Experience: Red Pandas at Exmoor Zoo

My youngest son and I had a Meet and Greet experience with the red pandas at Exmoor Zoo this week. It was a Christmas present but gets booked up pretty far in advance as they only allow one experience a day, and not every day of the week. 

There is something wonderful about red pandas, isn't there? They look like cuddly toys and although I was desperate to reach out and touch one, we were not allowed. And rightly so, because they actually have pretty sharp teeth and claws.

Our experience started by making panda cakes - a mix of powder, pellets, grated fruit and vegetables mixed with water and patted together like giant falafels. Then off we went with the cakes, some fruit and some long nosed tongs and into the enclosure.

We were told that it was unlikely that all four red pandas would come out to be fed, but they must have liked the look of us, because they all came out and were very interested in the chopped apple and grapes fed to them with the tongs.

The keepers believe that Shifumu is expecting more babies, so that was very exciting news! We were really up close and personal with the pandas. They do have a habit of doing there business from up high, but we were lucky in that respect!

Our experience also allowed us entry to the rest of the zoo. This shoebill is a real rarity - I believe there are only two in captivity in the world. Apparently people come from all over the world to have an experience with a shoebill.

I am always entranced by the cats - this caracal was just beautiful. I truly am a cat lady.

It was a great experience - we both loved it. An hour was about the right length of time to spend with them, and the keeper was full of really interesting facts about the red pandas and some of the other animals in the zoo.

Love Mrs Jones x