

Excellent santa clause experience. We were on the breakfast sitting and the amount of food was excellent. He elf were constantly asking get if we need anything more, the tea's and coffee were on permanent re-fill The staff were really friendly. What let the day down was the really bad weather but the Safari Zoo had no influence over that unfortunately or they would have definitely arrange blue skies & sunshine. ..I would highly recommended the day.

Attended the Xmas feed experience with our two boys aged 2 and 6 months. We utterly loved the whole day. Plenty of food., Delicious drinks, fantastic fireworks and staff who couldn't do enough for you. A total tonic at the tail of this rough year. Thanks!

The zoo is really good, got to see all the carnivores really well. Restrictions have meant the cafe has service speed issues, staff were working hard but could have been better organised. Love coming here and will keep returning.

We have been here a few times over the last few years and what a improvement with this trip. Even with all the vivid restrictions in place was a fantastic day. Lots to see and do with playground in site for kids to have a run about after the car journey there. Food available not stupidly priced considering they have you as a captive audience and not allowed to take your own food inside. Think it was £7.50 for a meal deal. Burger fries and a drink which isn’t terrible. Was busy and could of done with a little better organisation getting the food out. But that would be my only criticism. If your in south lakes area it’s well worth a trip here.

Have always loved this place wss there when it first opened.in 1994....its like wonderland hid in our special part of furness . The way this was thought out over the years and came to be how it is now shows a amazing brain behind it all frm when it started ..The new company have done amazing since they have taken over and continue to keep tge animals looking well looked after .it us a very special place that us close to my heart where I loved to take my children and now grandchildren. Please support it online especially now and buy your half year or year passes .as the animals still need feeding while noone is allowed in .please help to keep it running and support the South lakes safari zoo in our little part of paradise . I applause all who work there for there enthusiasm and care and conservation work they are still doing even during this pandemic . You are all wonderful and the animals are amazing too. Thankyou everyone.

Great variety of animals, and they look very well looked after, very reasonably priced, although the gift shop is ridiculously over priced.

Amazing day out, everything spaced out for safety, staff very knowledgeable and had an Arctic wolf feeding experience, would highly recommend!

Absolutely loved this zoo. We've been to a lot of zoo's and this ranks amongst he best. There are walk through enclosures where you can walk with kangaroos, wallabies, Rheas, emus, capybaras, vultures, parrots, lemurs. As well as feeding giraffes, lemurs and penguins. This zoo is a must. All of the animals seemed really happy and we saw every animal except the raccoons. They were all out even though the weather wasn't great.

I was a very disappointed when i book the tickets online for free and then when i was arrived they want me to pay for the tickets any way They should be shame to doed this scam to people i was driving 2hrs down there the zoo is not too bad but if i know this is gonna happen I will goes to the nearest one 30 min away SHAME OF YOU ZOO BUSTARDS

Back again and did a couple feeds this time. Great place and shall return again

First time I've been to the new look Zoo. Alot of work going on but was fantastic... Will definitely be back in the summer

Love it here! Happy healthy animals... Can't say the same for a young girl in the admittance...and then got greeted with the same miserable face on exit.. despite that.. it's so worth going! I'll be back again soon!! ❤️

Great day out, thank you to the staff

Great family day out . We visited for the santa Xmas day and had a great time . Staff are very friendly and helpful. I Would recommend.

Nice place to take children to see wildlife animals

A great day with tiger and giant otter feeding. A very tasty lunch.

One of our favourite zoo's. If you want a close up experience with some of the animals then this is definitely the place. We would choose a trip here over one of the larger zoo's every time. The staff are on hand with friendly chat and facts. We love the feeding experiences and the walk through the penguin enclosure is a sure favourite.

Great day out.

Not easy to navigate way round missed loads

Good family day out

Lovely Zoo, kids loved it. Even though we went on a rainy day we enjoyed it.

