Jersey Zoo

Really nice Zoo, with a great conservation message. The reptile house and large apes are great to see. You can easily spend 5hrs here. Lots of parking and the cafe was surprisingly good. I would say they could do with improving their signage, just finding the entrance to the butterfly house was not obvious at all, but the displays across the zoo are all really good. They also had the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition on which was fantastic.

Two words: GO HERE. Although called a zoo, the facility’s focus is a captive breeding program for endangered species, with many animals released back into the wild. Moreover, it doesn’t really look like a traditional zoo because there are so few cages, and those that exist are generally discreet and filled with lush island greenery, which includes such temperate trees as bamboo and palms. Interestingly, some species dwell onsite with no visible means of confinement. Red-breasted geese wander the green, and a colony of Silver Marmosets lives in the trees (they are presumably tied to the zoo by the lure of free room and board). Talks on various animals are available throughout the day, the life and work of the zoo founder Gerald Durrell is featured, and there are regular special exhibitions (a breathtaking Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit was in-house when we visited). All told, we found our zoo experience fascinating. As for practicalities: although there is a large parking lot, we found it just as easy to get there by bus (service on the island is excellent). The zoo’s many paths are well maintained and seem to accommodate wheelchairs easily, but navigating from enclosure to enclosure can sometimes be challenging (more signposts at junctions would be welcome, the large map boards throughout the area would benefit from being exact rather than artistic, and the zoo map app available on entry seems to be more capable of describing what one is seeing rather than providing succinct details on how best to get to it). The gift shop is large and well stocked, the restaurant menu comprehensive, and there are numerous picnic tables and benches on the property. The best advice, though is to budget enough time to visit. Although one reviewer advised 4-5 hours onsite. We arrived early and before we knew it staff members were shutting the doors behind us after a seven hour visit!

It was the most 'natural' zoo I've ever visited. They kept the animals as close to their natural habitats as possible, allowing them to roam freely outside the enclosures. It's amazing how they manage this and create an experience that truly lets visitors connect with nature

What a lovely zoo to visit on a beautiful spring morning. As we went in the off season the zoo wasn't busy. Booked tickets on line £20. easy check in and very helpful member of staff told us about the talks. We headed straight to the orangutang's and then the tortoise talks.
We then ambled our way around. Not the most extensive amount of animals to see (no lions, tigers, bear, elephants etc) but what they do have is very interesting. Only let down and it was quite a big one was the gorilla enclosure was being heavily modified which meant no access to see them. The bats exhibition was also closed.
The restaurant wasn't open but like I said it was the off season. The cafe was available if required.
The zoo looks fantastically maintained and the keepers showed a deep love and respect for their animals. Conservation is their number one commitment.
All in all a nice 1.5 - 2 hours was spent.
Free Parking on site and a massive charity warehouse is there to look around in the car park.
Oh, Jersey has a big population of Red Squirrels! See pic.

Visited Jersey Zoo on holiday after last going over a decade ago. One of the best Zoo’s I’ve ever been to. You can tell it’s a conservation centre first, and zoo experience second. They put the animals first. Learning about the story of Richard Durrell was fascinating.

There are so many animals to see, and the zoo keepers are all super friendly and welcome any questions, you can tell they really love their jobs.

I used to come here as a kid purely for the fruit bats and was saddened to hear they became ill and have now transferred out, but knowing they are prioritising them over the public being able to see them is so heartwarming, there’s nothing more if want than for those endangered bats to survive.

There’s 2 cafes on site with plenty of options. There’s also a gift shop on site which has so many good options, I made sure to buy plenty of gifts (for myself) to help support the zoo.

Highly recommended to any one visiting, solo or families alike. I recommend to pre book tickets a day before you go as you can get a discount. Great day out, you can spend hours here!!

Highly recommend a visit.