Came by today for an excursion. The wildlife preserve was amazing. Having been to zoos in the US, this park was amazing as it provided closer access to the wildlife without plexiglass and large barriers. There was over 108 species on site. The grounds were very clean and well maintained. I had an amazing time seeing all the animals up close and highly recommended Fota to travelers visiting Cork. read more

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We love visiting zoos and this one is very well maintained and reasonably priced. An easy train ride from Cork City which stops right at the Zoo entrance. The park is well maintained and an easy loop trail gets you up and close with the animals. We are most impressed with the free roaming (careless) Lemurs who would walk right around you and up the walls and doors as you toured their exhibit. Very cool. They also have feeding opportunities for giraffes. We enjoyed the cool grounds and various animals. read more

Since we were staying for a few days in Cork for my baby's first family vacation, we were looking for some family-friendly things to do, and my husband found Fota Wildlife Park. We bought tickets online (I believe you can save a few Euro per ticket). Kids 3 and under are free. We opted for the 9:30 to 11:30 time slot and got there at around 11. I'm not sure how strict they are with it, but it wasn't too crowded on the Tuesday that we went. Though there were some camp/school groups that started rolling in at around 12 or so. I believe you can also bring your own food if you choose, since there was a picnic area with plenty of tables. The bathrooms are relatively clean, for a zoo. The park is pretty big. There is a train that goes from one end of the park to the other for €1, or €2 for a roundtrip. It made no sense since it's not like you're saving any money by buying a roundtrip, but we did anyway. You just purchase the ticket before you board. We didn't end up using the ticket on the way back because we had just missed the train and it was quicker to walk back - so we just ended up giving it to someone who was entering the park as we left. We spent a leisurely two hours there and saw everything. Of course, the most impressive animals to see were the giraffes, which are near the entrance, so you won't miss it. Tip - they don't have paper maps for free at the park, so you can either print your own ahead of time (the sizing is weird though) or just take a picture of it at the park and look at it through your phone. read more

5 out of 5 stars for Fota Wildlife Park. I haven't been here in years and I am amazed with how much it has changed over the years and it looks absolutely AMAZING at the moment. It hasn't changed too much but it has changed since the last time I was there. I absolutely loved the 5 new cheetah cubs and I got to see the Red Panda's move around (I usually just see them sleeping in a tree in any zoo I go to haha). The Park is clean and the staff are friendly. At the moment, due to Covid19, you have to book tickets online and they scan the barcode when you arrive. There are times that you book to enter the zoo and you are given 30 minutes to enter the zoo. E.g. if you book a time slot of 10, you can enter the zoo between 10 - 10.30! I am really looking forward to going back again read more

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This is now my 3rd time visiting Fota and I continue to love it! This was the first time I came in a warm month so the experience was a bit different. The day was blue skies and no clouds so quite warm. It was up to the mid 70's which I guess is hot for Ireland standards. A lot of the animals were sleeping or hiding in the shade and it is hard to blame them! The nice thing about coming in late spring is see all the baby animals! I love walking around. I love how some of the animals are free roaming. I love how evenly spread out the refreshment stands are. They all seem to hit right at the best spots. We brought a picnic lunch to enjoy and it was just heavenly! I do hope they continue the free roaming animals but I can see how some people will just spoil it for others. I saw a dad and son duo go up close to the ostriches, what a shame that some people have no respect for regulations. read more

