We came to Paradise Wildlife Park because the wife was given a “Shadow a Big Cat Keeper” experience as a birthday present. Prior to this we had no idea that this place even existed.
The Big Cat Experience: We were at the Visitor Centre at 08.30 where we were all given a drink and some biscuits (there were four adults and a three year old). We were expecting Mrs Chimp to be whisked off, leaving us to pay our entrance and walk round the park waiting for her to finish her day. Not a bit of it. We were able to join Mrs Chimp and her keeper for the first 30 minutes and we were able to listen to what the keeper was saying and showing her. This was taking place in the 30 minutes before the zoo opened so it was as if we had the place to ourselves. At 9.30 we split up and, having already bought our entrance tickets we went our separate ways. Mrs Chimp reports that the day was educational, informative, fun and, occasionally, a little nerve wracking. She fed the Snow Leopards by hand, helped to train the White Tiger (we saw both of those), cut up meat for the cats, cleared out the Ocelots cage and helped place some surprises for the Jaguar (that was a bit scary, apparently). The keeper also looked after the Wolves so Mrs Chimp was able to get into the wolf enclosure with the animals and get really close to those as well. She loved it and was as intrigued to see what goes on behind the scenes as she was getting to grips with cats. From the cup of tea to being “released” took approx. 6 hours. She came home with a certificate and a t-shirt.
The Zoo and Park itself: Lots to see and do, especially for younger children. In fact, the activities and play areas for youngsters were, frankly, astonishing. Our three year old granddaughter was kept amused for the whole day with a mixture of animal visits, walks, rides and play activities – no mean feat. She loved feeding the animals and looking though the viewing windows. Some of the pens appeared to be smaller than others I have seen but they do appear to meet the guidelines set out by the relevant Ministry. The only animals that I thought looked bored were the reindeers who were following each other round and round in circles. That was a little hard to watch if I’m being honest. However, none of the other animals exhibited any obvious signs of distress (unlike other zoos I’ve been to).
The Play Areas: Bouncy castles, swings, things to climb on, fairground rides, tractor rides, train rides, adventure playgrounds, areas for those with special needs and disabilities … the list goes on and it makes a change to see youngsters catered for in this comprehensive manner. There were so many play areas and things that interested the little one that we didn’t get time to see any of the shows or any of the other feeding experiences (other than the Big Cat ones mentioned above).
Refreshment: Plenty of stalls around the park selling crisps, ices, drinks and so on. Expensive? Yes, compared to supermarket prices but similar to other establishments /events that have a “captive” clientele (excuse the pun). Having said that, because we were there so early we had a breakfast in the café. A full English was just £5.00 (very reasonable, I thought) and the staff were happy to swop the chips (?) for an additional sausage, egg or rasher of bacon. If we were going again (and we will) we will almost certainly take a picnic for our lunch but, to be fair, we didn’t feel ripped off by the cost of the food (but then I pay similar prices for burgers, hot dog, chips at outside events and football matches so it wasn’t that much of a shock to me).
Summary? A surprisingly good day out with lots of animals in close proximity and easy to see. The kids’ areas were great and it helps for those interested in animals that you can feed and touch so many of them. Not a cheap day out but then a trip to the zoo never is. The day was better than I thought it was going to be, helped, immeasurably, by the fact that we could keep our three year occupied 100% of the time.

We went with 4 kids, ranging from 2yrs to 10yrs, and each one was excited by it. There were miniature activities for the elder children, with a walkway above the pathway with great visibility of the lion enclosure.

The bird shows were a great attraction too.

Enough for a half day out...with a picnic afterwards. There is also a kids swimming pool, which is worth it too on a sunny day, so make sure you take their costumes and towels. This just adds to the days activities.

Also, try to book tickets online, as it saves on the queue time which was long when we were there. Thankfully we thought ahead!

Very disappointed took my grandchildren who were really excited at the bird show that was advertised for 1 30 but never materialised
Quite small and cramped and quite expensive for what it was

Pretty well maintained, plenty for kids to do (though a lot of equipment and rides aimed mainly at under 8s rather than older ones).

