Any tips or recommendations for the best places for animal experiences in Europe? I'm based in the UK. Main points are cost, where they are and whether the zoo in question has any other worth seeing points. The hope being to meet and perhaps feed the animals whilst learning more about them from their keepers.
We have done lots of animal experiences in the UK but have struggled to find many zoos in Europe that offer animal experiences. The two Berlin zoos offer good experiences (We did a moose experience at Tierpark and Common Hippo at the zoo), but one that would definitely interest you is the "Meet the Fur Seals & Manatees" at Faunia in Madrid. The zoo is reachable by public transport and the experience is fantastic. You get to go in with the Manatees and feed them, and it's only 45 euros for an hours experience; an absolute bargain. Plus the zoo is good too
Oh my goodness, never have I started planning a trip so quickly! Thank you for telling me about that one, I'd seen a manatee experience for Paris zoo, just feeding them, but couldn't find it again when I looked properly (think it cost quite a bit too for what it was if I remember right). Earlier in the year my boyfriend and I went to an animal experience at Berlin Tierpark to meet the elephants (another favourite of mine!) for my 21st and it was fabulous. The staff were so so wonderful and even took a bunch of photos of us on my camera. How did you find the hippos? That's another we would like to try in Berlin. That and rhinos in the UK I think.
The hippo encounter was good: We got to feed them from a platform over their pool, then saw their night quarters, where the keeper got them in for their feed, so they were very close. We haven't done a rhino experience yet, but it's on our list
Then only downer about Faunia is that they take all the photos, then charge you the earth after for them. But the experience itself is amazing.
I think they still do, but when I enquired in 2015, it was fully booked for the year (not to mention £450pp!)
Blackpool Zoo offer Big Cat,Giraffe,Penguin feeding experiences,Close interactions with Tapirs,Lemurs,Sea Lions and Aardvarks and Bird of Prey training Sessions. Lakeland Wildlife Oasis offer An interactive experience with Fossa,environmental enrichment for the animals and Snow Leopard Feeding. Chester Zoo offers Meet and Greets with Elephants,Penguins,Giraffes,Fruit Bats,Greater One Horned Rhinos(Limited times only,around October),Lemurs,Aardvarks and Meerkats. All mentioned Zoos offer Zookeeper for the Day experiences as well.I'm doing Chester's on the reptile section as a birthday treat.
Hmm, that's interesting to know. I would have liked to take my waterproof camera I've had a look at the website for Faunia's manatee experience and it says it's only running until the 15th October 2017. Does anybody know if that's a definite end date or if it'll run again next year (and when)?
That's the problem with a lot of them, so expensive and all booked up! The Berlin's were €80 for up to five people if I remember rightly? Much more reasonable
Blackpool Zoo's Penguin,Giraffe and Bird of Prey trainer experience only cost £10 but you have to go to a gift shop to pay for them as well as paying Zoo entry and car park fee.
Zookeeper for the day at both Whipsnade and Duisburg look very promising but the zookeeper days always seem to be so expensive!
So it's a pay on the day type of thing? Think that might be a good bet, I've been meaning to return to Blackpool- I think it was the first zoo I ever visited as a young child!
Yorkshire Wildlife Park offer Giant Otter,Carnivore,Polar Bear(1 of only two holdings in the UK,South American animals and a ranger shadowing experience.Ranger Shadowing for adults is £150. Lakeland Wildlife Oasis keeper for a day is dirt cheap at £59 for one person and £99 for two and it can be somewhat tailored to the individual's preference.I loved it especially when I put a food bucket down and a Lemur came up and stuffed two monkey nuts in his mouth and gathered up some more for his friends.
We fed Victor and Pixel at Yorkshire Wildlife Park back in 2015, an amazing experience but cost £300 for the two of us. Its now £300 per person.
Giraffe feeding at Banham is ridiculously cheap at £8.50 per person. The lemur experience at Linton Zoo is also ridiculously cheap at £10, especially when you get to feed white collared, crowned, mongoose and red ruffed.
If you're on a tight budget don't forget Colchester, you can feed the Giraffes and Elephants free of charge (though you have to join the queue, less of an issue when off-peak) and there's also a good collection of other animals to see too.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park also do some mini experiences for £30; meerkat, baboon, giraffe and minibeast. Giraffe is exceptionally hard to get hold of though and doesn't seem to be available to buy on the website at the moment (I'm told it's sold out for many months but will be back).
On the day experiences for Blackpool seem to be Giraffe meet & feed, Sealion meet & great and Fly a barn owl. Other experiences also available, incl. the penguins for about £60 (booked in advance, £90 for two people, additional £10 for observer tickets).
