Featured image: Eastern Black Rhinos at Chester Zoo
All three occupy different locations, but they all have the same objectives in common – the well-being of their animals, conservation of wildlife worldwide and entertainment while educating their visitors. One of the best times to see the animals and learn more about them is while they are being fed. During feeding time, the animals are more active, and a zoo keeper or ranger will give a talk about the animals and answer questions. There is also the option to pay extra for a close encounter experience with an animal of choice. Adventure playgrounds for the children, picnic areas, cafés and snack vans ensure a great day out for the whole family.
Annual membership is the ideal way to get guests involved as they can visit as often as possible and get to know the animals, as well as understand the conservation work being undertaken. Especially when they miss a ‘favourite’ because it has left for a while to assist in a breeding programme elsewhere. This is particularly true of the polar bears, a great favourite at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
A Polar Bear at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster
Yorkshire Wildlife Park a decision by John Minion and his business partner Cheryl Williams to open a zoo after acquiring a riding school and small farm. They both had experience of working in zoos, particularly John who had looked after elephants at Woburn Safari Park.
The park opened in 2009, and since then, it has quickly developed into a global dynamic centre for the conservation and welfare of animals. More land has been acquired, allowing the construction of more natural habitats for endangered animals, including a family of critically endangered Amur Leopards. The proud parents of two cubs born earlier this year live at Leopard Heights, the largest facility of its kind in Europe. Visitors can climb up to a viewing platform to see if they can spot these elusive animals on one side. And can take advantage of some good viewing of the Rothschild and Reticulated Giraffes in an enclosure in the area known as Into Africa.
Amur Leopard at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Amazonas is a small, walk-through immersive habitat that is home to some rare species from South America. Keen eyes will spot the small, critically endangered Golden Lion Tamarins and Silvery Marmosets climbing in the trees. More grounded are the Patagonian Mara, a rodent with long ears like a hare on a deer-like body. Another rodent, the capybara, has webbed feet and will often be seen submerged in the small lake. Other walk-through areas in this park are the Wallaby Walkthrough and the Lemur Woods. There is also a huge wetland area accessed via a long boardwalk that skirts Tiger Land.
Golden Lion Tamarin at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
A grand finale to a visit here is the Pangea Walk that threads its way through an impressive collection of dinosaurs in the five ancient lands of Pangea – a super-continent that once covered the Earth. Thirty roaring giants include the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor.
This walk emerges back at the entrance which is part of a large complex including shops, a play area, restaurants and cafés. An increasingly popular addition to our wildlife parks is overnight accommodation.
The Hex Wildlife Hotel offers a choice of modern, well-designed standard rooms, family rooms and luxury suites as well as fully accessible accommodation. The family rooms can comfortably accommodate a family of four. A real treat to wake up hearing the sounds of the animals in the adjacent wildlife park. Chesire Zoo will soon be offering accommodation in luxury lodges in their new area, Heart of Africa.
Pangea Walk at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
Chester Zoo in Cheshire
Chester Zoo was established by the Mottershead family in 1931 when the family acquired the Victorian Mansion that is today known as The Oakfield. Once the home to some of the original animals, it is now a restaurant and wedding venue.
Its outbuildings, known as The Square, represent an ideal venue for functions and meetings. Soon after this zoo opened, it
registered as a non-profit organisation (1934) known as the North of England Zoological Society. Today it is renowned as a globally recognised centre of excellence for wildlife conservation and research with its own on-site laboratories. The 128-acre site is home to over 37,000 animals representing more than 500 different species – many of which have been preserved thanks to the work that is done here and in collaboration with countries all over the world.
Educating visitors is an important part of its mission, and central to this is the Heart of Africa, a large new enclosure, opened in early 2025.
Here visitors are invited to partake in a number of activities to learn about endangered species and their habitats. Fully accessible elevated walkways overlook the Savannah. Zebras, ostriches and giraffes all have access to this area. It is a splendid sight to see them grazing together. Another enchanting arena is the large, tree-shaded pool where the Giant Otters hang out. These delightful creatures know how to enrapture an audience as they frolic, fight over fish and race through the water like turbo-charged mini-subs.
A Giant Otter at Chester Zoo
The Persian Onager is hardly ever seen in wildlife parks due to the challenges of keeping and breeding them. It is one of the rarest animals in the world, but numbers are rapidly decreasing due to poaching and loss of habitat. Once used as a beast of burden, the difficulties involved in taming them meant they were replaced by the horse, donkey and mule, regaining their status as a wild animal.
Fortunately, the onagers at Chester Zoo are thriving and have produced offspring. Often mistaken for donkeys, they are among the oldest of the equine species but today they are only found in two protected areas. Their dappled coats thicken and darken come the cold weather. Chimpanzees are also a favourite here but share the limelight with the three other species of ape at Twycross Zoo.
Onagers at Chester Zoo
Twycross Zoo in Atherstone, Warwickshire
Twycross Zoo enjoys the accolade of being the first female-founded zoo in Britain. Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans overcame their rivalry as pet shop owners to work together, curating a unique collection of animals that formed the basis of Twycross Zoo when it opened in 1963.
These pioneers of animal care and conservation became of the founding members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. And in 1972 it became a charitable trust, The East Midland Zoological Society to secure its future and continue its conservation work. Twycross was also the first to welcome the Bonobo, one of the four great apes.
It is still the only zoo or wildlife park that has Bonobos as well as the other three great apes, Western Lowland Gorillas, Bornean Orangutans and Chimpanzees.
Bonobo in Twycross Zoo
There are also numerous small primates at Twycross, which is renowned globally for its work in the conservation and breeding of both large and small primates. In 2025, the charity announced the development of a £25 million Global Conservation Centre thanks to a huge grant from the UK Government. This hub for their expanding global conservation work will include facilities to train the next generation of conservation leaders.
There will also be a world-class Bornean Orangutan habitat and new Indonesian-themed habitats for threatened Indonesian species that will become part of its ex-situ conservation work. Of course, animals are not the only endangered species. Birds are also threatened as their habitats disappear through man’s intervention. Twycross is home to an impressive number of birds. There are several walk-through themed aviaries. In Lorikeet Land, visitors can admire the colourful, friendly Rainbow Lorikeets and feed them with special bird seed available to buy at the aviary entrance.
Rainbow Lorikeet at Twycross Zoo
Unique to Twycross is the Gruffalo Discovery Land, which young children love to visit. This zoo is a haven for families with young children who will have fun and games in an indoor soft play area, race through the large splash pad and then flop on the grass, sit at a wooden table to enjoy a picnic. For a memorable adventure, overnight group sleepovers are available (subject to minimum numbers).
Splash Pad at Twycross Zoo
Planning a visit? For tickets and more information about annual passes, memberships, and close encounter experiences with the animals follow these links:
Yorkshire Wildlife Park here
Chester Zoo here
Twycross Zoo here
You may also like to read: Three must-visit wildlife parks in Southern England this summer