Last updated on November 8th, 2024 at 07:00 pm
Many zoos and wildlife centres offer animal experience days. They’re an opportunity to get close to some of the animals, but also to support the upkeep of the animals and contribute towards conservation and breeding projects.
Most animal experience days include entrance to the zoo so you can make a day of it and visit all the other animals and attractions at the zoo as well.

Animal encounter experiences make great activities for parents or caregivers and kids to take part in together and fantastic experience gifts for kids and teens. My daughter and I recently enjoyed the Lemur experience at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire. It really was a magical thing to do. We loved feeding the five ring-tailed lemurs (carrot was their favourite snack, followed by chicory and then aubergine).
We got to see all of the lemurs’ different personalities. Henry was our favourite: he was the lowest-ranking lemur in the group so ate last. He was also incredibly gentle. We had plenty of time to chat with the zookeepers and learn some amazing lemur facts too!
Age requirements vary depending on the wildlife experience. Feeding big cats will, understandably, only be suitable for older teens and adults. Meerkat, Penguin and Lemur experiences will be suitable for younger children. Many zoos offer Junior Keeper Days for kids and Keeper for a Day sessions for those who are 16 or 18+.
Animal experiences near me:
Read on to explore what’s on offer at zoos across the UK. Hopefully, you’ll find options for zoo experience days not far from you!
Animal Experience Days in London and surrounding areas
ZSL London Zoo
If you’re looking for animal experiences in London, naturally ZSL London Zoo is the place to head. Opened in 1828, London Zoo is the oldest scientific zoo.
Interesting fact: London Zoo was established by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (who is also famous for founding modern Singapore).
London Zoo offers the following animals experiences for kids and adults:
- Feed the Penguins (age 3+) and Meet the Penguins (age 8+)
- Meet the Monkeys (age 6+)
- The Giraffe Keeper Experience (age 8+)
- Meet Our Meerkats (age 5+)
- The Komodo Dragon Experience (age 14+)
- Junior Keeper for the Day (for 11 to 15-year-olds)
- Friendly Spider Programme (hoping to cure your fear of spiders, if you have one)!
For children under 16, an adult must accompany the child in the activity and have a paid-for ticket. One adult can supervise a maximum of two children.
Where to find it: Regents Park, London NW1 4RY
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is the UK’s largest zoo. You can either walk or drive around it; there are spots to park up at various points around the zoo. Whipsnade has been involved in returning several species of animals on the verge of extinction to the wild. One example of this is the Przewalski’s horse.
Whipsnade offers a good array of experiences for children of all ages. These include:
- Meet the Animals (Elephants and Giraffes for age 8+; Tigers for age 12+)
- Keeper For a Day (Age 16+)
- Zoo Explorers (1-day course for 5-7-year-olds)
- Junior Zoo Academy (2-day course for 8-10-year-olds)
- Lookout Lodge (an overnight stay here includes 3 private animal tours)
- Zoo Academy (5-day course for 15-17-year-olds)
Where to find it: Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2LF
Hertfordshire Zoo
Hertfordshire Zoo (previously Paradise Wildlife Park) in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire is compact and easy to get around. They have a remarkably diverse range of animals, given the small size of the zoo. They also have a good range of wildlife experiences.
Hertfordshire Zoo experiences include:
- Feed the Penguins (age 10+)
- Meet the Meerkats (age 8+)
- Tickle A Tapir (age 10+)
- Feed the Lemurs (age 8+)
- Meet the Red Pandas (age 8+)
- Wolf Encounter (age 16+; available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays)
- Feed a Big Cat (age 16+)
- Sloth Experience (age 14+)
- Shadow a Zookeeper (5 hours long; age 14+)
- Mini Zookeeper experience (1 hour long; for 5 to 8-year-olds)
- Junior Zookeeper experience (1 hour 30 minutes long; for 9 to 13-year-olds)
Children under the age of 10 should be accompanied in the experience by a paying adult.
Where to find it: White Stubbs Lane, Broxbourne EN10 7QA
Animal Experiences Scotland
Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park
Near Stirling, Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park was established in 1970. It’s one of the best safari parks in the UK, and one of the first (following Longleat Safari Park in 1966). While you’re best off making your way around the park by car, you can visit the animals on foot too. There are over 300 animals at Blair Drummond Safari park, including a beautiful pair of Amur tigers.
You can enjoy the following animal experiences at Blair Drummond:
- Keeper for the day (lasting for 6 hours 30 minutes, for age 16+)
- Junior Keeper Experience (1 hour 30 minutes for ages 10 to 16)
- Giraffe Experiences (8+ with one participating adult)
- Meerkat Experiences (8+ with an adult)
- Lemur Land Experience (8+ with a participating adult)
- Large Mammal Experience (not currently on sale, but hopefully will be again soon)
You can purchase vouchers for animal experience gifts online, which are valid for 12 months.
Blair Drummond closes over the winter months and reopens in March.
Where to find it: Just outside of Stirling, Central Scotland. Their postcode is FK9 4UR
Highland Wildlife Park
Highland Wildlife Park predominantly features animals which are used to colder climates (this is Scotland, after all). Its main attraction is the polar bears. There are 4 here currently, including the UK’s only polar bear cub, Brodie (he’s 1 year old now). We also loved the arctic fox, the snow leopard and the wolves.
Highland Wildlife Park runs ‘Magic Moments’ giving you a chance to get up close to some of these wonderful creatures. Their Magic Moments include:
- Snow Leopard Magic Moment (age 16+)
- Amur Tiger Magic Moment (16+)
- Polar Bear Magic Moment (16+)
For younger children, they offer a Highland Wildlife Park Keeper Experience Gift Box. They also offer animal adoptions.