We did the junior keeper for the day on 4 November 2020 with zookeeper Matthew. We just had a group of 2 (my two children!) which was lovely. We were able to feed and meet so so many animals very affectionately cared for at this zoo by truly dedicated passionate staff. Kids would have stayed for days, and Matthew was so patient with their gazillions of questions. Highly recommend.

fantastic zoo animals had loads of space great walk through areas lets you get close to lots animals sharing same area staff all friendly good restaurant reasonable prices animals looked well cared for

What a lovely zoo. It was our first visit here and I was very impressed. Unfortunately it was a wet and windy day when we visited, would be nice to visit again in warmer weather to get the full experience. It's not a huge place, but there is a lot to see. We were there for three hours. Would have been longer had weather been better. Foot safari was nice, getting to see prairie dogs and lemurs etc up close. All the animals looked really well cared for and their enclosures were all nice and clean and well kept. Good play area for the kids too.

Absolutely amazing. Thoroughly recommend the animal experiences. The keepers made the day so special. Really hope they get through all the lockdowns as they’ve sadly had to take pay cuts to make sure the animals are ok.

It was a good place for children's to explore

We travelled here from Leeds and we were really excited. Overall a good zoo, we are big fans of independent and smaller zoos and this one boasted hand feeding experiences and super hands on interaction. Sadly, it was a bit let down by poor signage, poor visitor experience staff interaction and awful food. Fortunately the animals made up for it, some real variety and even on a cold winter day, lots to see. Negatives to note: * Website is confusing with changes to covid booking system and when I sent a couple of emails it took weeks for a response, fair enough, it's a tricky time for everyone at the moment but the replies were barely a sentence long with very little information. I also tried to call several times (on different days) to book experiences and the phone was never answered. Not a great first impression and a simple thing to get right. * When we arrived we were stood waiting at the desk to be served for ages, three members of staff stood chatting with their backs to us. Another member of staff then arrived, asked us to move, went behind the desk and then disappeared. Again, not great first experience. * The food was awful, we got a chip butty and fish and chips with 2 drinks and it came to over £16. The battered fish was an off yellow colour and tasted microwaved and peacocks were indoors eating scraps off the tables. * Signage was poor, you could only buy a paper map (£1) and signage around the place was really poor. The one way covid signs were hard to follow and sometimes you'd walk past entire enclosures with not a clear sign to be seen. Positives to note: * Good variety of animals and some really good ideas for reimagining ways of interacting with animals. * Good play park for kids. * Good animal feeding opportunities (if you can find the information or speak to someone and don't mind waiting til 3/4pm for the experience). * Huge gift shop, which is good for some but seemed a bit money grabby when you looked at the size of it in proportion to some of the enclosures. Really sad couldn't give the place a 5 star. I work in the visitor attraction sector myself so know its a difficult time for everyone and everyone's trying their best but these guys could do so much better. If food, visitor service staff and signage were improved we would visit again.

An amazing place and well worth the really long drive for us to get there. Great value for money and offers something for everyone. Some really interesting animals here and great conservation work.

One of the best zoos I have ever been too! Just wish the weather was on our side as we could have stayed longer which we so desperately wanted to

Wolves on the roadside when u pass and a rhino!!!!

Wet day but granddaughter enjoyed it

This is one of the best zoos we've ever been. It might seem small but it has a great variety of animals and most of them seem to have a lot of space to wonder about. It's possible go through quite a few of the enclosures and to feed some of the animals, so you get to really experience it. I would definitely recommend it and we will come back in the future!

Loved it, it was nice to see the animals close up. I also fed the penguins which was a nice experience

Fantastic zoo. Tonnes of walkthrough areas, feeding opportunities, and a variety of animals. Large enclosures with well looked-after animals too. Whole family loved it.

You are very close to the animals

Had a brilliant afternoon with the lemurs

Best wildlife park in the UK (and we've done a few)

We all loved it, even with the new restrictions they had a one way system and it made it lovely and relaxed and the staff was friendly and really nice to my son asking another of questions

Visited on the 18th October and what an amazing day. We've been half dozen times before but this has to be the best. We were able to feed the White Handed Gibbons and Spider Monkey's. All the staff were fantastic stopping and telling us about the animals from what they're markings mean to their individual personalities. If you're thinking about going then do it, it's a great place.

