Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

The Wildlife Park is fairly local to me and I've been here many times over the years. From boyhood until now as a 47 yrs old. The park can get very busy at times of the year. So if you prefer less crowds then definitely stay away from mid summer months. They have a good range of animals, my particular favourite are those in the invertebrate house. Most of the animals seem well stimulated with clean, well maintained, good sized enclosures. There is a good sized play area to allow younger ones to burn off some excess energy, that's right next to food out lets and picnic area. So you can very easily sit and have a rest or some thing to eat while the children go off to play. If you want some thing a little quieter then there are many bench seats, picnic benches, covered seating areas or simply the large lawns area all great areas to sit for a while and watch the animals or for a bite to eat. The staff are all very helpful, knowledgeable and polite. It's one of those places where the staff all love the jobs they do and want to share that passion with the public. At a normal pace you can get around the park with in two - three hours. So for some spending a whole day here many be a bit of a challenge but I find this more of an advantage because it allows/forces you to take it at a more leisurely pace. Take the time to stay a watch each exhibit or just your favourites or a decent amount of time. You see a lot of people who will move from animal to animal with no more than a quick search for it, "seen it",then move on. If you want to get a bit more involved they do various "animal encounters" where you get to spend time closer to the animals, feed them all with a member of staff that are helpfully and will answer all your questions about the animal. You can be a "Keeper for the day" where you get to pay to work in the park along side a Zoo Keeper for the day. I wish someone would pay me for them to do my job for the day. They have a pretty standard gift shop. Selling all the normal zoo style "Stuff". There's also a good amount of toilets, ice cream stalls and drinks selling stalls. They also allow dogs in the park, they can't go into all areas and must be kept on a lead, so some one would have to be on dog sitting duty while others go off through some parts. In all it's a lovely place to visit and would recommend.
4 7 years ago (22-01-2018)

A real little gem in the great if the beautiful Cotswolds countryside. A wide range of animals including most of the family favourites (only elephants and tigers missing from the big zoo animals). The rhinos and giraffes were firm favourites, but there were some other unsung heroes of our visit, including the penguins and the fantastic red pandas. We visited early on a bright, crisp late winter/early spring day and only the warty pig failed to show. All other animals were very visible in well maintained enclosures. A great play area for the kids and a clean, reasonably priced cafeteria add to the highlights. The train is probably not worth the extra £1 per person. The compact site makes everything feel accessible without the park feeling too crowded. All in all, a terrific little wildlife park which the whole family thoroughly enjoyed.
5 7 years ago (25-02-2018)

Good selection of animals, nicely spread out - lots of nice planting to enjoy as well as the animals. Get a good view of many of the animals - can get up close and personal with the penguins, which is awesome. Decent little restaurant, reasonably priced and a decent gift shop too. Some of the animals could have nicer enclosures and it can get crazy busy in the summer...but well worth a day out.
4 7 years ago (18-02-2018)

Totally worth it. We were not sure if it worth the drive but it was! We got to see so many different animals in their natural environment and it gives you the feel of being in a safari. I would recommend going with comfortable waterproof shoes as there is walking involved on the outside. The train ride is not the best thing, too quick on my opinion, but it gives you general idea on where to head as there is plenty to see. There is a restaurant that offers great food at an affordable price, and it's a good place to rest after walking around.
5 7 years ago (09-01-2018)

Lovely way to spend a day out, quite busy on school holidays, sounds like the best time to avoid if you don't like small children. 😃 Food in the restaurant was ok but nothing special, and during our visit the queue for food was very slow. But the primary reason for visiting is of course the animals, and it is heartening to see they appear to be very well cared for. With animals from all over the world to see, from tiny insects to large anacondas, from mice to lions, there's something that pretty much anyone will enjoy. One final note of advice, the pathways on our visit were quite muddy in places, so you'd be best off wearing boots or wellies if you visit in the colder or wetter months.
4 7 years ago (16-02-2018)