More experiences are likely to become available over the summer months.
Where to find it: Kincraig, Kingussie PH21 1NL
Animal Experiences Wales
The Welsh Mountain Zoo
The Welsh Mountain Zoo covers 37 acres of beautiful land overlooking Colwyn Bay. It originally started as a small family business in 1963 and is now the most established zoo in Wales.
Here you’ll find a Sumatran tiger, Margay, red-faced spider monkeys, California sea lions and red pandas.
Animal encounter experiences at the Welsh Mountain Zoo include:
- California Sea Lion Encounter (age 7+)
- Primate Encounter (age 7+, primate species varies day by day)
- Meerkat Experience (Age 7+)
- Keeper for the Day (Age 16+. Under 18’s must have an adult accompany them)
Where is it: Colwyn Bay, LL28 5UY
Animal Experience Days Midlands and North
Animal experience Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is vast with so much to see and do. There are over 20,000 animals resident here and the zoo is set over 128 acres of land. There’s a massive team of conservationists, scientists, vets, keepers and other important people all working hard to protect species from becoming extinct. Their website has some great information for kids on this.
You can get an early start at Chester Zoo with their Breakfast with the Lions (suitable for all ages). You can also book a ‘Secret Life of the Zoo Tour’ (age 4+) which will take you around the zoo on a tour bus.
Chester Zoo offers all these experience days with animals:
- Fruit Bat Experience (New! For age 8+)
- Latin American Adventure (Age 16+)
- Tropical Adventure for Two (Age 16+)
- Lion Experience (For age 18+)
- Chameleon Experience (Age 8+)
- Butterfly and Bug Experience (Age 5+)
- Komodo Dragon Experience (Age 12+)
- Elephant Experience (Age 18+)
- Aquarium Experience (Age 12+)
- Giraffe Experience (For age 11+)
- Penguin Experience (Age 8+)
- Keeper for a Day (Over 18’s only)
- Gardener for a Day (over 18’s only)
Where to find it: Moston Road, Upton, CH2 1EU
Twycross zoo animal experiences
Twycross Zoo is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023 with ‘Roarsome’ which includes lots of exciting activities. The zoo was set up by two pet shop owners in the 1960s and has expanded significantly since then.
Twycross has The Gruffalo Discovery Land, which will undoubtedly be a bit hit if you’re there with kids. Plus there are lots of animals to see here – from Rhinos to orangutans.
Twycross zoo is the only zoo in the UK that is home to all four of the great apes (Chimpanzees, Orangutans, Bonobos and Gorilla).
Their animal experiences include the following:
- Snow Leopard Encounter (Age 18+)
- Behind the scenes Tiger Encounter (Age 18+)
- Amur Leopard Encounter (Age 18+)
- Early Bird Big Cat Tour (Age 8+, under 18’s must be accompanied by a paying adult)
- Early Bird Primate Tour (Age 8+, under 18’s must be accompanied by a participating adult)
- Meercat Encounter (Age 6+)
- The Great Ape Tour (Age 18+)
- Giraffe Encounter (Age 3+)
- Penguin Encounter (Age 6+)
Where to find it: Burton Road, Atherstone CV9 3PX
Animal Encounter Experiences in Devon and Cornwall
Newquay zoo
Home to African lions, Newquay Zoo is a smaller-sized zoo (although the largest in Cornwall). Other than the lions, the zoo mainly focuses on smaller species – likely due to its size.
Currently, they offer four encounters. You can purchase animal experience gifts by way of a voucher which lasts for 12 months.
- Lemur Island Experience. (Age 8+)
- Penguin Experience (Age 8+)
- Tapir Experience (Age 8+)
- Junior Keeper Experience (Age 8 to 14 years, lasts 2 hours)
Where to find it: Trenance Gardens, Newquay TR7 2NL
Paignton zoo
Paignton Zoo was the first combined botanical and zoological garden in the UK. Expanding upon the private collection of animals of eccentric billionaire Herbert Whitely in 1923, the zoo now has over 200 animals.
Paignton zoo has the following animal experiences available:
- Junior Keeper Experience (8 to 14 years old, 4.5 hours, must be accompanied by a parent who gets half price entry)
- Zookeeper for a Day (age 15+, 6.5 hours)
- Giant Tortoise Experience (Age 8+)
- Giraffe Experience (Age 8+)
- Rhino Experience (Age 16+)
Where to find it: Totnes Road, Paignton TQ4 7EU
Shaldon Wildlife Trust
Shaldon is a tiny zoo compared to some of the others on this list – it measures just one acre. However, it does lots of conservation work on behalf of critically endangered primates. It’s worth exploring the lovely fishing village of Shaldon while you’re there.
Try one of these animal encounters at Shaldon Wildlife Trust:
- Meet the Meerkats (Age 8+; price includes one child and one adult)
- Lemur Liason (Age 8+; price includes one child and one adult)
- Lemur and Meerkat Experience (Age 8+)
- Keeper for a Day (Age 16+)
- Junior Keeper for a Day (Age 8 to 15; price admits one child and one accompanying adult)
Where to find it: Ness Drive, Shaldon, Teignmouth TQ14 0HP
Animal Experience gifts are a brilliant idea for kids (and animal-loving adults) birthdays! Head to The Best Socially Conscious Gifts For Kids for more gift ideas!
I’ve got a post on sustainable travel you might be interested in too!
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