The best zoos United Kingdom

Opened in 1913, this 33-hectare zoo is home to more than a thousand animals from 170 different species. Its two giant pandas, the only ones in Britain, arrived from China at the end of 2011: Tian Tian ("Honey"), the female, and Yang Guang ("Sunlight"), the male, are its main attraction. Koalas are also very popular, and there are many other fascinating specimens such as chimpanzees, penguins, Asian lions, Sumatran tigers, zebras, rhinos and many others.

Marwell Wildlife is a zoo and protection centre with rare and endangered species. The jungle tigers, savanna giraffes, desert foxes or tropical frogs, live in a great area, pleasant to travel for a whole day.

It's a welcome change from the pleasures of sea, beach and hiking. Spread over 5 hectares on the edge of Newquay, you can come here to meet species from all over the world, such as lions, toucans, meerkats, snakes, penguins and many others. You can even watch the animals feeding. Reduced rates are available for online bookings, and attractive prices are available for families. It's an enjoyable family outing that's a welcome change from cultural visits.

No need to go all the way to Scandinavia to get close to the reindeer! The ticket for the visitor centre includes the exhibition and the approach of a few deer in the enclosure, but you will have to follow one of the daily visits to venture out to meet the herds on the hills. If we forget everything once we are with the reindeer, busy feeding them, we still have to take into account that the "hill trip" is done in large groups (sometimes 80 people) and that you have to be in the queue as soon as the centre opens to get your place.

The Belfast Zoo presents to its visitors no less than 150 different species (elephants, penguins, lions, kangaroos, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, bird park...) and 1000 animals in their "natural" environment. This zoo is particularly famous for its location, it spreads over the 55 hectares of Cave Hill, and also for its involvement in programs to save endangered species. It is a very beautiful place, as much as a zoo can be. Notice to the amateurs! Of course, bring rain gear just in case...

Overlooking Colwyn Bay and the Irish Sea, the view alone is worth a visit to the zoo! But that's not all: here, camels, snow leopards, chimpanzees, alligators, parrots and many more live side by side. As part of its commitment to conservation and awareness-raising, the zoo organizes a wide range of activities for the general public, including interactive experiments with the animals and lectures on a variety of subjects. More than just a visit, a true educational discovery for the preservation and well-being of animals.