Overview

This was our first visit back to the zoo since 2019. We had once again taken out zoo membership. Much had changed since our last visit, there are now automatic barriers at the car park entrance and exit. You get a ticket and have to pay at the reception desk. There are four blue badge parking spaces by the barriers theses spaces are also used by the holiday inn hotel that is next to the zoo. The members gate is closed at the moment, so we had to use the main entrance, which was easy to access as the doors are automatic, some parts of the zoo are not suitable to access for wheelchairs or scooters but they do offer a mobility vehicle which you must book at the time of entry to the zoo to take you up to the top and bring you back this is only for one person and you have to give a time for both getting to the top and pick up to go back down. Once you leave reception you need to turn right as it’s steps up to the see the animals I went up the slop but had to go further along a path before being able to get down the kerb with the scooter as the kerb was far too deep. Also encountered this problem around many other parts of the zoo. They need to consider lowering the kerbs to make it more accessible. Many of the paths are bumpy with pot holes again not easy if your in a wheelchair or scooter, quite a few enclosures were empty as animals had been moved to other zoos since our last visit, also indoor enclosures were closed to protect the animals and birds from covid and bird flu. There were extra barriers up around the penguin enclosures as well. One of the few highlights of the visit was seeing a young koala who had only in the last week emerged from its mother’s pouch. We also saw the giant pandas and red pandas . At lunchtime we went to the gannet restaurant for a meal, not a huge choice and because I have allergies caused by my medication I could only have a child’s meal as nothing else was suitable . To be able to use the restaurants onsite you must have a smart phone as you have to order on the app. There were a number of grandparents with children in pushchairs who didn’t have a smart phone and were unable to use the restaurants . You get told upon entry that you must have a smart phone it took us about 30-40 minutes to get our food ordered . Don’t think we will be using that again as it’s just not an easy option . The food we had was ok and cooked to order, in the afternoon we stopped for a hot drink and cake at the penguin cafe , unfortunately they don’t do meals here but at least you had the option of just placing an order at the counter and not using the app on a smart phone, hopefully many of the empty enclosures will be filled with new animals but I was a bit disappointed. We had visited the highland wildlife park last year and this was great . Lots of animals to see . See my separate review

Transport & Parking

Only four blue badge parking spaces which I would guess fill up quick in the summer . There’s far more spaces for electric car Charing. . These blue badge spaces are shared the holiday in. Hotel as they share the car park .

Access

A EE’s to get in was ok automatic doors but getting round the zoo less so. Kerbs too high for a scooter or wheelchair , paths bumpy and many potholes, on the plus side you could book the mobility vehicle to take you to the top and bring you back but that’s only for one person,

Toilets

They do have accessible toilets at the front by the entrance, but form what o remember from a previous visit they weren’t great

Staff

We only spoke with a couple of staff these were keepers at the otter and meerkat enclosures they were friendly an knowledgeable