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Britain's best zoos
  • Chester Zoo is the most visited wildlife attraction in Britain and has 12,000 animals from 400 different species, around half of which are on the threatened list. The zoo has just opened the first stage of their Islands project which will see the sights and sounds of South East Asia brought to the park. 
  • Colchester Zoo is home to a number of rare and endangered species including sun bears from Canada. Visitors can feed the elephants and giraffes themselves before taking a ride of the Lost Madagascar Express train. For the little ones there's the Jungle Tumble soft play area which gives adults the chance to relax after touring the park.

  • Blackpool Zoo has a large number of popular exhibits including Giraffe Heights, the Big Cat House and Gorilla Mountain. The children's zoo allows younger visitors to enjoy a more hands-on experience with the chance to feed and handle the animals living there. The zoo is also home to a collection of life-size dinosaur statues which make up the Dinosaur Safari exhibit. 

  • The Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens is the largest privately owned zoological collection in the UK and houses more than 260 different species of animal. Visitors can watch the penguins and lemurs being fed daily or you might be lucky enough to catch one of the big cat feeding times.
  • Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo is home to the only giraffe in Wales as well as many other exciting animals including lions, penguins and rhinos. The Jolly Barn and Farm boasts a number of farmyard animals and visitors have the chance to get up close and personal with their favourites in this section of the park. 

  • At Paignton Zoo the animals are categorised by their habitats with exhibits including the desert house, the tropical forest house and the tropical savannah area. Once you've seen all the animals you can take a relaxing stroll along the Nature Trail or meet Paignton's bird population in the Bird Show before getting involved with feeding the animals.
  • The vision behind Durrell Wildlife Park was that it would not only be entertaining for visitors but also a centre of research, education and animal conservation. The wildlife park works with some of the most endangered species from across the world and the park is home to animals from the Galapaos, Madagascar, the Caribbean and more. 

  • Drusillas Zoo Park is a small zoo aimed at young children between the ages of 2 and 10 years old. The park is home to a number of rare and endangered species including red pandas, black lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs. Visitors can also get really hands on at the park and take part in one of Drusillas 'Keeper for the Day' sessions where you'll be able to clean and care for a number of the park's animals. 
  • Whipsnade is home to a number of exciting animals including Nepalese rhinos, hippos and cheetahs. The zoo covers an area of 600 acres and due to its size visitors can travel between enclosures either by foot, on the park's bus service on in their own cars. You can even spend a night at the zoo in the Lookout Lodges which are next to the white rhinos. 

  • Axe Valley Wildlife Park is run by a husband and wife team who offer guests a range of experiences while visiting the animals. You can choose to spend some time with your favourite animals, enjoy a handling session with some of the animals or even get up close and personal with some creepy crawlies if you're brace enough.

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