Reviews of South Lakes Safari Zoo (Zoo)

S

Lovely zoo with open enclosures so the animals are free to wander around in their areas. We saw the Jaguars and lemurs being fed (£5 pre-booked in advance for feeding the lemurs). Sometimes the paths were confusing so you’ll have to wonder around till you see everything. Good parking, big gift shop, everything is booked so no queues for us. The bird area was filled with vultures flying above us and eating carcasses! ???? Peacocks wandering around so managed to touch it ???? Only thing controversial was the Arctic foxes that were in a dessert like environment and seemed really bored. Overall nice ice day out, saw couples together as well as families with kids, ice cream place as well ????☀️

Kat McWilliams

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

Catherine Rennison

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.

Debra Ross

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.

Imelda Little

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.

Darcy Gray

Amazing zoo, loved being so close to the animals and feeding experiences are fab!! Spent a whole day there. Oh, ice creams are amazing too!!! Will be back!

Fflur Jones

Friendly zoo for a day out, wouldn't buy the food to feed the animals though as they didn't want to eat anything as everyone was feeding them! We ended up feeding the fish ???? Fab thing about the park is that if you keep your ticket stub then you can return for free within 14 days ????????

Michael Graves

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.

marc greaves

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!

Harley Rose

Most amazing experience at this zoo it was unbelievable best zoo ever! We visited whilst on holiday to Lake district and wanted a day out my Lord so glad we did we got so close and personal to the wild animals (pictures for proof!!!) The staff are so friendly and very knowledgeable and honestly couldn't praise them enough we paid for the giraffe and and penguin feeding experience and that was awesome! Would highly recommend a visit and it takes a few hours to get round we did it in 3 all the enclosures and then had another hour until feeding so sat and ate and did the penguins at 3:30pm and giraffes at 4pm and then to the gift shop to buy souvenirs! Thankyou for the most amazing experience up close and personal with amazing animals all staff great even the workers In the tractors mucking out animal stalls were friendly speaking going by good job to them too thankyou all at South Lake Safari Zoo!! X

Chelsea Dargan

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.

Andrew Gentry

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!

wayne gregory

Great zoo to visit, lots of animals and they all have plenty of space, bit pricey to get in IMO. But they have lemurs, giraffes, tigers, penguins, vultures, rhinos, monkeys, and lots lots more..... Kids love it as there's so much to see.

Mr Safology

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 ☺️

Rebecca Ungi

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.

Neli Neli

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.

Rachel Elliott

Well worth a trip if you're in the area. It was so nice to see animals with lots of area to roam in. Some areas were open which was lovely, especially when the lemurs would scurry round your feet! If you love animals then you'll love this.

PatateMcMenu

We came to South lakes to take part in the red panda experience we got as a gift for Christmas in 2019 (just before the pandemic hit) Not only were our tickets honoured after the expiration date due to the zoo being closed, but we also had a wonderful time while we were there. The Red panda experience itself was amazing and guided by a wonderful woman. My partner and I enjoyed every minute of it. The rest of the zoo was amazing, we especially enjoyed walking next to lemurs and kangaroos. Unfortunately we didn't get to eat as they'd stopped serving food by the time we'd thought about eating, but that just proves how good the place is - we were so focused on the animals that we were there till just before closing. Definitely recommend coming here for a fun day out with the family. The terrain is quite hilly so be prepared for a bit of a walk, but one that's quite worth it!

Rob Tranter

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

Howard Cragg

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.

Olivia Brogan

Had an absolutely amazing day out here. Most of the zoo is a walkthrough so you are right in beside a lot of the animals. One of my favourite parts, was walking through the enclosure alongside the vultures. I dont think theres anywhere else in Britain where you can get to do that, it was an amazing experience.. there was vultures in the enclosure which had a wingspan of around 7ft, we even had the pleasure of getting to see one of them fly! It was unbelievable. All of the enclosures are very open and look similar to what the animals habitat would actually look like in the wild. Would definitely recommend it was a wonderful day out.

Craig Palmer

Membership is fantastic, Christmas at the zoo brilliant- £85 for 2x adults and a baby there was ample food hot beverages present from Santa for the baby and 2x gifts for adults plus a Christmas Eve box containing a book and a milk carton. Membership is 360 odd days a year for approx £120 family membership and unlimited access to the zoo great if visiting over 2 times a year. Cafe isn't the cleanest but what do you expect at a zoo and the food isn't good you can't take your own despite ample seating around the zoo with picnic tables and extremely bad of you have GF or any other allergies. Going around the zoo is great but ones opinion, various animals are in small enclosure and highly stressed I'm sure vets regularly attend and unfortunately as the zoo is only quite small nothing can be done to make it bigger. Up to standards from UK government and local council however no where near enough size for big cats, wolves and other animals. Otherwise a great day out and well worth a visit. Car park is more than ample. If it had more space where animals could get out of the way and if they didn't want to be seen I'd give it 5/5 I've marked it a 4 star as it's a good day out if it was purely on welfare of animals and personal valuation it would be 1-2 star. The idea of the zoo is great but over commercialised for the area unfortunately.

Ste Costello

We love Safari Zoo. Great opportunities to feed some of the animals. Lemurs, Giraffes, penguins and we have done the Tigers and the Jaguars feed which is AMAZING.

Helene Hancock

Well worth a visit. Relatively expensive admission but look out for online/other deals. Well managed admission procedure, no wait to get in. Exhibits well laid out with interactive experiences. To a non expert eye animals looked happy and healthy. No picnics -food available onsite. Staff helpful and knowledgeable. Absolutely loved the walkthrough vulture and Condor enclosure.

Anthony Bourner

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.

Karen Harker

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.

Gemma Fyfe

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!!

anca voican

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.

hannah sabberton

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

Tony Lowery

Good day out with reasonable prices for food, snacks and drinks. Large outside play area for when the kids need a break from walking around the zoo. For a extra 5 quid each you can feed lemurs, giraffes and penguins. Book online with a family ticket to save money.

Julie Richardson

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.

Andy

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.

HELEN CLEMENTS

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

Catherine Irwin

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.

davina eaton

We had a really enjoyable day out sept 4 2021. Lots of animals to see, far more than we expected. Walking through the meerkat and lemurs was nice. The aviary with the Condors was amazing. Seeing the Jaguars being fed, I got a great film of Remi climbing the pole. The highlights were the baby Rhinos, a real achievement. We found all the staff very helpful and friendly. We had taken a picnic, it was no trouble to go back to the carpark to eat it. Then we purchased ice creams from a kiosk in the park. All in all a very good day out. Book tickets in advance to save money. All you need is the invoice number, the booking system is annoying and confusing sending you to a different website for a time slot that wasn't needed but that's tech for you. The animals were a joy to see and we had a lovely day out.

Kevin Barrass

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.

Adrian Spencer

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.

Shelley Robson

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

Jay Renn

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.

Katie Amzid

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.