As others have commented, animal enclosures feel a bit on the small side, though well within legal limits I'm sure. I'm not really a fan of keeping animals like big cats and zebra in such surroundings and didn't enjoy the cheetah just pacing endlessly in circles round the enclosure, but they are not the only zoo to do this. Animals seem well cared for.

Staff pleasant and helpful. It's a decent day out and just about worth the money (got 20% off booking online), but probably wouldn't do it again.

My wonderful wife decided to treat me to shadow a big cat keeper for the day for the day, and it was I have to say, brilliant.

Before the park opened to the public we were greeted with teas, coffees, biscuits etc, then offered a walk around before we met our keeper for the day. Ross was a friendly, welcoming, wealth of knowledge on the big cats having worked with them for 7 years. He took us around all of the enclosures, introduced us to the animals, and we started to get up close and more personal.

Having been to a lot of other zoological parks in my life, and vowing never to return, I can honestly say that when the surprise was dropped on me the day before, I was very trepidatious. Those who remember the poor black Jaguar/ Leopard at Marwell will understand this feeling. I vowed never to return... however, with a hopeful outlook we hit the road to PWP.

As we wandered round and Ross explained to us that PWP donates a lot (almost all) of their profits to conservation, and they also have a sister site in Kent called the Wildlife Heritage Foundation (please check them out), that focuses more on conservation and breeding programmes. We were able to witness the training and feeding of the white tiger, we even got to hand feed, and touch him throughout the experience. My other half fed the white lions, and even got a lick from Moto. We got involved in a little bit of cleaning of the Snow Leopard enclosure, got to put some enrichments in their enclosure, and generally got a much better, deeper view of how PWP operates, some of the ideas they have for the future, and how the staff interact with the animals.

It’s certainly clear the staff care deeply about the animals, they want the very best for them, however, like most things in life, a lot of improvements cost a lot of money. If the staff, and PWP suddenly won the euro millions, I'm sure the entire amount would be spent on the park to ensure the animals continuing happiness. The staff are the biggest asset, and I think Ross will go far.

Having said all of that, the park is not perfect, but it is doing the best job it can. If I can recommended anything it would be to publicise more the work they do at WHF, tell the background stories of the animals such as Sheena. A leopard rescued from a private collector who had her in an enclosure far too small for 11 years of her life. The enclosures themselves are not acres, there just isn’t the space. But what the cats do have is a pretty good sized place to run, jump, climb, and do the things that cats want to do. Billy the Oceleot, and Sheena both have huge enclosures, multi level, semi junglefied, where they can hide if it all becomes too much. The lions have a nice big run, as do the tigers. In short the cats are definitely not mistreated, nor when I saw were they pacing up and down (expect for feeding time, which you have to expect), and they are very healthy, cared for, and they are happy as they can be. If anyone saw me feeding Balkeil (cant remember how to spell his name) the white tiger, and how he was rolling around afterwards, snuffling Ross' fingers, and generally looking very pleased with himself, they would realise just how well the cats are doing.

If anyone visiting the park has any concerns, please just stop, and talk to the keepers, they were all friendly, and I can pretty much guarantee that they will take the time out of their busy day to discuss, and probably address any concerns.

Thank you to all at PWP, you've changed my mind about zoological parks.

Took my grandchildren on last min if looking what to do just wish I'd found it sooner , my granddaughter has visual impairment and the animals with her camera were closer than most places we have been so one happy girl

I can not fault the playground, entertainment and other various attractions but I'm afraid to say the animal aspect of the park lets it down.

I wasn't going to leave a review but I feel I must if only for the sake of the poor animals. I'm no expert or tree hugger but I couldn't help but feel the animals are in cages that are far too small.

Some animals especially the big cats seemed on the edge of insanity - pacing up and down in very small enclosures. Children learing through the windows at them constantly.

When I visit other zoos like whipsnade I feel like they are part of a bigger picture - conservation and animal welfare - although here I had a sense of guilt that I had just paid (a lot!!) to come and see animals in some kind of freak show.

These beautiful creatures deserve better.