Fantastic day out! All the animals were out and about! Can get up close to some animals. Lemur walk amazing, keep still long enough and they come around you and explore! Great value! Shame so far away would visit again or become a member.

A great place to visit! Definatley great Value for money. Lots of parking on site and lots of animals to see, even though its perhaps smaller than some other zoos. A great little walk through area where you can feed some them if you buy the zoo's food. Can get up close to the lemurs and the bird walk through is great as they fly around you. Animals seem to have space in the enclosures and zoo is nicely laid out so you don't have to go back and forth to see everything. Also, have done well with the social distancing, making some areas a one way system and providing sanitiser for hands. Only downside is that you can't take picnics into the zoo - you have to go back to the car - even though food is sold in the place - but not a big deal. A great place to visit and would recommend a visit here.

Another great visit to the zoo. Only one thing to mention or suggest really... and its the lion enclosure. It seems the new arrival scooter likes to spend most of his time behind the enclosure making it hard to see him. We travelled especially today but in a 6 hour day didnt see him or his partner once as they were tucked away in the far rear of the enclosure. Perhaps a viewing point could be made there. Otherwise no issues. Brilliant place and very much on the up after some troubled times. Animals all look well and healthy.

Very pleasant zoo at a reasonable price. Parking is free. Food is available on site. Please note picnics are not allowed in the zoo. There are several toilets situated around the zoo. Staff are willing to talk to you and are helpful. Good family day out.

A fantastic place! Worth the money. Animals look to be well cared for. Eateries and little stores dotted all over. Usual inflated price inside for food etc but they have to make money somehow! We will be back.

Bought "animal feed" which was extremely overpriced for a small box of Grass pellets £4.50 and the animals which are listed to be hand fed weren't interested and didn't want the pellets. Disappointing for young children if they expect the animals to feed from their hands. The roaming space for the animals and the animals that are kept at this zoo were half decent compared to some zoos/farms and it's nice that a lot of the zoo is free roaming for both the animals and humans. The zoo took us around 2/3 hours to see everything. There were no facilities to buy a bottle of water, just cans of water which isn't great at all. Overall the visit was OK, probably wouldn't go again.

Not a great park, it seemed that the staff were all kids. There are walk-through attractions which are interesting for the kids. £1.80 for a can of pop, £2.50 for a Calipo and you are stopped from taking food and drinks in with you. Most of the enclosures are overgrown and it's not very well signposted. Not a lot of work has been done over lockdown.

A great day out. The animals all seemed well cared for and in great condition. The staff were all friendly and helpful

A good day out. Easy access around the site with a pushchair and good viewing points. Plenty of toilet facilities and refreshment stops. The shop had lots of quality gift items too.

Well worth a visit. Lovely helpful, knowledgeable staff. To see the animals up close was a delight. Plenty of places to get a drink and something to eat. Loved it.

Beautiful little zoo. Staff were incredibly knowledgeable. Being so close to the animals was amazing!

Been going here for years and always enjoy it, had its ups and downs but its doing very well now, went as part of a thank you day for members, got to feed lots of animals and had a free BBQ, well worth a visit. We go most weekends to see the capybara, lemurs and Stanley the sloth

Honestly what happened to this zoo? The whole place is overgrown and in disarray. We visited a few years ago and everything was immaculate. The staff did not appear to want to be there, and moaned about cleaning duties as we passed. We walked through the parrot enclosure, no parrots were to be seen, I asked the member of staff where all the parrots were and he told me, there not stupid enough to be outside they are indoors. We went to look at them indoors doors are locked. Cluttered offices with skinned animals on show seems bad form for a zoo. Won't be back.

What a fantastic zoo, if you had to pick your favourite animals then just go here as they have done it for you. You get close up to everything with many of the animals out in the open. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Is on my top 10 of best days out.

