Lemur experience

Lemurs are just the best. They’re a fun, bouncy mixture between a monkey, a squirrel and a cat!

I’m a bit biased, but this is one of the best animal experiences we’ve found. I’m biased because I love animals, I love experience days and I love lemurs. It’s something about their stripy tails and smiley faces that make them just adorable. Anyway, on with the review of the ‘meet the lemurs’ experience.

Oops – don’t be late

We turned up at the Paradise Wildlife Park a bit late – We were told to arrive at 12.30 to get ready for the experience at 1pm. Anyway, cos of London traffic and a dodgy satnav, we arrived at 1 on the dot. No worry though – they waved us through and were invited to the visitor centre for a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The start time is important though because you’ll be feeding the lemurs their lunch. And if you keep them waiting, you’ll keep them hungry.

What happens in the lemur experience?

Then a keeper arrives, you can have a quick chat and you’re led into the lemur enclosure with a huge bowl of food. These lemurs love food and they’ll bounce on whoever has it, so expect to be covered in lemurs, like me in the picture!

Were the lemurs happy?
I was really pleased with how happy the lemurs seemed. It’s a problem with zoos that sometimes the animals can seem cooped up and sad, but these lemurs have just got a lovely new enclosure, and you can see just how happy they are bouncing about in it. The keepers are clearly very fond of the animals too, so i’ve got no problems with how they’re kept.

How long does the lemur experience take?
You’re in the lemurs for about 20 minutes. Doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s plenty, and you get loads of opportunities for photos, either from your friends outside or the lemur keepers if you can persuade them. Once you’re in the park, there are plenty of other animals to walk round and see too, so you can easily spend a nice afternoon enjoying the lemur experience then looking round the other animals. It’s not a massive zoo, but it’s a nice size and we loved the snow leopards.

Where is it?
It’s at a wildlife park just north of London, about 8 miles north of the M25 in Broxborne, Hertfordshire. It’s a bit of a trek to get to for people living a long way up north, but if you combine it with a stay in London, it’s a lovely experience. Quite a few of the animal experiences take place here, including a zookeeper for a day, and they do them really well.

How much?
I got free entry with my experience ticket, but my guest had to pay full price for entry. She took photos from outside the lemur enclosure and it’s a nice zoo, so we didn’t mind paying the extra to get in. This experience is available from loads of experience day companies, but it’s exactly the same one from all of them. It makes sense to buy the cheapest.