port lympne safari park booking

Port Lympne Reserve

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

PORT LYMPNE RESERVE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Sun - Sat 09:30 - 18:30
• (0.00 mi) Rhino Lodge
• (0.16 mi) Lympne Castle Cottages
• (0.51 mi) Giraffe Lodge
• (0.79 mi) Treehouse Hotel
• (0.67 mi) Bear Lodge
• (0.12 mi) The County Members
• (0.54 mi) Unit No.1
• (0.39 mi) The Garden Room At Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
• (2.25 mi) Hide and Fox
• (2.78 mi) Coppers
• (0.13 mi) Hythe Sound Mirror
• (0.18 mi) Lympne Castle
• (2.54 mi) Alpaca Annie
• (2.41 mi) Kent Ballooning
• (0.50 mi) Royal Military Canal, West Hythe

Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Reserve

Home to some of the world's most endangered animals, including Kent's only gorillas and black rhino, elephants at Howletts, and many more!  Visitors can enjoy a wild day out and see real conservation in action!  

Port Lympne is set over 600 acres and is home to the UK's most authentic safari experience.  The African Experience - 100 acres alive with animals.

Throughout the year visitors can take advantage of special themed events all included in the price of the ticket at no extra cost!  Visitors can also book additional activities for an extra special day, including bespoke safaris, guided tours, team building activites, keeper experiences and many more.

Restaurants and kiosks are located around the park providing a variety of hot and cold snacks.

The Reserve also offers a variety of short breaks, each one offering a unique experience, from an inside view to the lives of tigers or a glamping experience you’ll never forget. Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve can offer it all. Find out more at https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne/short-breaks/ .

See website for prices.

Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Reserve Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Aldington Road Lympne CT21 4PD

Opening Times

Open everyday except Christmas Day Port Lympne Summer March - October 9.30am - 6.30pm (last entry 3.30pm) Winter October - March 9.30 - 5.30pm (last entry 2.30pm) Howletts Summer March - October 9.30am - 6pm (last entry 4pm) Winter October - March 9.30am - 5pm (last entry 3.30pm)

You may also be interested in

Dog-friendly accommodation

Dog-friendly attractions

Dog Friendly Walks

Dog-friendly places to eat and drink

Kent's Dog friendly beaches

Ways to make the most of spring

Celebrating Kent's Coast

Animal Experiences in Kent

Attractions Near Me

You're 1 click away from serious fun.

Half-Price Port Lympne Animal Park Entry, Safari and Digital Adoption Pack 5/5 (6)

See over 900 animals up close and personal with a half-price day out at Port Lympne Animal Park. This fantastic value package also includes a safari experience and a digital adoption pack.

Admire Hundreds of Rare Animals

If you’re an animal lover, a visit to Port Lympne Reserve including a safari and animal adoption is just the ticket. With a focus on giving the resident animals as much space as possible, spend the day roaming the large site and admiring hundreds of rare animals.

Safari Experience

Continue your adventure on an unforgettable  60 minute truck safari  covering hundreds of acres, allowing you to see African and Asian animals roaming freely with expert knowledge from your ranger guide.

Animal Adoption

As part of the package, you’ll also  adopt an animal of your choice  and receive a digital adoption pack. Your adoption will help The Aspinall Foundation carry out international conservation work, protecting endangered animals and their natural habitat.

What’s Included?

⭐ Animal park: Enjoy a roaring day out with a ticket to Port Lympne Reserve wildlife park with a digital animal adoption pack, as well as an amazing truck safari experience! ⭐ Safari experience: Go wild as you hop aboard the truck and see spectacular South American, Asian and African animals such as bears, giraffes, zebras, camels and more! ⭐ Animal adoption: Remember the day forever with a digital animal adoption pack with a choice of 35 animals. ⭐ Digital adoption pack: Your digital pack will come with a photocard, fact sheet and certificate of adoption. ⭐ Conservation: The park leads the way in animal care, enclosure design, enrichment and breeding success and is designed to be breeding sanctuaries for some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals.

Located in the tranquil, bucolic landscape of south Kent, Port Lympne Reserve is home to a magnificent array of wildlife and endangered species. Go wild and meet some of the beautiful residents – from majestic black rhinos and awe-inspiring Siberian tigers to the pint-size pudu deer, you’re bound to find a favourite.

Immerse Yourself in Wildlife Wonders

Prepare to be amazed as you immerse yourself in the wonders of wildlife at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve. With over 600 acres of diverse habitats, this reserve is home to a remarkable array of animal species from all corners of the globe. From majestic giraffes gracefully roaming the plains to playful primates swinging through the trees, every step you take will bring you closer to the fascinating world of nature. Embark on a guided safari tour and witness these incredible creatures up close, or explore the reserve at your own pace and let serendipity guide your path. No matter how you choose to experience it, the wildlife at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve will leave you in awe.

The Aspinall Foundation

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is part of The Aspinall Foundation, an internationally renowned animal conservation charity that works in partnership with both Port Lympne and Howletts Wild Animal Parks. Their mission is to halt the extinction of rare and endangered species and return them to the wild where possible.

Travelling to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is located in the South East of England in Kent, and is within easy reach of the home counties of London, Surrey, Sussex, and Essex. You can reach the attraction by car, train and bus.

Travelling by Train

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is approximately 60 minutes from London St Pancras on the high speed service, alternatively, it’s 90 minutes from Charing Cross or Victoria Railway Stations. Take the train to Ashford International Station and from there, it is just a short bus or taxi ride to the park. Search for your train tickets using Raileasy .

Nearby Accommodation

There are lots of places to stay in Kent. Find hotel accommodation at Hotels.com or Travelodge are always a good option for good quality, family-friendly budget hotel accommodation.

Check our dedicated accommodation page for more ideas on places to stay or view self-catering cottages available from Snaptrip .

Attractions Near Me Offers

For the best deals and Discount Days Out visit our Offers page Attractions Near Me Also, like our Facebook page for notification of any new offers Facebook.com/AttractionsNearMe

Author: Dan

I am passionate about Theme Parks and Attractions. I love riding roller coasters and thrill rides. With two young boys I understand how expensive family days out can be and this was one of the main driving forces behind Attractions Near me. My aim is to help you and your friends enjoy some great days out without costing the earth. Thanks for reading and have a great time - Regards Dan

Your Opinion

Related pages.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Half-Price Port Lympne Animal Park Entry, Safari and Digital Adoption Pack

Privacy Overview

Change location, find awesome listings near you.

Port Lympne Safari Park

Buying as a gift lovetovisit gift card available here, 25% off port lympne safari park tickets - pick your safari truck ride time for the ultimate kent day out for families.

Port Lympne Safari Park is home to over 600 acres of wildlife wonderland and over 900 amazing animals for you to discover in an exciting day out for a discounted price in Kent today. 

How does my Port Lympne Safari Park ticket work?

• Pick your timeslot for the safari truck ride
• Your tickets also grant you all-day admission to the safari park 
• Adult tickets from £24, was £32
• Child tickets from £21,  was £28

Book your discount admission tickets to Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent and get ready for an unforgettable day out for the whole family, or read on to find out more about this fantastic Kent day out. 

Ticket Information:

The time shown on your ticket is the safari truck start time. It is advised to arrive at the park 60 minutes prior to the safari truck start time. Once confirmed, the safari time will not be able to be amended. The safari loading area is approximately a 15-minute walk from the entrance. If the safari is missed, alternative times will not be offered.

Visit Port Lympne Safari Park for one of the best things to do in Kent with the family

If you're looking for some of the best days out in Kent, then you and the family will love visiting Port Lympne Safari Park. Enjoy an immersive journey into a world of wildlife like no other!

Hop in the safari truck and get ready for an adventure into nature, where you'll meet extraordinary animals from around the world. 

Home to wildlife from every corner of the globe, Port Lympne Safari Park lets you witness many majestic animals as they roam free in natural habitats.

Explore the many things to do at Port Lympne Safari Park

Kent's largest wildlife park is home to wonderful animals from all over the world. See wildlife park favourites such as lions, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes and monkeys, while also encountering rare animals that have become endangered in the wild, such as the Western lowland gorilla, the Eastern black rhino and the Siberian tiger. 

These are just some of the many exotic animals that you'll find on your safari adventure through Port Lympne! The whole family will love spotting animals of all shapes and sizes as you make your way through the site on a safari truck ride. 

Conservation is at the very heart of Port Lympne Safari Park, and each visit to the park helps fund the protection of these extraordinary animals. 

The Aspinall Zoo's are two of Kent's best days out

Kent has two wonderful wildlife parks, both offering locals and visitors to the area fantastic days out in Kent:

• Howletts Wild Animal Park - a walk-through wildlife park with over 300 animals and around 50 species, you'll witness real conservation in action at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent
• Port Lympne Safari Park - info on this page

General Admission & Safari Truck Tickets - Port Lympne Safari Park

Get your tickets to a safari truck ride at Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent for 25% OFF and see extraordinary animals from around the world today.