I was really pleasantly surprised at how great a day out it was at this zoo. We went in the afternoon on a weekday in November and it was extremely quiet - it almost felt like we had the zoo to ourselves. The best part about it by far is how close you're able to get to the animals. They all have huge enclosures but the viewing platforms eg at the big cats and the primates were positioned so more often than not, you were right next to them. I have never been to any other zoo where a tiger or a jaguar is as visible as they were here. The walk through parts with the lemurs, emus, capybaras etc were fantastic - but made me worried how kids might get too close etc. The zookeepers were really friendly and happy to chat about the animals - which were really well kept and seemed happy. Only four stars though as the surroundings could do with a bit of TLC (but nowhere near as bad as some reviews make out) and a few things were closed including the tropical house and most food outlets (but it was November). Also it would have been nice to get a free map as the signs aren't brilliant. It took about 3-3.5 hours to see everything, overall it's definitely worth a visit!

Had a lovely day at the zoo, lots of variety in interesting animals, which you can get very close too. We feed the penguins which was amazing, would recomend as a nice day out

Probably the best zoo in UK!! Able to get really close to the animals who look well kept, have clean enclosures. Young rhino running around the field was amazing to see. The lemurs and the Gibbons especially entertaining for all ages. Helpful staff. Good price.

Been here before, 10 years ago was bit better. Still, nice place, especially for kids. You can feed some of the animals, but they wont really serve any of the special food you bought.

Traveled to Dalton to visit the zoo with a friend who had an experience booked. Whilst we were did we encountered some problems with the experience and it had to be delayed but the staff were friendly and helpful and gave us compensation for the mistake. The park itself is actually quite large and has a large variety of animals. Most of the animals you can get close enough to and get a good look at the animals. There is also a section of the park you can feed some of the animals with animal food avail for purchase at the entrance. There are also experiences available such as feeding the giraffes, penguin ect. They serve food at the park however most of the snack bars were closed when we attended in November but this was expected with the time of year. The restaurant that we did eat at felt a little pricy for the size and quality of food provided. I would maybe suggest taking snacks especially if you have children. There is a huge gift shop as you leave the zoo with plenty of items for each type of animal. Overall I really enjoyed my visit and the experience I had with my friends there. And would recommend a visit if you are near by.

What a fantastic experience. Me and my daughter had an amazing 2days at the zoo, with fantastic experiences including the Christmas experience which I would highly recommend and also world highly recommend feeding the giraffes. We’ll be back soon , thank you to all the staff x

All of the animals here in this little Zoo of just 51 acres were beautiful and lovely to see, such a great variety of animals from Wolf's to Bear's, Giraffes to Wildebeest and Rhinos to Kangaroos. Its even got a small animal enclosure, were you can walk around with the kids among them. Loved seeing the Jaguars they are one of my favourite animals and I'm by no means an expert on them, but I had the feeling that something was not quite right with them, the way they were prowling up and down, seeming uneasy or bored, maybe even needing a little more space. Which I can imagine is really hard for such a little Zoo, but hope a bit more can be done for them. When it rains here there is not a great deal of cover for its visitors like many zoos, so an umbrella or raincoat is recommended when the weather looks a bit unstable. I found the gift shop had a really good selection of things, but as for the prices, they were over priced for what you were getting, even compared with other zoo's prices. I know a lot of people that visit here are tourists or holiday maker's, but sometimes by charging too much means selling less!

It was a nice sunny day enjoyed it with family Its pushchair and wheelchair friendly. There is ample of parking. Better to reach early to get most of the day. There is a cafe inside the safari. While we were there, there was some flu going on therefore most of their experiences were closed like walking through the bird cage where you can see eagles and vultures flying over you. We missed tiger feeding time. We were confused by the timings printed on the leaflet they give. Advise is best to ask on the counter when you get your ticktes. There were no elephants. Its good for a family day out i would say.

Lovely zoo with some amazing enclosures for the animals and a massive gift shop. We went on a Thursday and it wasn't busy, though it was very windy and cold. The map is easy to understand and the zoo easy to get around, though the avian enclosures were closed due to an avian flu outbreak sadly but the rest was all open and we even managed to see all but one animal. The food was reasonable priced, fresh and nice. All in all it was a wonderful day out and I'd definitely recommend going if you haven't already.

Pleasant day out with my grand-daughter. Helpful staff on reception helped me find the best entry deal. Was a little disappointed that I couldn't get any refreshments; it was 22 March but not open till ?2 April; you couldn't take your own food and drink in the venue. There should have been drinks available to buy but two facilities not manned or even open so missed opportunity to increase takings. Would still visit again though, as I said a pleasant day out. Thank you.

