Big Cat Experience

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Feed a big Cat!


Lions and Tigers exhibit incredible power and strength and are considered as some the most magnificent creatures on our planet. Hertfordshire Zoo is proud of its big cat collection and now you will have the opportunity to feed one of these impressive animals by hand at Hertfordshire's leading family attraction.

Feed one of our big cats


Get ready for a once in a lifetime experience. Come face to face with our Amur tigers, Pride of white lions or even our adorable Snow Leopard, as you get to hand feed one of our big cats in an up close and personal moment with some of the world’s largest cats.

Enjoy a warm welcome by the Hertfordshire Zoo team at our exclusive animal experience hub within Zoo HQ where you will receive a complimentary refreshment and a personalised goody bag prior to meeting one of our expert zookeepers.

During your experience you will also learn about the conservation work at Hertfordshire Zoo, overseas and at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent.

We are now able to offer Snow Leopard feeds as part of the Feeding a Big Cat option, however PPE MUST be worn when hand feeding our Snow Leopards. You are required to bring your own Face Mask/Shield.

 

Choose from one of our 3 time slots, throughout the day. Including our most exclusive experience time at 9:00am, offering special, early access to the zoo before the general public arrive.

The only sounds are your footsteps, the occasional call of gibbons echoing through the trees, and, if you’re lucky, the roar of one of our majestic white lion.  Witness their awe-inspiring power and grace from a safe distance, learning fascinating facts about these magnificent creatures from your personal, knowledgeable zookeeper.

Be inspired by the background and personality facts that your expert keeper is telling you about your chosen cat as well as our conservation efforts to protect these incredible species, as you continue hand feeding your chosen big cat. Finally, overwhelmed and in awe of your completed experience, enjoy the rest of the zoo and learn about over the other 800 animals we have here on site all included within your experience. Why not stop off and have a tasty snack yourself at one of our eateries in the zoo, excitedly discussing your encounter and how you felt, enthusiastically planning when you can do it all, over, again.

The What to Know's


  • Minimum Age: 16yrs
  • Availability: 7 days a week
  • Times available: 9:00am, 10:00am and 11:30am
  • Duration: 30 Mins
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Experience includes entry to the park for the day
  • Participants receive a certificate
  • No open toe shoes
  • PPE MUST be worn when hand feeding our Snow Leopards. You are required to bring your own Face Mask/Shield.

Due to a risk of toxoplasmosis, our Feeding the Lemurs and Feeding a Big Cat Experience are unable to be booked on the same day.

So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself or purchase an animal experience as a special gift today!

You can purchase an annual membership to the park online here.

Our Gift Vouchers can be redeemed across all of our experiences, including our Big Cat Feeding package! Perfect as a gift for friends or family.

Experience

Experience Prices


Each big cat experience includes admission to the zoo, so you can spend the whole day to explore all of our facilities we have to offer around your experience if you wish.

You can bring guests who pay normal admission prices online in advance but cannot participate in the experience.

From: £199.00

Terms of Experience


Please read through our terms and conditions below regarding our experiences before booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, our Big Cat Experience package includes a ticket to the Zoo so once you're done with your experience you can enjoy & explore the rest of our animals.

Our Big Cat Experience package is the perfect choice for an individual or as a group of 2. Share the fun and bring a friend!

We encourage bringing a camera and making the most of the photo opportunities during your tiger encounter, lion encounter or snow leopard encounter. This is a great opportunity to show your friends & family how brave you are!

We offer tiger feeding experiences, lion feeding experiences and snow leopard feeding experiences. The animals that are available for the big cat experience is dependant on the feeding schedules of the available animals on the day. As part of our big cat experience we're proud to offer one of the best lion experience and tiger experience packages in the UK!

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