Compare the meerkats at one of Cornwall’s biggest and best wildlife parks. These much-loved creatures are the star of the show at Porfell Wildlife Park, which is just a few miles southwest of Liskeard and is set in beautiful grounds in the Cornish countryside.
Porfell offers sanctuary to animals from all over the world who may have been injured, imported illegally or neglected. They come from far and wide and get a royal treatment at this lively wildlife park. From lemurs, monkeys, zebras and leopard tortoises to parrots, owls and ostriches, this place is teeming with life. And, of course, the attraction’s growing group of meerkats never fails to entertain.
The park used to be a regular farm back in 1989 but its owners soon began designing homes for exotic animals that have been mistreated or abandoned. The collection of beasts has grown over the years and now it takes a good few hours to get around. One of its unique features is an authentic Maasai village which shows how the people living on the plains of Ethiopia and Kenya set up their homes and co-exist with animals like zebras, ostriches and elands. There’s also an owl show daily at 2.30pm and kids get the chance to meet more common British animals like chickens, rabbits, donkeys, pigs and ferrets down on the Children’s Farm. They can also feed the deer here.
The ‘wildlife’ in Porfell’s name doesn’t just refer to the cute animals, though. There are plenty of pretty plants around, especially on the woodland walks around the site. Tree species include ash, beech, oak, willow and alder, and picnics are practically encouraged in the marshy areas where special boardwalks have been built. Picnics are a good idea, in fact, as the venue’s Savannah Tea Room may be closed so do check before you visit if you are planning on buying food there. Either way, Porfell is a delight for any family which wants to get up close and personal with some of the world’s cutest exotic creatures. Especially those inquisitive meerkats.