Cumbria, South Lakes South Lakes Wild Animal Park

I have never experienced such horrific practices in a british zoo in all of my life, as part of my job I frequently visit animal collections and this one shocked me to the core! the enclosures were disgustingly inadequate for the animals needs, I have never seen such a collection of animals displaying stereotypical behaviours in all my life, even the rhinos were distressed! yes it offers a very hands on approach for public but at a serious detriment to the animals and public safety and wellbeing, overall a disgusting collection and should be investigated on numerous accounts of animal cruelty! Southlakes wild animal park should be disgusted in themselves, how they get there license renewed is beyond me! how are young people to be educated on appropriate animal management when places like this exist in this day and age!

I gave one star only because I had to give a rating!

The collection was average at best and included some of the worst species mixing I've ever seen, including two very frightened tapirs mixed with five spectacled bears. The free range lemurs looked to be in below average condition and the walk through vulture aviary seemed very dangerous. To me, the South Lakes Wild Animal Park just didn't work and had a very negative sort of vibe to it. However, it does do a lot of conservation work and does try and educate about the plight of many of the animals. It's just a shame that more thought hasn't been put into the animal's needs in the case of species mixing and size of enclosures as this could potentially be a good park.

The animals at Cumbria, South Lakes South Lakes Wild Animal Park are very well looked after, the are safe and happy in this environment, surely that is how it should be at Zoo's. I have been to many zoo's, but the staff at Dalton Zoo are streets ahead of other places, they are courteous, helpful and they are very knowledgeable about the animals they obviously care for.

South Lakes Wild Animal Park is unique open air wild animal park and set in a fantastic location at the edge of the Lake District National Park. It was the Lake District's Official Top Visitor Attraction for 2005 and is a world specialist for the conservaton of the Sumatran Tiger which can be seen amazingly in a wild Lakeland setting. As well as the famous tigers it features all the animals you expect at a wild animal park from rhinos to lemurs, marmosets and monkeys along with a troop of Baboons and Giraffes. Only been open a few years but has become really popular.

What an amazing day at South Lakes Wild Animal Park! I didn't know the place existed until, on a drive out with my 24 year-old daughter, she said "Dad - I've just seen a giraffe on that hillside!" We investigated, and found the South Lakes Wild Animal Park. Lions were basking in the sun, tigers quietly demolishing prey, emus wandering about, lemurs of many varieties leaping from fence to branch, giraffes as high as telephone poles, and rhinos the size of a large garden shed - and many times as solid. The staff, of which there are many all over the park, were extremely friendly and informative. There is a pleasant tea shop, and extremely well-stocked souvenir shop. A miniature railway takes kiddies through the centre of the park, and of course dad is on board purely to look after junior (he says).

There are snakes, and quite a lots of bats, there are penguins doing aquatic ballet in the pool right under your nose, numerous birds (the Australian black swan is lovely), there are bears, and apes of many kinds - in other words, a Noah's Ark of wonderful wildlife. A must-see place, and very accessible - follow the A590 towards Barrow, and turn left at the roundabout to Dalton-in-Furness, follow the signs through the village and back over the A590, to the park.