Other than that we had a nice day at the park and paid extra for the little rides etc. glad the bouncy castle was free but felt it should be manned for health and safety reasons.

A big thankyou for a lovely day , My great nieces and great nephew really enjoyed it ages 7yrs 5yrs 3yrs , loved the play area , But some bigger kids were running and pushing the younger kids , need more of a age limit or at least height ,

Took our little boy for his 2nd birthday and he loved it. First time hes been to this type of place and from beginning to end the things for him to do was endless. Adventure play areas soft play areas farm and the animals brilliant day out and good value for money me and his dad had a good day too would definitely visit again.

As the title suggests this is my third visit to the Park and I noted the improvemnts and changes since my last visit (3 years ago). The only drawback to an otherwise lovely day was 1) the noise of the music blaring out from the speakers by the stage. We could not even talk to each other and 2) by far the worst was the Hygiene not coplied with by the attendant in Sams Kiosk. We had 2 cheese and onion rolls and the attendent picked up the cheese with his fingers! Disgusting. This Park could be closed down because of the poor catering standards if the owners are not careful

We enjoyed seeing all of the rare animals, especially the snow leopard.
A good day out, lots to do.
Cost of entry a bit expensive had there been more than the one adult and one child it would have been out of our price bracket.

I'm glad we made a visit but having thought about it I am left feeling that keeping what should be wild animals in tiny enclosures is not right. I think quality of life now means these animals should be free, and if that means we loose them then for the sake of the animal that's what I'd prefer. Keeping big cats, primates and zebra, to name but a few, in enclosures of the size we saw is wrong.

Wow what a brilliant day. I bought my partner and myself a Tiger Feeding Experience for his birthday.
The Wildlife Park is superb, very clean and lots of keepers around working hard looking after their animals.
We fed tigers meat at 3pm by hand which was awesome, our keeper was lovely and very informative about your safety and the tigers.
We would definitely go to the park again and are now saving to go to their sister park in Kent, this is by appointment only for experiences, not open to the public.

Lovely place with a nice selection of animals on display. Would be great to visit if you have kids. Easily spend a whole day here.

I helped facilitate a group of 30 young people attend the park as part of an organised event.

The park seems to have grown from strength to strength in relation to the animals available to enjoy and the information and education promoting the welfare and preservation of the animals.

It rained quite heavily during our visit and my only gripe was the female more mature member of staff who works in the indoor soft play area. She had an unfriendly, unhelpful approach to any questions, shouted at some of the children in a way that I didn't feel was appropriate for a children's service and looked scary!

Me and my husband took our four children, 15yrs, 8yrs and 6yr old twins. They all had a great time in both the play areas and seeing the animals. There was plenty to see and lots of places to eat your own picnic or buy food. We used Tesco vouchers which is also handy as it would've cost us £102!! There was a stage with entertainers on but we did'nt watch them so I can't really comment but it looked ok. The younger children enjoyed the little pool. We did visit 2 years ago and they have updated things.I would definatley visit again. There was lots of access for wheelchairs and a small playground called"a special place" which I thought was a nice touch.

One of the few zoo's to offer attraction of seeing a few rare animals...snow leopard/white tiger..so that was a treat however..the day was spoilt with some unforgivable areas that need sorting out 1. The food was both diabolical and expensive..we were given a dried up slab of meat in a dry bun no garnish... It looked and tasted like a dead animal left in the desert dead for 2weeks... Even with a drink it was a job to swallow it..and was about £12 with chips and drink. The canteen staff consisted of underage youngsters who unsupervised were just enjoying chatting and joking with each other... You cant blame them at that age..but i can pass blame to the zoo..they were ill trained and unsupervised and it reflected in the food offered. I did highlight on email to broxbourne/paradise..they didnt even have the courtesy to respond...many reviews knock the food yet no improvements put in place to address-take it or leave it attitude. The staff working..we found a couple good ones but also saw young staff in pens...chatting on their mobile phones..again..unsupervised doing what they want... This was disconcerting to see-an accident waiting to happen for one of them no doubt! .. There didnt seem to be anyone around staff wise and visitors were allowing their children to run and climb where they shouldnt and tease the animals... Notices shd be up and checks to address such behaviour. Everyone allowed to do as they please..the place had a feeling of unorganised chaos to it. Some animals were showing signs of frustration... In other zoo's -Colchester for example they put enough toys to occupy them and build surroundings akin to the outside for the animals to feel comfortable in... Paradise Wild Park looked careless in comparison. On the plus side - the park overall was nice.. And there was a chance to see rarer animals...and there was a bus service to and from station which other locations lack...but it was severely let down by its carelessness and inability to address issues mentioned above which are shown in many reviews of the park...as i've pointed out even emails are ignored... Paradise Wild Park have a lot going for them if they could only be bothered addressing their very easily solvable issues.