Excellent zoo. Animals are amazing looked after well free to roam about naturally. All look healthy which Is great to see. You can touch the animals and feed them. Great for buggys and wheel chairs. Excellent service from the staff too answered all questions to the best of there knowledge of the animals. Great little day out big play area for the children too. Pic nice area and cafe also.

Had a great day there. We were a party of 5. We fed the lemurs and giraffes. My 3 year old son loved it. We had to queue to get in but luckily the sun was shining and the queue was moving fairly quickly. There was a huge queue in the fish and chip cafe and the atmosphere wasn't great with customers shouting and arguing with the staff because of the wait on the food. (It was a bank holiday and the place was busy) Staff were friendly and the animals all looked happy and healthy. It's our closest zoo and we will be back.

Had a really nice visit during the Easter holidays. Little bit of a wait to get in but nothing major. The animals were all active and seemed well looked after. Highlight was definitely the red panda, first time I've actually seen one at a safari park. Everybody in our group had a great visit

Brilliant choice of animals, great up close encounters. Animals are well looked after and the park is clean. Its my second visit but definitely won't be my last. The whole family love it here. Adults, teens and children all came away happy.

I can not recommend Safari Zoo highly enough. Their animal experiences are absolutely amazing. If you love animals then this is the place to be. On our recent visit we did 6 animal feeds on our first day at the zoo. All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The next day we had booked the mammal keeper experience and it was simply awesome. Our keeper Natalie had brilliant knowledge of all the animals and she was simply a pleasure to spend the morning with. The fact that some of the animals free roam around the zoo plus the walk through areas make this such a special place. Thank you so much Safari Zoo and your wonderful staff for our very special time. We can't wait to return.

Absolutely loved this zoo today. Perfect family day out for adults and children. Arrived at 10:30 and didn't leave until 5pm! Fantastic and great value for money! Worth the 2 hour drive and can't wait to return 🙌 😀

Really nice place for all animal lovers. Will be going again for sure, this time I want to get a whole experience as it looked like a lot of fun. Animals looked really well cared for, enclosures are big and having a lemur jumping over your head is simply great.

Amazing day at the zoo. All the animals looked healthy and we had the pleasure of feeding the big cats. The zoo keeper we was with was lovely and very friendly and shared lots of information. She was very passionate about the animals.. The rest of the staff was also very friendly. Would definitely go back 😊

Bought tickets as a Xmas present for my 5 yr old grandson He visited with mam and dad. They had a great day the smiles on his face shows how much he enjoyed it definitely be returning. Much better to see animals in this environment then in a zoo

What a lovely place. Thoroughly enjoyed wandering through the area with the emus and lemurs. Good that you can buy food to feed them with. We also did the feeding experiences with giraffes, lemurs and penguins. Great fun. We booked online and got half price discount which made the whole experience very reasonably priced for a family day out. Will definitely visit again when we're next in the area

Had a great day, plenty to see, the lemurs were fun to watch as they walk around you. Got to feed the penguins and a tiger (separate fee to do this), food and drinks was a little expensive. Overall though a good day out.

I was very pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable this place was. The animals appeared to be well cared for and the keepers were both knowledgeable and passionate about the animals they care for. We had the bear experience. I highly reccomend this it is a must do.

First visit back here in a long time and it's so nice to see the vast improvements that have been made and are clearly still being made. Equally as nice to see all the additions here for children now too such as the "poo- dunnit" dung boxes and fun information related to it all and adventure maps to fill in. Sadly the bird houses were closed- I guess it's too limit any spreading of bird flu or similar however everything else was accessible. Picnic benches are available in different sections throughout the park and for anyone wanting hot food or drinks there's a restaurant with plenty indoor seating and Safari theme. There are also little booths that sell ice cream and drinks in certain sections although I'm not certain they all still open. The toilets are clean and well stocked and there are plenty of hand washing stations. The paths are clear and all areas well sign posted. For me, some areas look a little neglected, like the old train line/newer train line and it's hut and the old meerkat enclosure up by the "wild" section however I feel these are possibly earmarked for something new as it's not in anyone's best interest to leave them empty, so watch those spaces. Overall I would definatly recommend wether with kids or without. There's something for everyone and plenty opportunity to see how wild animals feed OR even book a wild feed of your own. Great day out.

