South Lakes Safari Zoo

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.