How to find us

Port Lympne is in Lympne near Hythe. Leave the M20 at Junction 11 and follow the brown tourist signs to the park (about 5 minutes drive from the motorway)

How do my Port Lympne Safari Park tickets work?

These tickets include general admission and a ride on the safari truck. The timeslot shown on your ticket is when your safari truck ride will begin. 

Once confirmed the safari time will not be able to be amended.

It is advised that you arrive to the park 60 minutes prior to the safari time. Park gates open from 9:30am.

The safari loading area is approximately a 15-minute walk from the entrance.

If the safari is missed alternative times will not be offered.

Is Port Lympne Safari Park wheelchair accessible?

Port Lympne Safari Park is wheelchair accessible. Accesibility facilities in Port Lympne Safari park include: 

• Wheelchair and buggie routes
• Accessible toilets
• Accessible restaurant
• Accessible gift shop
• First aiders
• Accessible safari truck
• Wheelchair available to hire
• Mobility scooters permitted
• Minibus assistance available
• Concession tickets available
• Assistance dogs permitted
• Disabled parking

How long should I spend at Port Lympne Safari Park?

It takes around 4-5 hours to explore all of Port Lympne Safari Park. 

Can you drive through Port Lympne Safari Park with your own car?

No, your car is left at the car park and you walk through the parks.  However, there is an African & Asian Experience safari ride available.

How many animals are at Port Lympne Safari Park?

Port Lympne is home to approximately 900 animals and 75 species.

Can I bring my dog to Port Lympne Safari Park?

Dogs are not permitted at the park, except for registered assistance dogs.

You might also like

Howletts wild animal park.

Meet tigers, gorillas, wolves, leopards and lemurs in their natural habitats at the wonderful Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent

Wyvernwood - Best Price Tickets

Discover a world beyond our own when you head to the magical land of Wyvernwood, where you can meet fairies, wizards, dragons, and unicorns!

Willows Birds of Prey & Wildlife Trail - Best Price Tickets

Come and see birds of prey in flight as well as a whole host of wonderful animals that call Willows Birds of Prey & Wildlife Trail their home

Dover Castle - Best Price Tickets

Take your family on a trip back to medieval England for a day out you won't forget at Dover Castle

Huckleberry Woods - Tickets

If you're looking for a relaxing experience that will keep the whole family entertained, Huckleberry Woods is a perfect choice! Book your tickets here

Upside Down House in Lakeside - Best Price Tickets

Lakeside's Upside Down House is a strange orange house outside of London, where everyday furniture has been flipped on its head

Maverick Boat Adventures - Best Price Tickets

Get the very best of watersports when you head on a boat tour and go wake-boarding or water-skiing with Maverick Boat Adventures

Colchester Zoo

Discover the animal kingdom at Colchester Zoo in Essex, a true paradise for wildlife and nature-lovers of all ages alike

An Insider’s Guide to Port Lympne Reserve

28 Sep, 2023

Port Lympne Reserve, located in Kent, England, is a renowned wildlife conservation and safari park that covers approximately 600 acres of stunning countryside. Established in the 1970s, the reserve is famous for its mission to protect and rehabilitate a diverse range of wildlife species from all over the world. Visitors to Port Lympne can embark on a safari-style adventure where they can observe animals in settings that resemble their natural habitats. Port Lympne is home to a wide array of wildlife, including large mammals like African elephants, giraffes, lions, and rhinos, as well as smaller creatures such as lemurs and exotic bird species. It provides a variety of educational programs designed to spread knowledge about protecting wildlife and the environment. The picturesque landscape of Port Lympne, with its rolling hills and lush vegetation, provides a beautiful backdrop for this important conservation effort.

The Gastronomic Experience at Port Lympne

With an array of dining options, visitors can embark on a gastronomic experience that complements the natural beauty of the reserve. Every meal, whether it is fine dining or quick nibbles, offers a chance to discover the essence of this unique location. The reservation offers three restaurants and several other options of food and beverages.

The Garden Room Restaurant

At Garden Room Restaurant, guests can enjoy a seasonal menu made with locally sourced ingredients. With its huge windows and pleasant environment, the restaurant boasts a welcoming atmosphere. Dishes here range from hearty mains to carefully crafted desserts, providing a diverse culinary experience.

Babydoll’s Wood Fired Pizza

Babydoll’s Wood-Fired Pizza provides casual and family-friendly dining options. Here, wood-fired pizzas with a variety of toppings are prepared to perfection. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, with a focus on creating a comfortable space for families and groups to enjoy their meals together.

Bear Lodge Restaurant

The Bear Lodge Restaurant is open to those looking for a distinctive place to stay overnight. Amid the gorgeous Kent countryside, it offers a fine dining experience. The cuisine is chosen to suit the realistic safari experience, offering a range of international and locally-inspired dishes.

In addition, the reserve offers several impressive spots. Near the picturesque watering hole, you can find a selection of refreshing drinks and snacks. There are also cafés for a quick pick-me-up, a terrace to enjoy the historic Port Lympne Mansion with a selection of fine wines and cocktails, and a picnic area for those who prefer a more al fresco experience. Finally, Port Lympne ensures that every visitor feels comfortable, offering a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Accommodations Choices

Accommodation options at Port Lympne Reserve cater to a range of preferences, from luxurious and immersive experiences to more rustic and nature-centric stays.

Luxury Lodges

Each lodge is uniquely themed and provides stunning views of the Kent countryside. The lodges are equipped with en-suite bathrooms, cosy bedrooms, and spacious living areas. Some lodges also offer private hot tubs and balconies, providing an extra touch of luxury. Additionally, guests have the exclusive opportunity to embark on after-hours safaris, adding a touch of adventure to their stay.

Treehouse Hotel

Elevated among the treetops, the luxurious treehouses offer a unique combination of comfort and adventure. Each treehouse is equipped with en-suite bathrooms, cosy bedrooms, and stylish lounges. The experience is further enhanced by the exclusive use of a golf buggy for exploring the reserve.

Located centrally in the Port Lympne Mansion, the cottages are the perfect option for guests looking for more privacy. Cottages combine vintage elegance and modern comfort, offering a fully equipped kitchen, comfortable living spaces, and a lovely outdoor terrace. It’s an ideal choice for families or small groups looking for a more intimate lodging experience.

Pinewood Camping Pods

For guests seeking a more rustic and adventurous stay, cabins provide a cosy and back-to-nature experience. The pods offer comfortable beds, heating, and access to shared bathroom facilities. Guests can also enjoy their private decking area, perfect for relaxation and stargazing.

Offering 180-degree panoramic views, the bubble is the ultimate romantic getaway. The accommodation can host two guests. With transparent walls and ceilings, it includes a freestanding bath, as well as a monsoon shower, and a separate living area.

This is the perfect destination for nature enthusiasts, families and anyone looking to support wildlife conservation !

Tags: England , Kent , reserve , restaurants , safari , Travel guide

Privacy Overview

Join our mailing list to stay up to date on our top travel tips and giveaways.

Our Day At Port Lympne Safari Park and Wild Animal Reserve REVIEW

This year I have started to hear about Port Lympne. A safari park and wild animal reserve in Kent. Who also offer amazingly different short break experiences. I couldn’t believe that there is a safari park in Kent giving you the full safari jeep experience. The only time we had ever experienced something like that is in Disney’s Animal Kingdom , I didn’t know it was an option in the UK. We were offered the chance to visit for the day to review the park, I couldn’t wait to take the children there.

*This post contains affiliate links. As a TradeDoubler Member, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We love sharing our days out on our blog. Make sure you visit our Days Out and Experiences post to read all about them.

Join Days Out With The Kids VIP Pass * for exclusive discounts on days out and travel. You will be able to unlock over 1000 offers on lots of top UK attractions.

Visiting Port Lympne

Port Lympne works extremely closely with the Aspinall Foundation. They are a conservation charity who are leading the way in the reintroduction of captive-bred animals back into the wild.

Port Lympne is home to Kent’s only giraffes and spectacled bears. Gorilla feeds are a real highlight of any visit and take place at 12 and 3 pm. They also have a Dinosaur Forest that is the UK’s largest outdoor dinosaur exhibition.

The reserve covers 600 acres and is home to more than 760 animals from over 90 species. It is split into two areas, the safari truck routes, and the pedestrian routes. It has a combination of hilly and flat terrain. This can sometimes be steep and uneven.

If you are interested in a short break at Port Lympne there are over 13 different ways to stay there. Including glamping, the hotel, a stay in a bubble or a tiger, wolf or rhino lodge.

The Safari Experience

Upon entering Port Lympne we were directed to Basecamp. This is where the truck stop is to join the safari. We got there just after opening and wanted to make this our first port of call to avoid any long queuing times. As soon as we arrived at the truck stop a truck arrived for us to board with the group of passengers already waiting.

The safari takes you through a South American Experience, an Asian Experience, and an African Experience. The safari easily lasted an hour and our driver was full of information about the animals and the reserve.