Fantastic set up. Easy to walk around, plenty of well kept animals to view. Fed the Artic Wolves, what an experience that was. Shame that they're being relocated down south. Would rate this Zoo within my top 5 so far.

Had a lovely day with my partner and child, staff were nothing but approachable and friendly, experience was nice but 2 points to make as it was clear a lot of animals here were still in stressful conditions since the zoo was fined for cruelty, and it was costly. Wildebeest was alone with 2 Zebras, pretty sure Wildebeest are herd animals and from what I've seen in past reports it was an advisory in relation to the lack of wildebeest other than just the one From what I've read, the zoo was encouraged to not allow as many people in to feed the giraffes carrots as it was causing a concern around health, had to wait behind a que of around 40 people to feed the giraffe 3 pieces of carrot, though multiply it by 40 and I'm sure it equates to a more unhealthy amount A lot of the enclosures seem very badly thought of and very under/overcrowded for what they are, a lot of animals under stress due to their surrounding environments, rained heavy and hard for an hour during the morning, all animals were left in the rain, in 16 degree heat. Again I can not fault staff at the zoo for their helpfulness, friendliness etc, but animal welfare was where a real issue was. So admission isn't bad at all, family ticket was £25 and that's for a year, animal feeds were £5, the costs lied in food and drink, e.g a can of diet coke was £2.25, a bottle of water was £4, a "kids picnic bag" consisting of a pack of crips, ham sandwich, juice and banana was around £6, for us to get 2 chicken burgers (breaded chicken patty in a bun with lettuce) without chips, and the kids picnic bag, the cost came to near on £30 for nothing much at all Prices are where the business shoots itself in the foot though I'd have to say, like the gift shop is a mortgage and you need around £20 to walk out with anything decent really The zoo might say all this profit goes to maintenance/animal care etc, but I'd have to argue maybe switching the admission prices to day rates (so that family admission that was £25, is for the one day you visit, not the year) would assist in being able to bring down the overall prices of the rest of the zoo, funding definitely isn't going back into it enough as from what I've seen barely any problems or advisories for the zoo have been dealt with or targets really met. Shame to see Again, the staff were nothing but amazing and friendly so I couldn't say a negative thing towards them other than in regards to the zoo's conditions Final photos are what the Arctic Wolves now look like, luckily enough they are departing the zoo this month from what I'm aware

Firstly ignore the negative reviews, go visit and make your own mind up! While yes some people may pull a face and accuse the zoo of cashing in by charging people to feed the animals, my girlfriend got me and her a big cat feeding experience and we loved it! (Plus it's a good way for the zoo to make some money as zoos are expensive to run!) Luckily with it being a Sunday we got to feed a tiger. I've seen other peoples reviews saying that they had to queue for a long time to get the chance to feed the animals but you should start queueing earlier if you don't like queueing! Yes a few of the enclosures looked a bit over grown and wild in places but the animals ARE wild animals and that's how they like it? Also animals are unpredictable meaning that they don't have a set routine, most of them just want to relax somewhere shaded and quiet, so you might have to be patient if you want to see them. It isn't the biggest zoo that I've been to, however there are things here that I've never experienced before. Like the two walk through avaries and the area where the kangaroos, capybaras live. Also the feeding experience is really good. The zoo is very clean and almost litter free, there are plenty of benches dotted about and the staff that I met seemed friendly and happy to stand and chat. The only downside is that there is a no picnic policy in the zoo and due to the prices of food and drink at the zoo it will be become a very expensive day out! We really enjoyed our day and we would quite happily visit again!

Fantastic safari zoo surrounded by the picturesque lake district. There is so much to do around here you could spend a long weekend just soaking it all up. The safari zoo was fantastic. Animals were well looked after. Food facilities were great and the staff was friendly. Great day out with my little ones.

