Yorkshire Wildlife Park, a family attraction just over an hours drive from Beverley is certainly place lovers of animals should visit.
Located in South Yorkshire just a stone’s throw from Doncaster, Yorkshire Wildlife Park offers so much for a day out.
With Beverley hosting the World Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition for the third year, YWP gives you the chance to see these animals up close.
The superb layout and way the enclosures are laid out mean viewing everything from big cats, Meercats or the mischievous Baboons is a real pleasure.
While the main reason for going is to see the wildlife, there is also plenty of other things to do. For the youngsters, there are plenty of play areas while keepers at the park host a range of activities.
Parking is simple and well-managed while when you get into the park it is very well signposted guiding past the exhibits.
Lion Country is the first big enclosure you pass. Here you will get to see the big cats up close and personal. They roam freely around their enclosure which offers unrestricted views.
Passing the Rhinos you enter an area dedicated to Africa. The animals on show here include Zebra and the ever so impressive Giraffes.
Leopard Heights is home to the Amur Leopard, the most endangered big cat in the world. This enclosure again offers superb views. Either at ground level through a glass window or from a platform.
Land of Tigers is yet another example of the care shown by this park to their animals. One of the largest enclosures in Europe for Tigers, they have the freedom to roam about. Again the enclosures and walkways are so well thought out offering superb views of this magnificent species.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park Allows Unprecedented Views Of Wildlife
Next up for me on my visit was the Polar Bears. Seeing these creatures first hand allows you to appreciate the sheer size of them. At some points on walking through their area, it was possible to be a few feet away from them.
There are lots of other smaller animals around the park. But one of the highlights and a must-see for every visitor are the Baboons. YWP say these are among their most intelligent animals. Just watching them it is easy to see why.
While you can take your food and drink in, there are plenty of places to eat drink. Given the type of place it is, the food was very good and priced fairly.
In all my visit lasted around seven hours, in that time I walked around the park twice. On each of the walks, I saw something different as animals had moved or were more active.
Overall I can not urge people enough to make a visit to YWP. Be it in the school holidays or at any other time. If you go be prepared to do a lot of walking. To fully appreciate the park also be prepared to spend a full day there.