At the South American Experience, you might be able to spot

• Spectacled Bears

In the Asian Experience, you might be able to spot

• Red River Hogs

• Pere David’s deer

• Asian water buffalo

• Przewalski’s horses

In the African Experience, you might be able to spot

• Eastern black rhino

• African painted dogs

The safari truck drops you at the stop in Carnivore territory. This is located at the bottom of the reserve. The driver did give us the option to return to Basecamp with him but we wanted to explore this area next. From this point, you walk up the hill back towards Basecamp. There are parts that are steep. If you stay on a short break some of the accommodation comes with the use of golf buggies. I think these would come in very handy to visit the rest of the park.

We captured our safari experience in the below video.

Dinosaur Forest

The next area of Port Lympne that we visited was the Dinosaur Forest. As expected this area is filled with dinosaurs. They are displayed in the correct timeline from when they roamed the earth.

The area contains lots of information about each dinosaur. We were even given a questionnaire about the dinosaurs to complete as we entered Port Lympne. We didn’t fill it in though as the children were having too much fun dinosaur spotting.

Dinosaur Forest is a lot bigger than we were expecting it to be and the children loved it.

The below video shows us exploring the Dinosaur Forest.

Meeting A T-Rex

Every Sunday during the summer holidays the Dinosaur Forest has had another visitor. A ‘real-life’ T-Rex . We made sure we were there when it was time for him to visit.

Joe the T-Rex was lots of fun and the children thought he was very funny.

Little E was even put in charge of him. She had to walk him around and keep him under control! You can see all the fun the children had below…

The Primate Trail

After we stopped for lunch at Babydoll’s Wood Fired Pizza we made our way around the pedestrian route. We headed towards the Primate Trail. The highlight of this part of the reserve for me was the Apes and Gorillas.

They are animals that Colchester Zoo doesn’t have, and I think they are a rare sight in many zoos.

What was really amazing was that there was a baby ape. It was fantastic to see one so small. It is also nice to know that they are happy enough to breed at Port Lympne.

I really wanted to experience the Gorilla feed but Ethan had struggled during our visit so we decided to give it a miss on this visit. I’m hoping there will be a future visit where we can experience this.

The below video is the full vlog of our day at Port Lympne.

Our Thoughts Of Port Lympne

Port Lympne doesn’t have the feel of a zoo. There is a more relaxed feel in the atmosphere. There are so many different animals to see there.

The safari was a real highlight for us. Amazing to have this experience in the UK. It was also very educational for us all.

The children loved their time there and also enjoyed playing in the different playgrounds.

I feel like Port Lympne want to offer its visitors an experience to remember at their reserve. They do this by offering a very different short break experience. Even down to the restaurant where we ate lunch, it just feels so different from a normal zoo-type visit. Babydoll’s could easily be a standalone restaurant found in your local town.

We would love to return but we would like to experience an overnight stay . Preferably accommodation that includes a golf buggy. The hills of the reserve did call for the purchase of cake on our return to Basecamp.

DISCLOSURE – We were gifted entrance to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for the purposes of this post and to create our YouTube videos. We always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.

Related Posts

Ethan’s First Birthday Treat – Colchester Zoo

Breakfast With Santa at Colchester Zoo

Breakfast With Santa – Visiting Colchester Zoo

Our First Colchester Zoo Gold Pass

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Review: An authentic African safari experience at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park

Did you know you can go on African safari just an hour from Tunbridge Wells? We went along to Port Lympne Wild Animal Reserve to check out the safari experience in the ‘Kent Serengeti’ as well as Dinosaur Forest and other awesome animals throughout the park.

After entering Port Lympne which is located on over 600 acres of Kent countryside, we were advised that the best way of seeing everything was going straight down to Base Camp and go on an African Safari bus which would last for just over an hour. We could then have lunch followed by taking a tour around the Dinosaur Forest and making our way back up to Base Camp, seeing more marvellous animals along the way.

Our first port of call was the Buggy Stop which is a covered area where we were able to leave the push chair for the rest of the day. Ben is getting fairly good at walking for longer periods anyway, but there are tons of Port Lympne push chairs scattered around the place for visitors to use should they need one.

The queue for the safari experience is conveniently next to a lovely playground which the kids had great fun in while we waited for our truck to arrive. A little tip for the safari – try to sit on the left side of the truck if you can , as many of the animals on the way down are on this side.

The Safari Experience is super! We got to see some amazing animals in their ‘natural’ habitats and the highlight of the day for me was seeing the baby giraffe which had only just been born. We started off by going through The Asian Experience followed by The African Experience where the animals roam free, which was another favourite too. There were zebras and antelopes literally wandering out in front of the safari truck and some gorgeous giraffes strolling around the field.

It was wonderful to see them in their own space enjoying life and roaming free. What also surprised me was how beautiful the views were across the landscape – we could see the sea from our truck and when we got to the highest part, we were able to look down at the amazing animals, across the rolling fields – it’s in such a stunning setting and is like nothing I have ever been to. Who would have known we have something so amazing close to Tunbridge Wells? Our driver was excellent with so much knowledge and interesting information about the animals too.

After going full circle, we got off the bus  at Carnivore Territory and wandered up to the Cafe. We were pretty hungry by this stage as it was close to 2pm so decided to have lunch before visiting the Dinosaur Forest. There was plenty of seating outdoors and the weather was still fairly good so we had lunch alfresco. Lots of families had brought their own lunch but we got something from the cafe as a treat. If you are getting lunch there, it might be better to go slightly earlier as the choice was a little more limited when we arrived. However there were still a few options for hot food and a lovely looking cake selection with hot and cold drinks too.

Next up was the Dinosaur Forest which I have to say was terrific too! This section of the site opened in early 2016 and boasts the largest collection of life size dinosaurs in Europe.  Visitors can wander around the trail and see all sorts of species with interesting facts about them along the way. The area is wild and natural and the children really enjoyed it. They have discovered a new-found love for dinosaurs again and have been talking about them ever since.

We made our way back up to Base Camp via the Primate Walk with the help of one of the Port Lympne buggies along the way for my youngest (thought the biggest was trying to get into it too). Seeing the Palace of the Apes is a must!  We happened to arrive at feeding time for the monkeys and loved seeing them swing from branch to branch with their lunch in their hands. There was also a baby baboon following his parents around which was really sweet to watch.

After arriving back at Base Camp, we picked up our buggy and went to the Wolves & Tigers section which is located close to the entrance before visiting the git shop which had lots of reasonably priced animal-related toys as well as special gifts too. Harry chose a wind-up dinosaur to buy with ‘his’ money, a nice little reminder of fantastic and fun day out!

Find out more about Port Lympne HERE .

From playgroups, education and English Tutors to events, activities and fun for all the family, you are in the right place!

Find your next stay

Search low prices on hotels, homes and much more...

Get instant discounts

Get inspiration for your next trip More

New year’s eve in new york city.

Ring in the new year with iconic moments and unforgettable memories in New York City

Destinations we love

Stay in the know.

Error: Please enter a valid email address

Error: Sorry. An error has occurred.

Thanks! We've sent you an email so you can complete your subscription

List your property

• Mobile version
• Your account
• Make changes to your booking online
• Customer Service help
• Booking.com for Business
• Places of interest
• Guest Houses
• Unique places to stay
• All destinations
• All flight destinations
• All car hire locations
• All holiday destinations
• Discover monthly stays
• Unpacked: Travel articles
• Seasonal and holiday deals
• Traveller Review Awards
• Flight finder
• Restaurant reservations
• Booking.com for Travel Agents
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs
• About Booking.com
• Partner help
• Sustainability
• Press centre
• Safety resource centre
• Investor relations
• Terms & Conditions
• Partner dispute
• How we work
• Privacy & Cookie Statement
• Cookie Settings Manage cookie settings
• MSA Statement
• Corporate contact
• Content guidelines and reporting

Booking.com is part of Booking Holdings Inc., the world leader in online travel and related services.

Verified reviews from real guests.

We have more than 70 million property reviews, and they're all from real, verified guests .

How does it work?

It starts with a booking.

The only way to leave a review is to first make a booking. That's how we know our reviews come from real guests who have stayed at the property.

Followed by a trip

When guests stay at the property they check out how quiet the room is, how friendly the staff are and more.

And finally, a review

After their trip, guests tell us about their stay. We check for naughty words and verify the authenticity of all guest reviews before adding them to our site.

If you booked through us and want to leave a review, please sign in first.

Check-in date

Check-out date

• Blog Archives
• Copy­right | Cookie policy
• Lit­er­a­ture
• (V)IPs Zoos
• Rest of the World
• Endan­gered Species
• Species Clas­si­fi­ca­tion
• (V)IPs Evo­lu­tion
• Lat­est Newsletter
• Newslet­ter Archive
• Sub­scrip­tion
• Video Gallery

Select a Zoo

Reviews — zoos in europe, his­tory description, his­tory documentary.