Visited today as part of our holiday in the Lake District. Book before you go!! The admission is half priced if booked before. Good selection of zoo animals and was wheelchair accessible all the way round. Very clean with massive gift shop at the end

Brilliant experience lots of hills so be prepared especially if pushing wheelchair like I was lol. Animals all looked well cared for and happy. Plenty cafes around the zoo and great gift shop

Went to this zoo on Tuesday (29th August 2023) and really enjoyed it! Particularly enjoyed the red panda experience we had booked as we got to meet and feed the two red pandas in the enclosure. They have the cutest little faces! The keeper was so knowledgable about the animals too, so props to her! It was really cool to see the other animals they had too, my personal favourite (apart from the red pandas, obviously) was either the capybara or the rhinos. Food was really good as well. There were some silly kids running around but you get that anywhere to be honest. Couldn’t rate the zoo any higher, keep up the good work!

I did the Keeper for the day experience along with a big cat feeding today and I'm mind-blown by how incredible it was. I love 4 hours away and so travelled down the night before to stay over and drove home after the experience, so it was a really long day but it was 100% worth it and I'd definitely do it again. Got off road a bit of a rocky start trying to find the right entrance and given the fact that the booking confirmation tells you to be there 15 mins early (8:15) but the staff don't actually start until 8:30, thankfully I bumped into a keep walking into work who helped me because there was no clear meeting point or number to call. Once that was out the way though, wow. All of the keepers I spent time with were super friendly and helpful, I worried I'd feel like a bit of a hindrance but it was the complete opposite. They were all more than happy to have you there and seemed to be really keen on making sure you had the best possible experience. I've always wanted to do something like this so I was really pleased when I got it as a gift and I'd expected good things, but I could never have guessed that it would be as good as it actually was. I've done things today that were truly a once in a lifetime experience, it's something I'll never forget. If you get the chance to do it, then please do, you won't regret it. I will say that the zoo facilities are a bit tired in terms of the cafe and toilets etc, some investment is really needed here but the staff are so great that they more than make up for it and I was really happy to see how well loved and cared for the animals are.

At first you think this is a small place, after nearly five hours of interesting walking around you realise that it is larger than it seems. The animals look very happy and healthy apart from the red squirrel 🐿️, he looked a bit stir crazy running back and forth over a short space. A very enjoyable visit. Thank you.

I absolutely love this zoo. It has a fantastic park for the kids. The zoo animals seem to be really happy. You get to get up close and personal with some of the animals which the kids loved. Ah who am I kidding, I loved it as well lol.

Such a fabulous place with the chance to experience once in a lifetime opportunities. Feeding tigers! Feeding snow leopards!! Feeding a variety of animals. A beautiful vast space for all the animals with natural habitats in their enclosures. A lovely clean safari park with a great range of animals for both adults and children to see. On site food restaurant with fast food lunch served. 2 other little food huts within the park too. A nice little park for children and a never ending gift shop with many gifts and souvenirs. We love this safari park that much that it was our second visit and will definetly be booking more experiences in the future. A place to never tire off and we would highly recommend visiting.

Took my 11yr son for a junior zookeeper experience today at the zoo and he had the best time. He hasn’t stopped talking about it all day and got to take some amazing photos with some extraordinary animals. He had lunch included and the whole experience at the zoo made his day. We have to say a special thanks to Georgia (Lemur aficionado) who was super knowledgable, friendly and certainly made him feel at home and welcome. Definitely recommended 🫶🏻

Great zoo... After reading reviews before going, I was a little apprehensive. When I arrived the queue was quite long. However, considering their February promotion, what do you expect........ it did clear quite quickly and got in within half an hour. This probably due to the restricted opening hours, but for the price you can't grumble. Me and my family spent approx 2.5hrs walking around (didnt do any experiences, but the ones which we saw looked fun). Animals all seemed happy and plenty of space in most of the enclosures. A couple could do with being bigger. Overall a good fun day! Not been there for over 10 years and would go back (entry price on gate a little expensive, but if you can get a cheap ticket, well worth the visit). Staff seemed friendly and food outlets were reasonably priced......