Welcome to East Devon’s hidden gem!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Warren C 
 
24/10/2023
 
 
  
No Jungle Drums here
Half term rock up with my 7 year old as we are down visiting his Grandad. OK so we were not expecting the theme to Jurassic Park to be playing out as we drove in or a set of large gates creaking open with sights to behold inside but a small dishevelled hut with dubious sun bleached signs outside as the main reception did sort of set the tone a little for what was inside. I am not sure where the 5 star ratings come from, maybe people that have never seen a semi wild animal but I am sorry to say our visit was not 5 star. Cafe area was just about big enough for a few families at best (3) and ordering food was a task in itself. The flamingos were sort of stood in what can best be described at pea soup as it was very green and very smelly so we quickly past that one. Some of the animals looked happy enough (small ones) but I noted a few of the larger one pacing back and fourth to the extent of wearing tracks in the ground - reminiscent of the polar bear at Bristol Zoo who was stressed. There was very little in the way of educational signage, conservation notes or fun facts on anything really, to be honest the whole place just looked tired and over crowded with animals fighting for real environments with enrichment to keep them happy. I have to be honest and say that the term Wildlife Park is a little grey as it felt like we were on a farm where the owners had re-homed animals as opposed to introducing animals into a vibrant sustainable habit and then introduced humans into the mix. Did it kill some time, yes! would we go back No! was my 7 year impressed, he felt sad for the animals.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Anna&Rob 
 
18/10/2023
 
 
  
A great family day out!
We visited for our son's 2nd birthday and he loved it! It was a Tuesday out of school holidays so it was quiet, and we did pre-book our tickets but didn't need to. There was a good selection of animals and some birds roaming free. His favourites were the meerkats, arctic fox, and squirrels. We saw baby otters and a baby alpaca, and there was also an opportunity to hold a water dragon. Plenty of play areas and there was a cafe and toilet facilities (with separate baby change). A great family day out!
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Caroline G 
 
12/10/2023
 
 
  
An excellent experience
We had a most enjoyable visit to the park. The animals include some we had not seen before and they all appeared to be content in their lovely surroundings. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Four Peeps Family 
 
18/09/2023
 
 
  
Felt sad for some of the animals
As a set up it was ok, bit tired around the edges and some of the enclosures needed a serious overhaul. The birds seems to be ok but many of the mid size cats seemed to be pacing back and fourth with little to keep them occupied, entertained or feeling engaged other than people looking at them - deffo no enrichment which is a shame. The staff we chatted to were friendly enough but were reluctant to talk about the history of the place or who set it up, deffo felt like an off topic subject. We have been to The Donkey Sanctuary and Monkey World and although this was ok as a pit stop it didn’t have the same feel, maybe to many animal in to small a space. Throw some enrichment in with the animals and see what happens.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Paul W 
 
17/09/2023
 
 
  
So good we became Members
My wife and I frequent many zoos and wildlife parks from Cornwall up to Yorkshire, New York, and Florida. We have gone to Paignton Zoo many times.es throughout the year on our visits down from London, and in the 4 years we've been coming, we have never seen the porcupine or maned wolf but we're pleasantly surprised to see both these animals on full display and looking so happy at Axe Valley it's not the biggest park but certainly an amazing place to visit where you can see many wildcats including the normally elusive lynx and fishing cat the visit was so hood and impressive we became annual members. There are some unfair reviews on TA claiming enclosures are poor. What people have to appreciate is that zoos are subject to regular inspections and if badly run large fines are issued and this zoo is very well kept and all the animals we saw looked healthy well looked after and Happy. We love animals and have 2 dogs, 4 cats, 3 aquariums, a large koi pond and a wildlife pond full of frogs and snails, if we saw anything detrimental to animals we would definitely report it. The entry cost is very reasonable and is worth a visit for anyone to decide, if you love animals you won't be disappointed.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 RachFox2018 
 
03/09/2023
 
 
  
Very disappointing
We love animal parks. This one had a large variety of animals and birds that we had never encountered before so were really excited to visit. The site is quite spacious yet some of the enclosures were much too small for the animals they contained. There were a few signs saying that certain animals were being moved to a bigger area, however the current state of the enclosures was very poor. The flamingos were filthy. The female ostriches looked like they had been under attack, missing a lot of feathers and covered in mud. One guinea pig had a very large growth on its back. Cages were all full of dead trees, weeds, cobwebs and dust, as though they had been abandoned. They also had a very strong bad smell. Food bowls contained very old and dried out lettuce/vegetables. A serval was pacing and hissing at us. A large tortoise was running around in circles looking very distressed. I could go on.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Icecreaminthesand 
 
30/08/2023
 
 
  
Won’t be back
The animals were hard to see as they were sheltering in their boxes/cages (especially the owls). There seemed little enrichment for the animals. Some cages looked bare. Lots of the signs had animal poo on them making them hard to read. The cages were small and dingy, others looked unkempt and were smelly. The gift shop has lots of plastic stuff to buy. Toilets were okay. Would I return, no. This is an edited review as my ‘real’ (warts and all) review wasn’t allowed!
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Sophie Y 
 
19/08/2023
 
 
  
Small enclosures
Very disappointed at the poor animals’ severe lack of space, especially the lynx who was pacing anxiously. The enclosures have no fencing around them to keep people at a distance which means they’re goggled at and the chickens running around were being tormented by young children (one of which I took the liberty of telling off as I couldn’t bear to watch her chase the chicken any more). Would say this place values money more than animal welfare.
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Chris F 
 
14/08/2023
 
 
  
Great afternoon out
We took our grandsons aged 4 and 7, for an afternoon visit and so pleased we did ,lots of really interesting animals and birds. It was good to see lots of new buildings and enclosures since the last time we came 3years ago. There are small play areas around the park which our grandsons really enjoyed and they were able to hold a Chinese water dragon ,which was very exciting .we all really enjoyed our afternoon. Thankyou to all .
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 Gay T 
 
14/08/2023
 
 
  
One not to be missed
We visited with 3 teenagers and we all loved it. Also had a cuppa and a sausage roll. Animals were fantastic as you were able to see them whilst seeing they were happy and well cared for.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tripadvisor rating score: 4.5 of 5, based on 541 reviews