Dur­ing the sec­ond half of the nine­teenth cen­tury the first menageries in Moscow were estab­lished as enter­tain­ment facil­i­ties. The first was founded in 1855 by two French­men (names unknown), while the Kreuzberg fam­ily owned a pri­vate menagerie that opened its door to the pub­lic in 1862 . Together these ani­mal col­lec­tions formed the heart of the Moscow Zoo­log­i­cal Gar­den founded by the Soci­ety for Acclima­ti­za­tion of Plants and Ani­mals, which was estab­lished by pro­fes­sors of the Moscow State Uni­ver­sity. The ini­tial idea for such a zoo­log­i­cal gar­den came in 1857 , but it took the Soci­ety, includ­ing one of its found­ing fathers pro­fes­sor Ana­toly P. Bog­danov, until 1863 to be able to buy prop­erty for the future zoo. The Zoo was opened to vis­i­tors on 13 Feb­ru­ary 1864 at the loca­tion where it still exists until this very day. On open­ing day 287 ani­mals were on dis­play, of which 134 were domes­tic ani­mals, while the oth­ers were exotic spec­i­mens such as tigers, lions, jaguar, leop­ard and rhino.

In those days it was an unique exper­i­ment to cre­ate “a liv­ing museum out­doors,” as pro­fes­sor Bog­danov said, in such severe cli­matic con­di­tions of cen­tral Rus­sia. The pri­mary pur­pose of the Zoo­log­i­cal Gar­den accord­ing to the mem­bers of the Soci­ety was:

to col­lect alive spec­i­mens of higher ver­te­brates ( firstly — the ani­mals of Russ­ian fauna) for sci­en­tific observations;

to estab­lish a col­lec­tion of typ­i­cal ani­mals that could serve edu­ca­tional pur­poses, i.e. dis­tri­b­u­tion of zoo­log­i­cal knowl­edge among the wide pub­lic communities;

to carry out sci­en­tific exper­i­ments and obser­va­tions of impor­tant ani­mals, espe­cially domes­tic ani­mals of Russ­ian breeds.

The Zoo was financed by the entrance fees and pri­vate dona­tions, includ­ing con­tri­bu­tions by mem­bers of the impe­r­ial fam­ily. In the first years the annual num­ber of vis­i­tors grew up to ten thou­sands. Nev­er­the­less, the incomes did not cover the expenses and the Moscow City Coun­cil refused to give finan­cial sup­port. So, the Zoo went into pri­vate hands of the Ryabinins’ fam­ily in 1874 . They trans­formed the Zoo into an amuse­ment park and in three years time ruined the place. In 1878 the Zoo was run by the Soci­ety for Acclima­ti­za­tion of Plants and Ani­mals again, includ­ing fund rais­ing activ­i­ties. This time the Soci­ety was able to man­age the Zoo suc­cess­fully, and even to buy a num­ber of ani­mals. But in the tur­moil of the Rev­o­lu­tion of 1905 the Zoo was severely dam­aged: the build­ings were ruined, the library was set on fire, many ani­mals per­ished. So, for the sec­ond time the Soci­ety was forced to turn over the Zoo to pri­vate owners.

Then in 1914 World War I broke out. For the Zoo this meant that in the autumn of 1914 the only build­ing that remain to this day was trans­formed from the director’s premises to a hos­pi­tal for wounded WWI sol­diers. The WWI impact com­pounded Russia’s suf­fer­ing from a num­ber of eco­nomic and social prob­lems, which resulted first in the 1917 Feb­ru­ary rev­o­lu­tion fol­lowed by the Octo­ber rev­o­lu­tion. In the after­math of the Great Octo­ber Social­ist Rev­o­lu­tion of 1917 and the fall of the Russ­ian Empire, the Soci­ety ceased to exist, and in 1919 the Zoo­log­i­cal Gar­den was declared national prop­erty and trans­ferred under the respon­si­bil­ity of the min­istry of Cul­ture of the com­mu­nist Moscow par­lia­ment, the Mossovet. In 1922 it was trans­ferred to the author­ity of Moscow City Coun­cil and since then it has been sup­ported by the City Author­i­ties. Con­struc­tion work began on the Zoo grounds. The Zoo­log­i­cal Gar­den premises almost dou­bled in size with the estab­lish­ment of the ‘New’ ter­ri­tory on the oppo­site side of Bol­shaya Gruzin­skaya street. New exhibits, which fol­lowed the prin­ci­ple of Carl Hagenbeck’s bar-​less enclo­sure design were estab­lished. One of the most inter­est­ing exhibits of the Zoo called ‘Ani­mal Island’ still exists. It was a high stony rock sur­rounded by a deep water ditch that sep­a­rated the vis­i­tors from bears, tigers, lions and other large preda­tors on the ‘Island’. The total size at the time was nearly 18 hectares.

In 1926 the Zoo­log­i­cal Gar­den was renamed ‘Zoo­log­i­cal Park’. At that time the range of activ­i­ties extended, the ani­mal col­lec­tion increased con­sid­er­ably with expe­di­tions col­lect­ing wildlife in Cen­tral Asia, the Far East and the Cau­ca­sus. New depart­ments were estab­lished, focussed on for instance sci­en­tific research, edu­ca­tion, vet­eri­nary sci­ence and nutri­tion. In those same years Moscow Zoo was the first zoo in the world where edu­ca­tional activ­i­ties were the main priority.

In 1924 the Zoo had estab­lished the Young Biol­o­gists Club that gath­ered like-​minded young peo­ple that joined in real sci­en­tific research. Many of them became a Zoo employee. The Club was founded by Petr Man­teifel, who also was the pio­neer father of the sci­ence called ‘zoo biol­ogy’. Man­teifel and his young biol­o­gists dis­cov­ered a way of arti­fi­cial breed­ing sables (Martes zibel­lina), which were on the verge of extinc­tion due to man’s insa­tiable pur­suit for its expen­sive fur. In the 1930 s dur­ing Stalin’s great purge many mem­bers of the Young Biol­o­gists Club were arrested accused of spread­ing anti-​soviet pro­pa­ganda and liberal-​minded ideas and hav­ing con­tact with Ger­man col­leagues at Berlin zoo, some were even exe­cuted as for­eign spies. The Club was con­sid­ered a non-​governmental organ­i­sa­tion beyond the direct con­trol of the author­i­ties, which in fact was partly true because the Club was a real democ­racy, with mem­ber­ship avail­able to all.

Although many ani­mals were evac­u­ated and many of the zoo staff were called to arms at the begin­ning of World War II the Zoo was kept open. Of the 750 employ­ees at autumn 1941 only 220 remained on the staff, most of them women. Get­ting enough food for the ani­mals was a con­stant chal­lenge, for instance car­casses of killed horse at the bat­tle­field around Moscow were brought to the zoo. More than six mil­lion peo­ple vis­ited the Zoo from 1941 to 1945 to enjoy the sights of ani­mals that had remained.

At wartime the sci­en­tific work pro­ceeded, per­haps even more intense than before or after the war. The sci­en­tific staff worked espe­cially on devel­op­ment of antibi­otics. But the most impor­tant mis­sion of the Zoo dur­ing the war was to give peo­ple hope. It pro­duced the illu­sion of a peace­ful life until peo­ple sur­vived through the des­per­a­tion of the war with the Red Army sol­diers as the most fre­quent vis­i­tors of the Zoo. Which were given the plea­sure of watch­ing new­born off­spring even dur­ing the war.

Dur­ing the soviet union period ( 1922 − 1991 ) not many highly ranked peo­ple cared about the zoo — no soviet leader had any inter­est in it. The city encroached on the zoo premises, while the zoo needed addi­tional space for the ever expand­ing zoo pop­u­la­tion of ani­mals. Because the breed­ing results were still excellent.

The Zoo lived up to the goal it had set for itself and made edu­ca­tional activ­i­ties the main pri­or­ity. Zoo staff dis­trib­uted knowl­edge in the field of nat­ural his­tory and tried to raise the pub­lic aware­ness and con­cern about the neces­sity for wildlife con­ser­va­tion. The zoo assisted school­child­ren and stu­dents with study­ing biol­ogy, actively par­tic­i­pated in sci­en­tific research, and actively con­tributed to sci­en­tific pub­li­ca­tions. So, the Zoo became one of the larger sci­en­tific insti­tu­tions in Moscow. And of course it still was the favourite recre­ational place for Moscow cit­i­zens and those who vis­ited the city.

As off 1974 when Igos Sos­novsky retired as direc­tor and his suc­ces­sor Vladimir Spit­syn took over Moscow Zoo became part of the inter­na­tional zoo com­mu­nity again. Sos­novsky as a WWII vet­eran hadn’t been able to brush aside the fear of repres­sion and avoided all inter­na­tional con­tacts for some rea­son. Spit­syn restored all inter­na­tional activ­i­ties from before the war and the Zoo became mem­ber of many Euro­pean and Inter­na­tional Breed­ing Pro­grammes in which it exchanged its rare and endan­gered ani­mals, shared expe­ri­ence and information.

