The Isle of Wight has ‘animal attraction’!

Surely it can’t be only me who thinks that no holiday is complete without a visit to an animal attraction?

Well, you’re in luck! The Island is blessed with an incredible variety of places where you can get up close and personal with our furry and not-so furry-friends. In fact, I can’t think of any other region in the UK that has such a high concentration of animal parks – from bears and lions, monkeys and sloths, to alpacas and donkeys. And let’s not forget the resident wild red squirrel population too!

The only challenge is trying to fit them all in, or deciding which ones to visit. So I thought I’d round up my favourites and give the lowdown on each, to help with your planning. All of these places are also easily accessible by bus.

Compared to prices on the mainland, I find these attractions generally offer decent value for money – and many offer family tickets that will also help with budgeting.

Many attractions also offer opportunities to sponsor an animal or book a private experience, which is a great way to mark a special occasion or simply to support the great work that they do. Indeed, one of my friends fell so in love with the donkeys at the sanctuary that she has sponsored two of them!

Finally, I’d highly recommend having a look at the websites before heading out, so you can plan your visit around their daily animal talks – these are usually excellent and add a special dimension to your visit.

Formerly the Isle of Wight Zoo, these days this sanctuary is well known across the UK and beyond for the great work it does to rescue animals from traumatic situations and to protect endangered species.

It’s particularly recognised for its majestic tigers and cheeky lemurs, but you can also see lions, monkeys, lynx and various other animals including meerkats here. I think my favourites have got to be the stunning white lion and tigers, and I Iove how you can learn the stories behind how the animals have been rescued and given happy new homes. There’s a great daily programme of animal talks and encounters, and a spacious café and shop to enjoy too.

Why visit and why go now? If it’s big exotic animals you want to see, then this is the place! And now is a great time to meet bear brothers Benji and Balu, recently rescued from a cruel cage in Azerbaijan and flown to the UK to make a safe, fresh start on the Island. We’ve also got a special offer on ferry travel to visit Benji and Balu until 7 September.

Open all year. The number 8 and 24 bus services stop right outside.

There are an incredible 200+ species of animals and birds to see at this magical quirky zoo park! You’ll see monkeys, lemurs, meerkats and wallabies – and we especially fell in love with the cute red pandas and clever macaws on our recent visit.

What I like about Amazon World is that you get to meet some of the more unusual species here such as armadillos, anteaters, tapirs and iguanas. Walking through the indoor rainforest with birds and animals around you is also an adventure! There are very enjoyable ‘meet the animals’ talks during the day (don’t miss the panda one). There are children’s play areas and a café too.

Why visit and why go now? This is the place to see a wide variety of animals – and to spot some more unusual ones too. Now is a great time to visit as four naughty raccoons – recent new arrivals who caused chaos by escaping but were successfully recaptured the following week – have been safely secured and are now on display to the public!

Open all year. The number 8 bus stops right outside.

I’ve been fortunate to handle and fly several birds of prey over the years, and always find it a really exhilarating experience!

There are two ways you can get to meet the impressive collection of owls, hawks, falcons, eagles and vultures here. First, you can purchase entry for the 88-acre Robin Hill Park – a great day of outdoor adventure for all the family – where the falconry centre moved to recently. This allows you to visit the centre and enjoy one of their morning or afternoon flying display at no extra charge.

Second, you can buy a one-on-one private experience direct from the falconry centre itself – such as a one hour hawk walk or owl experience. My recommendation is to do both and book your private experience for the middle of the day so that you can enjoy the flying displays before and after as well. New for 2025, visitors can now also take a ferret for a walk too, for just £5!

Why visit and why go now? This is the best place to get to know these majestic birds of prey, and perhaps the most affordable way to enjoy a private one-on-one animal encounter. And now is a great time to visit, as you’ll get to see the birds in their fabulous new home in a stunning countryside setting.

Robin Hill is open seasonally, while the falconry centre offers experiences all year round. The number 8 bus stops outside the park entrance.

