Zoos & Wildlife Parks in the UK

Zoo, safari park, wildlife park or aquarium?

The names overlap, but they describe quite different days out:

• Safari parks let you drive through large open enclosures in your own car — Knowsley Safari on Merseyside is a drive-through safari park with a walking zoo alongside, and the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms is a safari-style park for native Scottish and other cold-climate species.
• Wildlife parks are usually walk-through, with bigger, more naturalistic enclosures than a traditional zoo — Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster is home to polar bears, lions and tigers.
• Zoos range from city zoos to large conservation charities. The biggest on this site is Chester Zoo — 130 acres and more than 30,000 animals — alongside Edinburgh Zoo, Twycross Zoo (known for its primate collection), Paignton Zoo, Colchester Zoo, Belfast Zoo on Cave Hill and the Welsh Mountain Zoo above Colwyn Bay.
• Aquariums — SEA LIFE Brighton, open since 1872, is the world's oldest continually operating aquarium; Deep Sea World in Fife has a 112-metre underwater tunnel, and Exploris on Strangford Lough doubles as a seal sanctuary.
• Zoo and theme park in one — Flamingo Land, Drayton Manor and Folly Farm combine animals with rides, which suits families with children of different ages. See also our theme parks list.

Are UK zoos licensed?

Yes. In England, Scotland and Wales, anywhere that keeps wild animals on show to the public for more than seven days a year — aquariums, wildlife parks and safari parks included — needs a licence from its local council under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, and is inspected. Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. Several of the zoos listed here, including Chester, Twycross and Dartmoor, are run as conservation charities.

Opening times and prices change through the year, so check each attraction's own website before you travel.