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8 Best Zoos and Wildlife Parks In Kent
Start with what your child loves and Kent's eight wildlife venues sort themselves. Big animals? Port Lympne Safari Park and its sister park Howletts Wild Animal Park hold the county's famous collections. Birds of prey? Kent is oddly rich here, with three specialists: The Kent Owl Academy — the best-rated wildlife attraction we list in the county — plus Willows Bird of Prey Centre and Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation. British species your children have never actually seen? Wildwood near Canterbury keeps wolves, beavers and their native kin. And for an all-round zoo day, Wingham Wildlife Park covers the broadest ground. Four of the eight have indoor areas.
Top zoos and wildlife parks in Kent
Showing 1–8 of 8
Zoos and Wildlife ParksThe Kent Owl Academy
Zoos and Wildlife ParksWillows Bird of Prey Centre
Zoos and Wildlife ParksEagle Heights Wildlife Foundation
Zoos and Wildlife ParksWingham Wildlife Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksWildwood
Zoos and Wildlife ParksPort Lympne Safari Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksHowletts Wild Animal Park
Zoos and Wildlife ParksHemsley Conservation Centre
Kent rewards the specific wish over the general one — an owl-obsessed child will remember The Kent Owl Academy far longer than another lap of a general zoo. The safari-scale parks ask for a full day and good walking shoes; the bird centres fit neatly into half of one.
Zoos and Wildlife Parks in Kent: FAQs
What's the difference between Port Lympne and Howletts?
They're run by the same conservation charity, so the choice is about terrain and headline animals rather than quality. Port Lympne Safari Park is the sprawling, vehicle-and-views safari experience on the coast side; Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury is more compact woodland walking. Both are outdoor days where the animals live in large enclosures, so distances on foot are real — factor stamina, buggies and weather into which suits your crew.
Why does Kent have so many bird of prey centres?
Happy accident or not, families benefit: three of the county's eight wildlife venues specialise in raptors. The Kent Owl Academy leads the ratings and builds its visits around close encounters; Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation and Willows Bird of Prey Centre each run their own flying and handling experiences. These are engagement-led visits — a child holds, watches and learns rather than walking past enclosures — which is why they often land harder than a bigger zoo.
Which Kent wildlife park is best for seeing British animals?
Wildwood, without much competition. Its collection is native and once-native species — wolves, bears' woodland neighbours, beavers and boar among trees near Canterbury — so children see the animals that actually belong to this landscape, most of which they will never spot in the wild. It's an outdoor woodland site, muddier and shadier than a formal zoo, and all the more atmospheric for it. Pair with wellies in any month containing rain.
Are Kent's zoos and wildlife parks doable in wet weather?
Half of them offer some cover — four of the eight have indoor areas, including Wingham Wildlife Park, The Kent Owl Academy and Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation, so a bird encounter or a mixed zoo day can shrug off showers reasonably well. The safari-scale parks and Wildwood are essentially outdoor commitments where waterproofs matter more than umbrellas. On a truly foul day, book a bird experience and keep the safari for spring.