Although already in the 1970 s improve­ment of all zoo facil­i­ties was needed and ideas of a new zoo in another region of Moscow were launched, noth­ing hap­pened due to local eco­nom­i­cal and social prob­lems. By the end of the 1980 s the Zoo’s con­di­tion became alarm­ing. Facil­i­ties were dete­ri­o­rat­ing, enclo­sures were dilap­i­dated and tech­ni­cal equip­ment needed to be replaced as well. And while a few improve­ments had been achieved — such as a par­tial ren­o­va­tion of the main entrance, the mon­key house and lion house — urgent mea­sures were still needed.

Then, in 1992 the new Moscow gov­ern­ment made a deci­sion to start the most ambi­tious recon­struc­tion project in Moscow Zoo’s his­tory with the first stage of the project to be com­pleted by 1997 , when the 850 th anniver­sary of the City would be cel­e­brated. Ana­toly A. Andreev who had been involved in the Zoo’s design and archi­tec­ture since the 1970 s headed the team of archi­tects. The project’s ren­o­va­tion objec­tives were focussed at (a) preser­va­tion or par­tial ren­o­va­tion of the his­tor­i­cally valu­able build­ings and exist­ing pools, (b) reduc­tion of the noise from the sur­round­ing streets, © con­nec­tion of the Old and the New ter­ri­tory via a foot­bridge, and (d) expan­sion of the Old ter­ri­tory by incor­po­rat­ing adja­cent areas and buildings.

Besides the preser­va­tion and ren­o­va­tion of almost all impor­tant zoo con­struc­tions, includ­ing the ones that actu­ally were dilap­i­dated, many new enclo­sures and facil­i­ties were built. Already in 1993 the foot­bridge that con­nected the Old and New ter­ri­tory was com­pleted. It allowed vis­i­tors to avoid cross­ing the busy B. Gruzin­skaya street with its heavy traf­fic. In 1993 other con­struc­tions were com­pleted as well, such as an enclo­sure for large birds of prey and a com­plex of enclo­sures for feline species, includ­ing leop­ards, Pal­las’ cats and lynx. Next, the Hagenbeck-​style ‘Ani­mal Island’, one of the most remark­able exhibits in the New ter­ri­tory, was ren­o­vated. The his­toric appear­ance with enclo­sures that resem­bled the nat­ural habi­tats of Amur tiger, striped hyena, African wild dog and Asian black bear was pre­served. Later they intro­duced Asian lions in one of the enclo­sures around the large rock in the cen­tre of the ‘island’. Dur­ing the ren­o­va­tion they cre­ated the Exo­tar­ium, which held sev­eral aquar­i­ums, inside the rock on the sec­ond floor.

The fol­low­ing years many more enclo­sures were ren­o­vated, besides the new research and vet­eri­nar­ian facil­i­ties that were put into oper­a­tion in 1994 . In 1996 , the main entrance itself (fea­tur­ing a small arti­fi­cial water­fall) was recon­structed. The same year the old, dilap­i­dated ele­phant com­plex was demol­ished and a new ele­phant house was erected at the same spot, while the inhab­i­tants (four African ele­phants and four Asian ele­phants) were tem­porar­ily moved to a a for­mer tram depot that was com­pletely ren­o­vated and spe­cially equipped. A new children’s zoo was opened in the New ter­ri­tory, includ­ing a children’s the­atre that organ­ises shows with edu­ca­tional ele­ments. And besides sev­eral aviaries, a pavil­ion for water birds was built on the shore of the large pond in the New territory.

Although in those days 4 addi­tional hectares of space was added to the for­mer exist­ing 18 hectares, the Zoo still lacked space to cre­ate favourable con­di­tions for their species to breed. And its loca­tion in the cen­tre of Moscow didn’t con­tribute to the favourable breed­ing con­di­tions they wanted of course. There­fore, the 200 hectares area near the city of Voloko­lamsk (about 100 km from Moscow) that was given to the Zoo in 1996 for the estab­lish­ment of a breed­ing sta­tion was very much wel­comed (see also Breed­ing Cen­tre ).

The first major stage of the gen­eral recon­struc­tion of the Moscow zoo rep­re­sents a unique event. Not only over 50 facil­i­ties have been ren­o­vated ( 90 % of all exist­ing facil­i­ties) and newly built, but it was achieved in such a short period of time. But main­te­nance and small and larger refur­bish­ment is ongo­ing busi­ness in a zoo. So, i n 2002 , the Moscow City Gov­ern­ment and the City Coun­cil allo­cated the nec­es­sary funds to start con­struc­tion of a new pavil­ion for the Asian ele­phants. In 2003 the three ele­phants could move house already, and in spring 2009 , the first new­born ele­phant calf was welcomed.

The Moscow Zoo­log­i­cal Park has come a long way from the small zoo­log­i­cal gar­den it was to the large insti­tu­tion of sci­en­tific research, edu­ca­tion, con­ser­va­tion and recre­ation it is today. And due to the dynam­ics of the stan­dards used in the zoo com­mu­nity regard­ing ani­mal health and wel­fare, Moscow Zoo is con­stantly improv­ing its facil­i­ties, also dur­ing 2014 cel­e­brat­ing its 150 th anniversary.

(Source: Moscow Zoo web­site; Zoo with a Human Face, to the 150 th anniver­sary of the Moscow Zoo — a doc­u­men­tary by Darya Vio­lina and Sergei Pavlovsky, 2014 ; Zoo and Aquar­ium His­tory by Ver­non N. Kisling, Jr., 2001 ; Wikipedia)

An account of 150 years of his­tory of the Moscow Zoo

(A doc­u­men­tary by Darya Vio­lina and Sergei Pavlovsky)

The his­tory of Moscow Zoo shown through the per­spec­tive of the lives of the peo­ple who have been impor­tant to the Zoo’s devel­op­ment and con­tin­u­ous progress over those many years since 1864 . Thou­sands of pho­tographs, hun­dreds of chron­i­cles, accounts and rec­ol­lec­tions that have pre­served the story that began so long ago, against all odds, and lasts unin­ter­rupted to this day. A doc­u­men­tary about those who have devoted their lives to serv­ing a noble and reward­ing cause, those who have started from scratch, those who main­tained that work and about those who revive the Zoo as off today.

(Source: sdpavlovskiy YouTube channel)

20 . 06 . 2014

Finally, Moscow Zoo is paid a visit. I have been look­ing for­ward to this for quite some time. It has been on my to-​do list since I learnt about the large col­lec­tion of feline species on dis­play at the Zoo. So, I am here on this sunny day in June to sat­isfy my curios­ity, in the year they cel­e­brate the Zoo’s 150 th anniversary.

I am enter­ing as one of the 1 , 5 mil­lion pay­ing atten­dance yearly. Which is not even half of the total num­ber of vis­i­tors a year. This is about 4 mil­lion, because there are spe­cific cat­e­gories (e.g. dis­abled, pen­sion­ers, chil­dren, stu­dents, etc.) for whom the admis­sion is free.

OLD TER­RI­TORY

I turn left after the main entrance to visit the large preda­tor sec­tion of the Old ter­ri­tory. Not that only here you will find preda­tors, but the great­est part of their preda­tor col­lec­tion is grouped in this sec­tion. I will come back to the group­ing of Moscow Zoo’s ani­mal col­lec­tion later. After hav­ing walked along a fence that blocks most of the views on the work in progress at the lake I arrive at what they call here the ‘trop­i­cal cats’ sec­tion: Ben­gal tiger (unfor­tu­nately the genet­i­cally aber­rant ver­sion — a white tiger), jaguar and chee­tah. Both the tiger and the jaguar have their indoor enclo­sures in the same house built at the perime­ter of the premises. The chee­tahs have their shel­ter for the night and bad weather in their out­door pad­dock, so that can­not be vis­ited. The tiger and the jaguar how­ever have inter­est­ing hous­ing that serves the needs for both the cats and the vis­i­tors. The lat­ter are pleased with Asian and South Amer­i­can (Inca) orna­ments to make sure they under­stand the geo­graph­i­cal ori­gin of the species. While the walls have murals rep­re­sent­ing the species’ orig­i­nal habi­tat … Machu Pichu for the jaguar. The ani­mals them­selves have var­i­ous enrich­ment fea­tures at their dis­posal, includ­ing high level obser­va­tion posts, in rather small exhibits. The out­door facil­i­ties for these two species are acces­si­ble from the indoors. It has nat­ural veg­e­ta­tion, but not a lot. Like­wise there are not a lot of options to shel­ter from extreme weather or loud crowds. Although the cats have access to sev­eral rest­ing posts at dif­fer­ent lev­els, these enclo­sures can do with some improve­ments — at least more veg­e­ta­tion — to make them bet­ter fit for pur­pose, in my opin­ion. The enor­mous expo­sure of the cats is also due to the fact that they use win­dows to sep­a­rate ani­mal from man along almost the total length of the enclosures.

