Our meerkats are getting a new home! In October we're starting construction on an entirely new meerkat enclosure - partnered with a new play park and picnic area. The new exhibit, in memory of Anthony Ward, will provide visitors with new and exciting ways to engage with our meerkats - and improved opportunity and spaces for visitors of all ages and abilities.

The old enclosure’s innovative central ‘bubble’, meant kids loved getting up amongst the meerkats- but anyone taller or less agile wasn’t able to. The enclosure also lacked a double door/traditional gate entrance, meaning access for our popular Meet the Meerkat experience was limited. So we’re building a double-size, fully accessible enclosure!

Glass walls will ensure everyone can get a great view of the perpetual motion machine that is our meerkats. It also means everyone will be able to book one of our popular meerkat encounters. Older, younger, those with sight or mobility issues; it will finally be truly inclusive for all.

Meerkats are all about family- living, feeding, guarding and even sharing childcare, so we wanted to make it just as family-friendly to visit. With a new sandpit planned for next door, as kids are digging about, they can see meerkats just the other side of the glass doing exactly the same! With lots undercover to make it protected and practical to visit all year round, a picnic area and kiosk means family members with less appetite for digging can relax and keep an eye on both sets of action!

As we can’t slack off on the day jobs, this long-term project won’t be completed till next year. This does mean our meerkats will be OFF-SHOW from October 1st and we will not be able to accept bookings for our popular Meet the Meerkats experience from October onwards.