Animals

Our Conservation, Research & Environmental Work

Learn more about the work we do here at Hobbledown to protect animals & the environment - visit our 'Research and Conservation' section.

With “Family Animal Contact Experiences to Forging Active Conservation Education” (FACE to FACE) as a driving force to our messaging, we seek to connect our guests to our animals to help inspire stewardship and care for the natural world and all of its resources.

Find out more

Meet our animals

From capybara to parrots, Hobbledown Heath is home to a wide collection of farm and zoo animals. All are housed in unique, spacious enclosures with runs, tunnels, and bridges which encourage natural behaviours while also giving our guests the chance to come face-to-face with our animals – and giving our animals the chance to come face-to-face with you!

Enjoy daily keeper talks, animal walks, demonstrations and more. Get up close and personal with our permanent animal walkthroughs – and, if that’s not enough, book your own personal face-to-face experience…

Book a face-to-face experience

GIANT TORTOISES

These slow reptiles can sometimes live to over 100 years old! They are also an ancient species and have been around for over 200 million years – that’s longer than birds, mammals and snakes.
MACAWS

Known for being talkative and colourful, macaws live on a diet of flowers, nectar, fruit, nuts, seeds, and small insects. Hobbledown Heath has blue-and-gold macaws, and scarlet macaws.
MEERKATS

A small mongoose, found in southern Africa. They are known as the Hobbledown guards because of the way they always stand to attention!
HIGHLAND CATTLE

This ancient breed of cow has fluffy, floppy hair designed to keep it warm in the chilly Scottish Highlands.
CAPYBARA

These giant rodents are fantastic swimmers, extremely social, and very chilled-out! They are close relatives to the (much smaller) guinea pig.
GIANT RABBIT

These cottontail rabbits are gentle giants; they can grow up to 1.3 metres long!
MARA

Mara are members of the cavy family of rodents, making them the larger relative of the guinea pig.
LEMURS

There are over 100 species of lemur in the wild, and they can live for up to 15 years. Hobbledown Heath is home to both Ring-tailed and Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs.
REINDEER

Not just for Christmas! Reindeer were one of the earliest animals to be domesticated. Both males and females have wonderful soft velvety antlers.
PONIES

Meet our adorable ponies, who have free roam across Hobbledown's bridges and grazing areas - and keep an eye out for our special pony parades...
YAK

Although huge, yaks are herbivores – they eat mostly grass, flowers and moss. Their horns can be used to defend themselves, or to break through ice to reach the plants underneath.
GOATS

Highly intelligent, and excellent climbers – look out for the floppy-eared Anglo Nubian breed and the miniature pygmy goats housed at Hobbledown Heath.
ALPACAS

These funny-looking creatures come from the high altitudes of the South American Andes, and often spit up and chew their food over and over again!
PRAIRIE DOGS

Native to North America, these burrowing ground squirrels live in tight-knit family groups called coteries.