When I walk the few steps to the entrance of the Bear House, which is like the jaguar and tiger indoor enclo­sure built at the edge of the Zoo grounds, I pass in between the Pal­las’ cat exhibit and a sec­ond jaguar exhibit. The Pal­las’ cat has a flat grassy area with three large trees, some shrubs and a poten­tial pond (when filled with water) avail­able in its out­door enclo­sure. Win­dows all around and a wire mesh roof pre­vent the cat from flee­ing this scenery that doesn’t resem­ble the cat’s orig­i­nal Himalyan habi­tat. Across the foot­path there’s a jaguar enclo­sure that’s more inter­est­ing than the one directly neigh­bour­ing the tiger. This one has a small stream and loads of veg­e­ta­tion and a mul­ti­level rest­ing plat­form. Still the ani­mal is quite exposed.

The Bear House pro­vides a nice and secluded area where three adja­cent bear enclo­sures houses sloth bear and spec­ta­cled bear. As a vis­i­tor you walk via a roofed cor­ri­dor more or less in the dark along the enclo­sures hav­ing good views on the exhibit via man-​sized win­dows. The enclo­sures have a dry shal­low moat at the visitor’s side, but I don’t think this with­hold the bears from com­ing close to the win­dows. The enclo­sures are small but almost com­pletely filled with enrich­ment fea­tures includ­ing var­i­ous plat­forms, a tree trunk struc­ture, rub­ber ham­mocks and nat­ural veg­e­ta­tion. Con­sid­er­ing the design I think these enclo­sures offer peace and quiet for the bears, unless peo­ple start bang­ing the win­dows of course.

In slightly larger enclo­sures they keep Amur leop­ard, snow leop­ard and cougar ( Puma con­color ). At all of these felid species enclo­sures the dis­tance between the pub­lic bar­rier and the fence does allow con­tact when peo­ple lean far forward.

Fur­ther along the foot­path around the cor­ner the arc­tic fox and the dhole are housed in enclo­sures that have a sim­i­lar inte­rior design as those for the felids. Despite the fact that these species live under dif­fer­ent nat­ural cir­cum­stances in the wild (for­est and tun­dra habi­tat respectively).

When I walk back to have a look at the large birds of prey aviary I can­not pre­vent myself to have a brief look at the giraffe enclo­sure as well. It’s obvi­ously a relic of the past that is not fit for pur­pose any­more. Still they have one retic­u­lated giraffe on dis­play at a sad­den­ing small area. It loves to be fed by the pub­lic that doesn’t care about the warn­ing not to feed the ani­mals. On the other side of the build­ing a sim­i­lar piti­ful sit­u­a­tion for the sin­gle white-​tailed gnu can be seen.

One of the most extra­or­di­nary group of species brought together on dis­play can be found right after the row of preda­tor enclo­sures. The maned wolf from South Amer­ica has the red-​necked wal­laby and emu from Aus­tralia as neigh­bour. But also in the same area the African wild dog is on dis­play as well as white-​tailed gnu (Africa) and kiang (Asia) in the row of sta­bles along the rim of the premises.

The rac­coon exhibit is worth men­tion­ing con­sid­er­ing the afore­men­tioned acci­dent risks. It has a very typ­i­cal enclo­sure design with elec­tri­cal wire on top of win­dows sur­round­ing the entire exhibit. The elec­tri­cal wire is within reach of the pub­lic. So, there are numer­ous warn­ing signs! But why they installed elec­tri­cal wire on top of win­dows that are unclimbable for rac­coons? To keep out the pub­lic perhaps?

In the bird house, in the far end cor­ner from the main entrance, birds from all geo­graph­i­cal regions are grouped together, includ­ing Hum­boldt pen­guin and African pen­guin. The house con­sists of two part with one part half empty, and has also very com­mon species on dis­play, such as wild turkey, com­mon pheas­ant and Euro­pean hedge­hog. Out­side this build­ing sev­eral aviaries com­prise a large array of par­rot species (South Amer­ica and Australia).

Pro­ceed­ing with my tour around the Old ter­ri­tory I have a look at the Asian ele­phant house and its sur­round­ing grounds. The fancy steel with blue details of the ele­phant house doesn’t appeal to me, but that is just a mat­ter of taste. It is def­i­nitely the most mod­ern exhibit in the Zoo I’ve seen yet, in style and in size, with a nice pool at the visitor’s side.

I skip the rep­tile house to save some time, and money too, because an addi­tional fee com­plies. So I walk straight to another mod­ern enclo­sure — the bar-​less and moated wolf exhibit. Although it has a Hagenbeck-​style design, the space avail­able for the wolves is ridicu­lously small. The wolves will never be able to cross the water-​filled moat and climb the wall and thus break out, still there is impres­sive elec­tri­cal wiring in place on top of the wall. Again, prob­a­bly to keep out the public.

Mak­ing my way to the foot­bridge that con­nects the Old and New ter­ri­tory I pass along a very old-​fashioned row of enclo­sures built in a semi­cir­cle in front of the 16 metres high sculp­ture by Zurab Tsereteli called ‘Tree of Fairy Tales’, 1996 . The enclo­sures house sev­eral species of mustel­idae (sable, Euro­pean pole­cat, stone marten), as well as African wild cats. Then fol­lowed by sev­eral aviaries again. At this point I am really lost regard­ing the way they group the Zoo’s ani­mal collection.

NEW TER­RI­TORY

Pro­ceed­ing clock­wise I find the doors of the Trop­i­cal House closed for ren­o­va­tion. So, no but­ter­flies for me this time. But in one of the two spa­cious aviaries around this house I dis­cover sev­eral ducks, such as the man­darin duck and the black-​bellied whistling duck, together with the com­mon kestrel ( Falco tin­nun­cu­lus ), though nei­ther rare nor endangered.

Then a rather spe­cial exhibit appears, the Ani­mal Island, which was devel­oped in the 1920 s as one of the first Hagenbeck-​style enclo­sures in the New ter­ri­tory. Although it took some ren­o­va­tion activ­i­ties it still exists to this very day. In the cen­tre of this moated area they have erected a fake ruined fortress, which serves as the back­ground for the species in the sur­round­ing exhibits. These bar-​less exhibits have a more mod­ern appear­ance but it isn’t nec­es­sar­ily an improve­ment for the ani­mals. For instance the Asian black bear has a bare envi­ron­ment with minor enrich­ment avail­able and no veg­e­ta­tion, but the brown bear is even worse off in a sim­i­lar enclo­sure but next to noth­ing of enrich­ment fea­tures. The tun­dra wolf ( Canis lupus alba ) and the striped hyena have a lit­tle bet­ter place at their dis­posal, but the Asian lions have by far the best enclo­sure. They have sev­eral rest­ing plat­forms, trees and a stream that ends in the moat. Again to save time I skip an exhibit. This time the Exo­tar­ium with its aquar­i­ums that has been cre­ated inside the ruined fortress and by the way requires an addi­tional fee to get in.

One of the rare areas in Moscow Zoo where you find mixed-​species exhibits is called ‘Fauna of the Savan­nah’. It has a South Amer­i­can sec­tion with capy­bara vicuna and gua­naco, and — very impor­tantly — a large pool at the dis­posal of the largest rodent on earth. Though absolutely not endan­gered, these water-​loving capy­baras should have access to water at all times, in my opin­ion. The real savan­nah area with African species has sev­eral enclo­sures. A mixed species exhibit with sable ante­lope and dikdik. And Grevy’s zebra together with ostrich and giraffe. Also this time there’s only one giraffe in the pad­dock. The loca­tion of the meerkat enclo­sure is well cho­sen, because when they sit on top of one of their hills they can watch the other ani­mals. Although it is the largest and prob­a­bly the most mod­ern facil­ity at the Moscow Zoo I still think it is dis­ap­point­ingly mediocre com­pared to other zoos I have seen in Europe and North America.

Before I go to the pri­mate sec­tion I buy myself an ice cream and walk along the horse sta­bles on the east­ern edge of the New ter­ri­tory premises. Look­ing for an answer to the ques­tion “why are there horse sta­bles at this place?” The ques­tion still waits for an answer.

At Moscow Zoo they keep both Suma­tran as Bornean orang­utans, which is quite unusual. The out­doors for the five indi­vid­u­als, includ­ing 2 young, of the Suma­tran species looks impres­sive due to the enor­mously high rock face at the rear. The wall looks extra impres­sive because it is rather close to the view­ing win­dows. Unfor­tu­nately, the exhibit lacks trees and veg­e­ta­tion other than grass while the enrich­ment is scant and I don’t see puz­zle feed­ers. The Bornean orang­utans have a sim­i­lar out­door enclo­sure, but it is sug­gested that olive baboons ( Papio anu­bis ) are on dis­play here as well. It could be that they alter­nate in the same out­door enclo­sure, but this is not very clear.

The west­ern low­land goril­las also have a sim­i­lar out­door enclo­sure design due to which the ani­mals are enor­mously exposed to the inquis­i­tive pub­lic. Con­sid­er­ing the num­ber of young­sters Moscow Zoo appears to be hav­ing good results breed­ing orang­utans and gorillas.

