New Forest Wildlife Park
- Rarars adventures
- Jun 10, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 17, 2021
Welcome back to Rarars Adventures Visiting Locations!
I hope we are all well?
So this is our first visit this year, So I'm so excited to share with you, and it's so nice to be able to get back out there!
I'm not going to lie I was quite Anxious about going I think that is due to not being able to go anywhere for so long, and so loosing some confidence, but I have to say once we arrived and met the team I soon calmed down and got back in the swing of things.
The Staff we very welcoming and friendly and happy to answer any questions that I had.
let's begin.
A Little About What The New Forest Wildlife Park Are Doing
Quoted from their website
Conservation
"We're passionate about wildlife and conservation at New Forest Wildlife Park and we want to encourage our visitors to learn more about conservation too.
Many of our animals, such as the giant otter, are on the IUCN endangered species Red list and we're doing our best to help breed and conserve them for the future.
We are the first park in the UK to send captive-bred giant otters to an international breeding program abroad.
Katuma, a young giant otter born at our sister park the Chestnut Centre in Derbyshire, was sent to emperor vally Zoo in port of Spain, Trinidad in 2013 to meet his specially chosen mate Suzie.
At New Forest Wildlife Park, we work closely with all the regulatory authorities to make sure our animals receive the best care.
Some of our animals, such as our European Bison, may also be included in international captive breeding programs are strictly controlled to ensure good breeding stocks are available for species under threat."
There is also another conservation project that the New Forest Wildlife Park is working on and I will leave all the links at the end.
COVID 19 What has been put in place.
(There is more information on their website these are just the bullet points)
NHS Track and trace
Face Coverings
Cashless payments at the park gate
Visitors can purchase tickets at the park entrance on the day of their visit
Helping our visitors practice social distancing
Hand washing stations around the park
keeper talks are currently suspended
take away cafe
Before going to the New Forest Park I had a little look on their website to see what they have in place for disabled access, and they have put a statement up which I have quoted from their website so that I give you the right information.
"We welcome wheelchair and mobility scooter users and visitors with limited mobility.
However, the woodland trail and natural forest environment may pose difficulties for some of our visitors please telephone the park prior to your visit to discuss your requirements, and we'll do our best to help."
We decided to take my mobility scooter with me so that we could share with you how accessible it was for us to get around New Forest Wild Life Park. I have to say that we didn't find any problems, which you will be able to see in my short film we made which I'll leave the links at the end.
The paths are stones so it shouldn't cause any problems even in the rain, even at the park there is bark down, so again shouldn't cause too much trouble whether you are in a mobility scooter or wheelchair.
Before going in the park it's all hard standing which is where the first set of toilets are, and cafe and entrance.
The toilets have a disabled toilet with a ramp leading up to it and you don't need a RADAR Key as far as I could see! and there is another set of toilets which is located by the children's parks and picnic area again with a disabled toilet and ramp leading to it.
We found that there was seating throughout the park , so if walking you can stop to catch your breath while watching the animals.
The car park has disabled parking, which is located outside the entrance which you will need your blue badge for, but if you have a larger vehicle then you may need to park in the coaches side like we did as we had the mobility scooter on board, and there wouldn't have been enough room to get the ramps out.
My only concern for people who are in a wheelchair or on mobility scooters, is that there are two sets of gates that you have to go through for the safety of the animals, which you are able to get through one way but coming out you may need assistance to open the gates, but saying this there is normally a member of staff around or member of the public who could help you, but if you are with a carer or going with people then they can help you so nothing major just something that I did notice and wanted to point out.
These gates are based at the Deer Encounter and Wallibe Woods.
Discounts
They offer Discount rates to visitors with disabilities and their carers (one carer per visiting adult or child with disabilities or special educational needs.)
Registered Assistance Dogs. (quoted from the website)
"Registered Assistance Dogs are welcome to visit New Forest Wildlife Park all dogs must wear their Harness/unfirm and be on a short lead where needed. Assistance dog identification/registration may be requested.
And for the welfare of our free-roaming wallabies, wolves and lynx, dogs are not allowed to walk through wallaby wood. please ensure your dog does not upset other visitors or our animals."
We found that the New Forest Wildlife park was a lovely place to visit and disabled friendly, there is lots to see and do for all ages, learning, touch, play. The team there are very friendly and approachable and will do what they can to help you.
they are doing some amazing work trying to help the animals.
Other thing's that they offer
Keeper Experience
Adopt an animal
wildlife birthday parties
They do School visits
Group and Day visits
I will leave the links to the ticket prices as these may change due to covid 19
The New Forest Wildlife Park has clear signs posted once you get close to their location we found them easy to find.
I asked them whether they hire out mobility scooters or wheelchairs and they said that they don't but when people ask they said that there is a mobility shop just down the road that hire out for the day wheelchairs and mobility scooters, so if this is something that you would like to do I would contact New Forest Wildlife park first to get the contact number so that you can book in advance to guarantee you have one for your visit.
New Forest address and contact information
New Forest Wildlife Park
Deerleap Lane
Nr Ashurst
Southampton
SO40 4UH
General Enquiries
Tel: 02380 292408
Fax: 02380 293367
Adoptions
Tel:02380 292408
Birthday Parties/ keeper experience
Tel:02380 292408
Education
Tel:02380 292408
Retail
Tel:02380 292408
I would like to say a massive thank you to New Forest Wildlife Park for letting Rarars Adventures come along today to visit to share with others what to expect while visiting their location, we had a lovely day and hope this will help people feel more comfortable in them selfs about visiting your location.
Take care
Rarars Adventures
Here is the link to see the short film we made visiting New Forest Wildlife Park