This smallish and perfectly formed attraction is a great place for monkeying around. It acts as a sanctuary for primates who have been rescued from sad situations, and there are 19 different species to see here from big gibbons to tiny marmosets. I find the gibbons particularly fun to watch as they swing through their enclosure!

There’s also an impressive collection of owls that are being rehabilitated after injury, plus other birds, meerkats and reptiles and insects too. There are keeper talks throughout the day, a nice shop, tea room and picnic area, and children’s play areas.

Why visit and why go now? This is a great little park for anyone interested in learning more about our primate cousins – and you can return again for free within seven days with your ticket making it good value for money! Now is a great time to visit to meet several recent new arrivals – including the endangered diana monkeys who were having a ball when I visited recently. Open from around February half-term until the end of October.

The number 9 bus stops right outside.

You’ll likely hear the unmistakable sound of the donkeys before you see them at this charming paddock near Ventnor, which is free of charge to visit.

Run as a charity, it provides a refuge for donkeys in need a loving ‘forever home’, and there are currently more than 100 living here. Children and adults alike will enjoy walking round the fields to get up close and personal with the animals, and there’s a fine café and good gift shop too.

Why visit and why go now? This is a great free of charge attraction to visit at any time of year (and parking is also free). Unusually for an animal attraction, dogs are welcome here too so you can bring your four-legged friends along with you!

Open all year. The number 3 bus stops right outside.

You pay an entry fee to visit this cute little farm in West Wight where you can meet, pet or feed an interesting selection of animals including llamas, alpacas, goats and miniature donkeys.

The llamas and alpacas are very endearing and pleasantly laid back, and if you buy a cup of feed for £1 you can enjoy having them munch pellets carefully from your hand. Alternatively, why not splash out on a farm walk and take one for a wander while learning more about them from your guide? There’s a decent café and a small shop too.

Why visit and why go now? The farm entry fee is relatively modest, making this a good stop when exploring West Wight. In spring and summer the baby pygmy goats are especially adorable!

Open all year round. The number 7 (Calbourne and Wellow branch) bus stops right outside.

Quarr Abbey is one of my favourite free attractions to visit on the island.

If you’re heading there, be sure to say hello to the pigs who call it home. There’s a path that runs around their pens (located between the car park and the abbey) so you can get a good view of these comical creatures.

You can also purchase some feed cheaply from the shop to give to them (or bring some fresh fruit and veg of your own).

As well as the abbey and museum, there’s a small farm shop, café and woodland walk to enjoy.

Why visit and why go now? Quarr Abbey is a good free attraction to visit all year round, with a number of different things to see and do.

Open all year. The number 9 bus stops outside.

Formerly a dairy farm, Tapnell is now a paid all-weather park full of indoor and outdoor activities for both younger and older children.

Though not primarily an animal attraction, its many facets include an indoor animal barn (where you can pet animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs) as well as an outdoor area and paddock (where the furry residents include wallabies, sheep, goats and alpacas).

I also rather like the park’s restaurant, The Cow (which happily specialises in steak and burgers, rather than the animals on show).

Why visit and why go now? Tapnell offers a nice selection of farm and petting animals as part of a wider family day out. It’s also a good bet if the weather’s a bit iffy, thanks to its indoor activities.

Open from March until October-ish. The seasonal Summer Links bus service stops outside.

Finally, you likely already know that the Isle of Wight is famous for its iconic wild red squirrels, but do you know where to find them?

No, neither do I. They are shy and  rather elusive and, in my experience, tend to pop up in unexpected places at unexpected times!

However, some places I’ve come across them (or have been told they frequent) include Quarr Abbey (on the woodland walk mentioned above), The Garlic Farm (where there’s a feeder outside the restaurant), Alverstone Mead (try the lookout hide) or in the woods around Sandown.

If you manage to see one, congratulations. They really are as cute and fluffy as you hoped, and would beat their grey cousins hands-down in a beauty parade!

Please note: We do our best to ensure we have the latest information about animal species, bus routes and attraction opening times, however we always advise checking the attraction’s website and social media channels before setting out.