Indoors, all the great ape exhibits have much enrich­ment and jungle-​like murals, but the agile gib­bon has even more enrich­ment inside. I haven’t seen a spe­cific out­door enclo­sure for the agile gib­bon but it could be pos­si­ble that it alter­nates with the Suma­tran orang­utans. Only this enclo­sure lacks high trees or other options for the gib­bon to brachi­ate, which is its nat­ural behav­iour in the canopy of the gibbon’s native habi­tat, the rain­forests of south­east Asia.

The ter­rar­ium build­ing, located behind the Pri­mate House, is beau­ti­fully dec­o­rated with lit­tle mosaic tiles. They have the usual row of exhibits, but in this case espe­cially the larger rep­tiles and tor­toises (python, croc­o­diles, alli­ga­tor, tor­toise) are kept. And out­side they have two giant tor­toise species, the Aldabra and the Gala­pa­gos tortoise.

On my return to the exit I pass the exhibits of a few of the many preda­tor species they have on dis­play at Moscow Zoo. The polar bear is pro­vided with a big heap of arti­fi­cial ice, but that’s about it when it comes to enrich­ment, though there are some plas­tic drums to play with. The enclo­sure as such is the pro­to­type of polar bear enclo­sures world­wide, rear wall of cement and large bricks, con­crete floor, large and deep water-​filled moat. Unfor­tu­nately, again here the annoy­ing reflect­ing win­dows. The yellow-​throated marten I do not see, and the same counts for the Eurasian otter in its large elon­gated out­door exhibit with a shal­low pool along the whole length. It must be great to see the sub­merged otters swim in this pool.

Con­clu­sion There are sev­eral ways to group a col­lec­tion of ani­mals which can sup­port a zoo’s edu­ca­tional efforts. Of course, some peo­ple just come to the zoo to be enter­tained, but when an indi­vid­ual is ready to learn some things the worst thing you can do is con­fuse him or her. And to be fairly hon­est, con­fus­ing it is. Some­times they group the col­lec­tion accord­ing their tax­o­nomic tree, which is the case with the felids, the bird species and the pri­mates. Then again they have decided to present the col­lec­tion by geo­graph­i­cal ori­gin, like in the ‘Fauna of the Savan­nah’, or accord­ing orig­i­nal habi­tat like the mountain-​dwelling tur and mark­hor. And at some point they just make a mess of the group­ing, for instance in the area with the maned wolf, the red-​necked wal­laby and oth­ers. In the end it seems the Zoo just want to have on dis­play as many species as pos­si­ble, because all species that live in herds they keep them in small num­bers. I do under­stand that it is not easy, requires tough deci­sions and cer­tainly is not cheap to rearrange your entire col­lec­tion, espe­cially when it is that huge as it is here at Moscow Zoo. Any­way, fur­ther ren­o­va­tion is fore­seen and prob­a­bly some rethink­ing as well.

I hope that they get rid of all these win­dows they have at so many exhibits. For some sit­u­a­tions it is inevitable I under­stand, but I sin­cerely hope they will return to the orig­i­nal Hagen­beck idea of bar-​less enclo­sures, tak­ing into account mod­ern hus­bandry stan­dards of course. As the posi­tion of the sun makes it some­times hard to get even the slight­est glimpse of the ani­mals due to the reflec­tions in the win­dows. And last but not least they have the ten­dency to have win­dows all around or at more than 50 per­cent of the perime­ter of an enclo­sure. Most of the time lead­ing to more expo­sure of the ani­mals to the pub­lic and pos­si­ble unrest.

Suma­tran orang­utan young­sters at Moscow Zoo

Just another day at the zoo for these orang­utans ( Pongo abelii ) — noth­ing much excit­ing going on in this safe and secure envi­ron­ment. But wouldn’t it be nice to see them swing­ing and romp­ing in the forests of Sumatra.….

Rac­coons at Moscow Zoo

Rac­coons are known for their habit to clean their food in the water before eat­ing it. It seems they also want to have a clean ball before play­ing with it.

Breed­ing Centre

Infor­ma­tion and education, zoo details, breed­ing farm.

The Moscow Zoo has always been try­ing to cre­ate the most favourable con­di­tions for their ani­mals to ful­fil their basic needs. Not only for ani­mal health and wel­fare pur­poses but also to breed the ani­mals suc­cess­fully. These spe­cific breed­ing con­di­tions could not be achieved due to its loca­tion in the City cen­tre and the lack of space. In 1996 the Zoo came into pos­ses­sion of an area of 200 hectares near the city of Voloko­lamsk (about 100 km from Moscow). In this pic­turesque hilly area of the for­mer quar­ries of the Sychovo min­ing fac­tory, with streams, springs and arti­fi­cial ponds bet­ter oppor­tu­ni­ties were avail­able for breed­ing var­i­ous — pre­dom­i­nantly rare — species of animals.

The main goals of the Breed­ing Cen­tre, besides main­tain­ing rare and endan­gered species of ani­mals, are estab­lish­ing breed­ing pairs and groups and devel­op­ing new hus­bandry meth­ods. Since exces­sive dis­tur­bance is likely to have adverse effect on the breed­ing efforts, the actual Breed­ing Cen­tre is not open to the public.

The con­struc­tion of the Breed­ing Cen­tre started in March 1996 . The first inhab­i­tants of the Cen­tre were birds of prey and water­fowl and they have been suc­cess­fully breed­ing birds ever since. The col­lec­tion of water­fowl has grown notably since the begin­ning. Apart from the numer­ous mal­lards and ruddy shel­ducks, the inhab­i­tants of the ponds include pin­tails, pochards, tufted ducks and black geese of the genus Branta. Bewick’s swans are thriv­ing, rais­ing their chicks every year. Japan­ese, white-​naped and Siber­ian cranes are also breed­ing suc­cess­fully and many other species, includ­ing par­rots. The breed­ing cen­tre for birds of prey is con­tin­u­ously expand­ing, with Himalayan grif­fon vul­tures, golden eagles, impe­r­ial eagles, Steller’s sea eagles, and black vul­tures among its most promi­nent inhab­i­tants. Reg­u­lar breed­ing has also been achieved in saker fal­cons ( Falco cher­rug ).

They keep car­niv­o­rous mam­mals as well at the Breed­ing Cen­tre. These include endan­gered species such as Amur leop­ard, Pal­las’ cat, chee­tah, Amur tiger, dhole, wolver­ine, and yellow-​throated marten. Of these species the Amur leop­ard is listed Crit­i­cally Endan­gered accord­ing the IUCN Red List of Threat­ened Species™ , with about 45 indi­vid­u­als left in the wild. The Zoo’s track record says they have pro­duced off­spring from Pal­las’ cat, dhole, yellow-​throated marten, and Amur tiger.

For the ungu­lates that are kept at the Cen­tre the envi­ron­ment is almost ideal. There are bac­trian camels as well as kiangs, Saiga antelopes, blue sheep and vicu­nas. Hoofed ani­mals orig­i­nat­ing from moun­tain­ous areas have large pad­docks at their dis­posal that are sit­u­ated on the slopes of the sur­round­ing hills, more or less sim­i­lar to their nat­ural habitat.

Besides the more rare and endan­gered species the Cen­tre also has an inter­est­ing col­lec­tion of domes­tic hens, a horse sta­ble and a dog-​breeding cen­tre, mainly for the breed­ing of Cen­tral Asian sheep dogs. Fur­ther­more, there is a small quail farm and a poul­try farm with layer hens.

More­over a sub­sidiary farm in Loto­shino houses some cat­tle, smaller live­stock, and the main herd of bac­trian camels and yaks. The area of the sub­sidiary farm is about 51 hectares and it com­prises hay­fields, pas­tures, a sheep­fold and an api­ary. Most impor­tantly it pro­vides the Moscow Zoo with eco­log­i­cal feed for its animals.

The Breed­ing Centre’s col­lec­tion com­prises 10 species of car­ni­vores, 6 species of ungu­lates, 74 species of birds and a great num­ber of domes­tic ani­mals, but the col­lec­tion is expand­ing con­stantly. Although it is still closed to vis­i­tors, the Zoo’s goal is to open part of the farm (as they call the Breed­ing Cen­tre them­selves) to out­side vis­i­tors soon. They plan to cre­ate an addi­tional safari park at the loca­tion of the Breed­ing Centre.

(Source: Moscow Zoo web­site; Zoo with a Human Face, to the 150 th anniver­sary of the Moscow Zoo — a doc­u­men­tary by Darya Vio­lina and Sergei Pavlovsky, 2014 )

Infor­ma­tion pan­els and Edu­ca­tion at the Zoo

First thing to be noticed of course is that the infor­ma­tion on the pan­els around Moscow Zoo is given in the Russ­ian lan­guage. And no other lan­guage. This is not unex­pected as most of the infor­ma­tion pro­vided in Moscow is only in Russ­ian. For­tu­nately, the name of the species on dis­play is given in Eng­lish as well, together with its sci­en­tific name. As far as I can tell and under­stand no infor­ma­tion is pro­vided on the species con­ser­va­tion sta­tus (or IUCN Red List sta­tus). On the new revamped web­site this infor­ma­tion is avail­able but only in Russ­ian and no icons or logos are used, so you have to rely on machine trans­la­tion ser­vices. The pan­els show geo­graphic maps of the species dis­tri­b­u­tion and some­times the IUCN sta­tus and if the species is part of EEP /​ESB, as well. But this is not done con­sis­tently, and I am not sure how reli­able the infor­ma­tion is. Nev­er­the­less I have been able to find on the inter­net a list of species that rep­re­sent the Moscow Zoo con­tri­bu­tion to the Euro­pean Endan­gered species Pro­grammes (EEPs).

