Animal Encounters

How your experience will be different

At Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, a fundamental part of our mission is to create incredible experiences for animal-lovers. We place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our guests, animals and teams.

We have completed a series of thorough risk assessments and introduced a range of new health and safety measures that seek to reduce the risk associated with the presence of COVID-19 that are in line with government advice and the requirements of local health authorities. We have also ensured that our teams are provided with the correct PPE, follow social distancing guidelines and carefully monitor their own health to minimise risk.

Gloves and a face mask will be provided to you and must be worn for the duration of the encounter, and we ask that you not touch the animals.  Please ensure that you adhere to the 2 metre social distance between yourself, the keeper or ranger and fellow guests.  Hands must be washed before and after your animal experience.

Thank you for your consideration and cooperation to help ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable visit.

Get up close and personal

Join one of our expert keepers as they introduce you to the animal of your choice – learn interesting facts, feed where possible and enjoy behind the scenes access as you immerse yourself in our amazing animal world. The perfect gift for animal lovers, our 30 minute group animal encounters can bring you face to face with some of the most iconic and endangered species including critically endangered western lowland gorillas, black rhino, lemurs and other primates, big cats and more.

A unique insight

From just £75 per person, your group encounter will include time with one of our expert keepers at Port Lympne as they introduce you to the animal of your choice - learn interesting facts, feed where possible* and enjoy behind the scenes access. Exclusive encounters are also available - please call to check availability. Animal Encounters make the ideal gift for animal lovers - ask about our gift vouchers.

*Please note that gloves and masks must be worn at all times during your encounter.  Feeding will be carried out either using grab sticks for carnivores or you will be asked to throw food items for scatter feeds.  Some animals may be hand fed at the discretion of the keeper present.