Get even closer
Animal Encounters at Port Lympne
Get even closer to your favourite species on an unforgettable animal encounter. You will join a small group of fellow animal-lovers and one of our animal experts, who will escort you to an exclusive, often behind-the-scenes area of the reserve. There, you will be able to ask your expert all of your animal-questions and enjoy an unforgettable animal encounter during which you will have the chance to interact with and - where possible - hand-feed your chosen species.
Giraffe Encounter
Orangutan Encounter
Tiger Encounter
Lion Encounter
Leopard Encounter
Cheetah Encounter
Wolf Encounter
Rhino Encounter
Tapir Encounter
Red Panda Encounter
Meet the Small Carnivores
Squirrel Monkey Encounter
Meet the Great Apes
Meet the Monkeys
Meet the Rhinos
Gorilla Encounter
Giraffe Encounter
Join one of our expert rangers for an unforgettable close-up meeting with our graceful giraffes! Whether visiting them in their house or out in the safari zone, you’ll have the rare chance to hand-feed these towering giants and watch as they gently take food straight from your hand. Along the way, our ranger will share fascinating insights into their behaviour, social structure, and what makes these incredible animals so unique. A truly special experience with the tallest residents at the reserve!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
Price: £80.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Time:
Varies throughout the year
Orangutan Encounter
Step behind the scenes into the Orangutan House for an unforgettable experience with these intelligent and playful great apes. Spend time with our orangutan expert, learn how we care for them, and take part in enrichment feeding to see their curious minds in action!
With their cheeky personalities and incredible adaptability, no two encounters are ever the same—get ready for a truly unique experience!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 12 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
3:30pm
Available from 23rd March 2024
Tiger Encounter
Come face to face with one of our magnificent tiger groups in this thrilling experience! Get an up-close look at these powerful big cats as you feed them their favourite meaty treats using tongs and watch their impressive strength in action. Our expert keepers will be on hand to answer your questions, sharing fascinating facts about their personalities, behaviours, and daily care. An unforgettable encounter with one of the world’s most iconic predators!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £95.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
12 & 2pm
Tuesdays available June-September only
Lion Encounter
Step into the kingdom of the ultimate apex predator and meet one of our majestic lion groups. With a keeper by your side, you’ll have the rare opportunity to feed them through the enclosure using tongs, getting a front-row seat to their raw power and commanding presence. As you watch these incredible cats up close, our expert keepers will share insights into their pride dynamics, natural instincts, and what it takes to care for these kings of the animal world.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £95.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
12pm & 2pm
Sunday & Monday available June-September only
Leopard Encounter
Experience the rare opportunity to meet our elusive and extraordinary leopards up close! With guidance from our expert keepers, you’ll get the chance to feed them their favourite meat treats using tongs, observing their sleek agility and stealth in action. Learn all about their secretive nature, unique personalities, and the skills that make them such incredible hunters. A truly special encounter with one of the most mysterious big cats!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £95.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ |
Time:
2pm
Cheetah Encounter
Get up close to the world’s fastest land animal in this thrilling encounter. Meet our cheetahs and learn about their speed, agility, and conservation from an expert keeper. Then, take part in their feeding by offering meat through the enclosure using tongs. A rare opportunity to see these incredible cats in action while gaining expert insights into their care.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £65.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
4pm, summer
3pm, winter
Wolf Encounter
Meet our European wolves and learn about their pack dynamics, behaviours, and conservation from an expert keeper. Then, take part in their feeding by offering meat through the enclosure, watching as they interact and respond. A unique opportunity to see these incredible animals up close and gain a deeper understanding of their role in the wild.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 yrs
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £65.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
4pm, summer
3pm, winter
Rhino Encounter
Go behind the scenes for a rare chance to meet either a white or Greater One-Horned Rhino! Get up close to these incredible giants, feel their tough skin as you give them a scratch, and learn all about their lives from our expert keepers.
Both species are true gentle giants, each with their own quirky personalities—whether it’s their love for a good scratch or their surprisingly playful nature!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 5 years old
Price: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
12:30pm
Tapir Encounter
Meet our gentle and curious tapirs up close as you step into their house or paddock. Join our expert keeper for feeding time and learn about their diet, behaviours, and conservation. You may even have the chance to give them a scratch—an experience not to be missed with these unique and charismatic animals.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 9 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £50.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
3:30pm
Thursday available during summer only
Red Panda Encounter
A special encounter with our adorable red pandas! Step inside their enclosure and get up close as you hide enrichment for them to discover, watch their playful personalities shine, and even hand-feed one of them a tasty snack. Along the way, our expert keepers will share fascinating insights into their lives and behaviours. A truly unique opportunity to meet these charming treetop dwellers up close!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 5 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
11:30am
Meet the Small Carnivores
Go behind the scenes for a guided tour of our small cat sections and discover some of the most elusive carnivores at Port Lympne. Join our expert keeper for the afternoon feed, learning about their behaviours, care, and conservation along the way. With exclusive back-of-house access and a Q&A session, this experience offers a rare insight into the lives of these fascinating felines.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
3pm
Squirrel Monkey Encounter
Meet our curious and intelligent Squirrel Monkeys in this hands-on encounter! Work alongside our expert keepers to create enrichment puzzles filled with live bugs, then place them on the enclosure and watch as the monkeys climb, explore, and problem-solve to retrieve their treats. Along the way, you'll gain fascinating insights into their playful nature and social dynamics in an exclusive Q&A with a keeper. A fun and interactive experience that brings you closer to these energetic primates!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £40.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
12:30pm, April - September only.
Meet the Great Apes
Go behind the scenes for an unforgettable experience with our Orangutans and Gorillas! With our expert ape keepers as your guides, you'll get up close, learn about their incredible behaviours, and even take part in feeding these mighty great apes.
This is no ordinary encounter—be prepared for an adventure that could even take you onto the roof of the gorilla house! Not for the faint of heart, but perfect for those ready to get closer than ever to these incredible animals.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 10 years old
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: £125.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
10am
Available from 19th March 2024
Meet the Monkeys
Step behind the scenes and come face to face with some of our cheeky primates as you hand-feed them nuts and fruit through the enclosure! Meet multiple monkey species behind the scenes, watch their playful antics, and hear fascinating facts from our expert keepers.
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 7 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
2:30pm
Meet the Rhinos
Go behind the scenes for a rare chance to meet all three rhino species – white, black, and greater one-horned! Get up close to these incredible giants, hand-feed a black rhino, and feel the tough skin of a white or Indian rhino as you give them a scratch. Along the way, our expert keepers will share fascinating insights into their lives and personalities. The only place in the UK where you can meet all three species in one unforgettable experience!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 10 years old
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: £100.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
2pm
Available May-September only
Gorilla Encounter
Go behind the scenes for an unforgettable encounter with our mighty silverback gorillas! Step into their world as you climb onto the enclosure roof and scatter-feed the troop below, watching their impressive strength and intelligence up close.
With an expert keeper by your side, you’ll gain exclusive insights into their behaviour, social bonds, and conservation. This experience isn’t for the faint-hearted—but for those ready to see gorillas like never before!
Day entry to the park is not included in the experience cost.
Minimum age: 10 years old
Duration: 30 minutes
Price:
Peak: £85.00
Off-peak: £75.00
Availability:
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Times:
12 & 3pm, April-October
12pm, November-March
Unless otherwise stated experiences do not include day admission. A valid day ticket, Annual Pass or short break booking would be required to gain admission to the reserve where the experience is conducted.