There is also a zoo school that is pri­mar­ily focussed on chil­dren, and I assume that the Young Biol­o­gists Club still exist. Fore­most because it has been very suc­cess­fully deliv­er­ing a range of impor­tant staff mem­bers over the years.

• Direc­tions

direc­tions to Moscow Zoo

Address : B. Gruzin­skaya 1 123242 Moscow Rus­sia

pub­lic transport

The metro sys­tem can be quite intim­i­dat­ing for for­eign­ers because of the lan­guage issue, but I can assure you it is the best way of nav­i­gat­ing the city. The metro sta­tions are the most beau­ti­ful I’ve ever seen and buy­ing tick­ets can be done using sign lan­guage (see the tri­pad­vi­sor web­site how it is done). When you are not able to deci­pher the Cyril­lic alpha­bet on the fly it is best to pre­pare your metro trip before­hand and make sure that you know how many stops you have to travel from the depar­ture sta­tion to your des­ti­na­tion, includ­ing trans­fer sta­tions. Another way of travel sup­port is the Art-​Lebedev metro map , which has the names of the sta­tions both in Russ­ian and Eng­lish men­tioned. The most fancy way how­ever is by using the Russ­ian metro app on your smart­phone. The Yandex.Metro app — pro­vides a bilin­gual metro map which can even build con­nec­tion routes for you and esti­mate travel times.

Moscow Zoo’s main entrance is con­ve­niently located right across from the Krasno­pres­nen­skaya metro sta­tion on the Brown Cir­cu­lar line (no. 5 ). Also the Bar­rikad­naya metro sta­tion is rather close to the main entrance, Pur­ple line (no. 7 ).

by bicy­cle

As men­tioned already Moscow is a very large city. So, it really depends on how close you already are to the Zoo if cycling could be an option. The obvi­ous chal­lenge is the traf­fic which has grown dra­mat­i­cally in recent years — the cen­tre of Moscow is a non-​stop traf­fic jam. Fur­ther­more the poor dri­ving habits of Moscow motorists are noto­ri­ous, from road rage to rear-​ending. In addi­tion, knee-​deep snow and the grimy slush that inevitably fol­lows dur­ing the long and fear­some win­ters doesn’t make cycling in Moscow a very attrac­tive mode of trans­port. Nev­er­the­less the City Coun­cil tries to make the city more bike-​friendly with a bike rental scheme like in many major cities around the world. I decided to use the metro.

There is no ded­i­cated park­ing avail­able at the Zoo, but if you really want to drive your­self you can get direc­tions below by pro­vid­ing your point of departure.

From : --  Choose source      -- Moscow Zoo or

Down­load the zoo map here .

Goal: 7000 tigers in the wild

“ Tiger map” ( CC BY 2 . 5 ) by Sander­son et al., 2006 .

Latest Additions

Tallinn zoo­log­i­cal gar­dens, tallinna loomaaed, stadt haag zoo, tier­park stadt haag, salzburg zoo, krefeld zoo, cerza zoo, cerza parc zoologique lisieux, bratislava zoo, rheine zoo, natur­zoo rheine.

• #Luxury travel
• #Unusual Moscow
• #Jewish Heritage
• #Russian traditions

Zaryadye Park: new symbol of Moscow

• #Interesting places

Zaryadye Park is a new symbol of Moscow.

Being located in the very heart of Moscow, next to the Kremlin walls, Zaryadye Park is not just an ordinary park. It is a cultural and educational center with a unique botanical collection of plants taken from some nature zones of Russia (forest, steppe, meadow and northern landscape), that comprises more than 1 million green plants, including rare species listed in the Red book.

Unique media complexes in the Park "Time machine" and "Soaring", that have no analogues in Russia, invite guests of "Zaryadye" to take a virtual tour to the past, to witness important historical events in the life of the capital and to fly over the main sights of Moscow and the whole Russia.

Visitors of the Park will see the most spectacular views, the best examples of ancient and modern architecture, nature reserves, monuments and parks, the main waterways of the country and experience a real flight. In "Zaryadye" you can as well visit the "Ice cave", Underground interactive archaeological museum, greenhouse complex "Florarium" with soilless plant growing techniques, biotechnological scientific and educational "Nature center". Zaryadye "Hospitality Center" staff will tell you what interesting things can be seen in the pavilions, help you buy tickets and give an informative tour around the park.

You can take beautiful pictures and selfies in "Zaryadye" on one of the best viewing platforms in the city – the River Overlook, which opens a picturesque view to the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the towers of Moscow city, high-rise on Kotelnicheskaya embankment, the Moscow river and the Park itself.

The guests of the Park will also be surprised at another important dominant feature of the Park – one of the biggest open city grounds – a large amphitheater under the unusual translucent structure, the Glass crust, where the air temperature is a few degrees higher than outside.

• Arseny Morozov Mansion on Vozdvizhenka read
• The Melnikov House read

We use cookies to improve your experience on our Website, tailor content, and measure advertising. By continuing to use our Website, you accept our Privacy Policy .

Your request has been sent successfully! Our travel expert will contact you shortly.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Short Breaks at Port Lympne

Book your stay now

Dream safaris right here in Kent!

Port Lympne’s award winning short breaks range from our luxurious 4* boutique hotel stays to a romantic night under the stars in our 180 degree, panoramic bubble pod. What’s more, you can enjoy your stay knowing that you are directly helping to protect wildlife, with profits from the parks and short breaks supporting our animal conservation charity work that takes place around the world.

Tiger Lodge

Wake up in a tiger’s world, then head out in your own personal golf buggy to meet the rest of the animals in the 600 acre reserve.

Enjoy stunning views from your award winning self-catering treehouse suite and explore the 600 acre reserve on your own personal golf buggy.

Immerse yourself in the lives of the lion pride at Lion Lodge and explore the rest of the Reserve on your private golf buggy.

Leopard Creek

Leopard Creek offers luxury accommodation with stunning views of our expertly-designed Amur leopard enclosure.

Forest Hideaway

Exclusive hidden forest dens, for the ultimate romantic retreat. Includes a golf buggy to explore the reserve at your leisure.

Port Lympne Gift Vouchers

A range of Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve gift vouchers are now available to purchase. Choose from unforgettable short breaks, fun family day drips or decadent dining experiences in the Kent countryside.

Enjoy a unique getaway with all the little luxuries you would expect. Explore our stunning reserve in your personal golf buggy, eat and drink at a variety of restaurants, book additional experiences or simply enjoy nature.

New The Lookout Bubble

Immerse yourself in a luxury romantic retreat, with a spectacular view of the stars. Includes your own personal golf buggy.

Rhino Lodge

Make friends with your wild neighbours and explore the reserve in your own personal golf buggy.

The Treetop Bubble

Immerse yourself in a luxury romantic retreat amongst the treetops, with 180 degree panoramic views. Includes your own personal golf buggy.

Mansion Hotel

Get away from it all with a stay at our 4* boutique hotel.

Be part of the pack and watch our wolves from your private viewing window. Then discover over 700 animals as you explore the reserve on your golf buggy.

Hog Deer Creek

Stay in the wilds of Kent in your cosy shepherd’s hut. Explore the 600 acre reserve on your own private golf buggy.

Enjoy glamping at its best with family and friends or treat your loved one to a romantic African-style night under the stars!

Put the fun back into camping without the need to pitch a tent at Pinewood, where you can sleep within roaring distance of lions!

Unforgettable glamping getaway overlooking the spectacled bear habitat. Camp out under the stars and immerse yourself in an exciting safari experience.

Giraffe Lodge

Camp out under the stars and immerse yourself in an exciting safari experience - right here in Kent!

Pinewood - Shepherds Hut

Camp in style and comfort at Pinewood's Shepherd's Hut and fall asleep to the sound of the roaring lions!

How your stay helps

Simply by enjoying a short break with us, you are directly contributing to the care of the animals in our parks here in the UK and supporting the trailblazing overseas work of our partner charity, The Aspinall Foundation (charity number 326567). Thanks to the generosity of guests like you, The Aspinall Foundation has released more than 75 gorillas, 41 Javan gibbons, 14 Javan grizzled langurs, 125 Javan ebony langurs, 12 European bison, 8 black rhinos and many more animals back to the wild!

Your next adventure awaits

Book a stay at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for your next short break and you could find yourselves looking for pirates, setting sail for faraway places, saying hello to all the animals or even discovering lost tribes!

Terms and conditions

Please ensure you have familiarised yourself with our short break terms and conditions.

Share this page

• Port Lympne