I loved the day out here seeing all the animals and and walking around the park. There are things to keep children entertained and lots of information about the animals that kept my interest. However, the cafe had very little choice so I would recommend you maybe take a picnic!

Had a great day yesterday at paradise wildlife... They got lots of animals and activities.. I'm giving 3 stars only because the cages were to small..

We've just got back from a wonderful day out at PWP, having taken our young grandson there for his first trip to a zoo. There is so much to keep the kids occupied and entertained, the Tumble Jungle soft play centre went down well with us and the little fella. The big cats are awesome, especially the snow leopards, so beautiful.
It was lovely to see so many families enjoying a day out, I highly recommend PWP as a good summer family attraction.

Took my two boys here and we had a lovely day. We only live a few miles away so visit a few times a year and my children always enjoy themselves and cant wait to come back. I prefer it here to london zoo because of the play areas and little splash pool so although its not cheap to get in you can make a whole day of it. im not a animal welfare expert but the animals all seem to be well looked after the staff genuinely look like they care for them and are happy to answer questions. Will be visiting again soon

We are pass holder for pwp and it is like our second home we really love going and the kids never get bored thank you pwp

Great family day out for all. Plenty to do and see for all the family. Nice to see animals so well cared for and truly loved. We'll sign posted good clear information on the animals. Easy to get around with a buggy. Good facilities you have all you need. Great places to eat. As well as places to have a picnic. A really great fun playground for the kids. I had to drag the kids out. We will be going again and again. My tip look out for discount codes and voucher deals, this makes the day even better and good value.

We went here today £70 for 2 small children and 2 adults animals all appear soooo well looked after great to be so close but ....
All other entertainment I e train diggers you have to pay £1 per person so costly day out food good value with salads burgers etc
Would not go back again

We had a fantastic day out today at Paradise Park. There are a vast amount of animals there with a special section dedicated to Big Cats which was amazing. Everything is clearly sign posted with specific information relating to each animal. Lots of the animals are rescue animals, there is a focus on the problems the animals face and why lots of them are endangered, they also give examples of how to help the endangered animals.

We had a £10 off voucher so we paid £18 per adult and our 2 year old went free. We went to the park with our family and it was £15 for a child's ticket. There is an incredible amount to do inside the park so we spent most of the day there. The animals were split up into sections but they were easy to walk between. Nothing is too spread out yet nothing is too close together. I didn't feel like the park was packed at any point during the day.

A few of the adults went to play crazy golf (£2pp) while my daughter (2) went to all the slides, undercover bouncy castle, saw the safari dance show and took a ride on the train (£1). Everything in the park was reasonably priced although I did feel £5 for face painting was a bit much but saying that the face painting looked like stage make up quality and was fantastic (just didnt think my 2 year old would sit that long to have it done).

I can honestly say this is the best park I have been too. The grounds were exceptionally clean, plenty of toilets (no queuing), disabled access, easy to go around with a pram and some opportunities for little ones to pet the animals.

My only negative is that some people were walking around smoking. It would have been nice if there was a blanket ban on smoking in the park as there is such a high volume of children there.

Also bonus - we had a free box of goodies from the classroom area, a book about the park, stickers, toys, badges, colouring in sheets, a novel and sweets. This was a promotional event taking place that day.

I would definitely return to the park and recommend it to my friends. Thanks to the staff who were all very friendly and helpful throughout the day.