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A positive experience for a person who is not keen on zoos (5/5 green stars also). With almost half a million visitors per year, Fota is currently the second largest visitor attraction in Ireland outside of Leinster. And yet I'd never been, partly because I find zoos depressing more often than not. Even San Diego zoo, the last one I'd visited, was not as spacious or humane as I would have liked. But Fota lives up to its name as a Wildlife Park, and offers more than a traditional zoo. We took the short train ride from Cork Kent station and entered through the back door of the park, very close to the station (press the buzzer and then buy a ticket in the café). We spent over 5 hours there, including a stop for soup and coffee. There were only a couple of times when I felt bad for the animals: the Rhinos seemed a bit frustrated in their muddy area, and I wondered why the pelicans were in an enclosure where they can't fly (perhaps this was temporary - on the website they are listed as free-ranging). But considering that it was a wet January day, the animals seemed to be generally happy - the Sumatran tiger couple seemed very happy (if you know what I mean) and they had quite a bit of space that was cleverly integrated with the visitor paths. Because it was a wet day, some animals like the ring-tailed lemur preferred to stay indoors (although we were lucky enough catch one peeking out of a hut to check out the weather - see photo) but we still met most of the animals, including the free-roaming kangaroos and adorable maras. I'm giving them 5/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact, for the following reasons: * International Conservation. Zoos and wildlife parks should only exist if they provide a positive example to visitors, a good quality of life for animals, and demonstrate some success in conservation efforts. Fota does a good job here. It's a non-profit organisation, completely self-financing, with the core objectives of conservation, education and research. They are famous for their success in breeding animals such as cheetahs and of the top ten animals most dependent on zoos to stave off extinction, Fota has had a lot of success breeding one of them (scimitar-horned oryx) and has recently introduced another (Sumatran tiger). The oryx was listed as extinct in the wild since the 1990s, but Fota has collaborated with North African countries to reintroduce this animal - a male oryx born at the Park in 2003 that has been successfully re-introduced into the wild in Dghoumes National Park, Tunisia. The male is now the dominant bull in a group of 17 animals and has successfully sired a number of calves. * Local Conservation: Fota supports studies on threatened Irish species such as barn owls and red squirrels as well as the Cork Otter and Bat Groups. They helped with a reintroduction program for the grey partridge in Northern Ireland. * Education. Their aim is to "create a greater respect for the natural world while giving real insight into the threats being posed to the world's habitats and species." It's one of only two organisations in Ireland to receive the Sandford Award for Heritage Education. A number of third-level courses in Animal Management as well as Biodiversity and Conservation are now offered through the Park. The Park collaborates with UCC's School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences on an ongoing basis, providing field study opportunities for undergraduate, Masters and PhD work. They do a good job on their website educating visitors on each of their animals, birds and plants. * Facilities. It's always disheartening when a facility's operations don't match their ethos or mission. However, Fota does a decent job here too - they launched their Green Zone initiative in 2012 - aiming to reduce, reuse and recycle waste being produced in the Park. The introduction of a series of sustainable practices at the Park since the beginning of 2011 has seen the volume of waste bring sent to landfill reduced by over two thirds. When we visited the café, they served coffee in paper cups with compostable lids, utensils were also compostable. It would be nice if they offered ceramic cups also. In the gift shop, I appreciated that they stocked compostable ponchos and a few eco-friendly gifts. They had a lot of stuffed toys but I was glad to see were not filled with PVC as some are, but rather polyester (still synthetic but a whole lot better than PVC). They've switched over to using some alternative energy sources, including solar power and they encourage visitors to come by train. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, contact me! (greenstarsproject) read more

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This zoo is huge and so different from all the zoos I've been to. Why? Some of their animals are free range! You can definitely spend a full day here but if you are cutting is close on time, it might be possible to explore it in half a day. I must admit, I had a backstage pass so I was able to see it all in less than an hour in car and even touched them! Perks of knowing the owners. read more

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Amazing experience. Place had been closed due to flooding but reopened today. Great immersive safari experience with kangaroos and ostriches Walking alongside you! Staff are a very lovely bunch too. However don't eat in the park as it's a rip off! read more

Fota Wildlife Park - Animals roaming free - Parks Near Me - Fota, Colorado

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I can't believe I didn't review Fota earlier. If you're a tourist, and have a day to spend in Cork, this is an essential stop. Get the train from Kent Station, rent a car, rob a bicycle. Get yourself to Fota. Fota Island is comprised of three main parts. Fota Golf Course, Fota House and Gardens, and Fota Wildlife Park. I'm not exactly crazy about golf, so I'll leave that alone. Fota House is an 18th century building with some beautiful winding gardens surrounding it. A nice spot to unwind. But the big one has to be Fota Wildlife Park. As much as possible, animals are allowed to roam free, so don't be surprised if a peacock stops by your picnic table, or you bump into a kangaroo or llama while you're wandering the park. Don't worry though, the cheetahs are kept in an enclosure. Allowing people get so close to the animals really makes the whole experience different from a typical zoo. The park really takes it's educational function seriously and this is a great place to learn about conservation and the animal kingdom. Fota Wildlife Park is one of my favourite destinations in Cork. There's really no excuse if you've never been. It's the perfect day out. read more

We had a great day out in Fota today with my wife and 2 kids. Fota is currently expanding the park and has a few new editions like the Indian Rhino and Tiger. They plan on getting a selection of new animals over the next five years for their new enclosures. The park still has its usual of monkeys, penguins, giraffe, bison etc. Compared to Dublin Zoo it is a little pricy considering you have to pay for entry 45.50 for 2 adults and 2 children, 1 euro for a map, 3 euro for parking compared to Dublin 46 euro entry, free parking and pass. Dublin Zoo does have a bigger selection of animals but with Fota you feel like you are getting more up close and personal with some animals roaming free among the visitors. This added benefit really is worth the price as you really feel closer to the animals. Fantastic location and will only get better in the years to come. read more

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Being honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect when we decided to head here en route back to Dublin. Happy to say, we weren't disappointed! Perhaps obvious but there are LOADS of animals. The cheetah area is amazing, lucky enough to catch a feeding while walking past and it was great to watch. All the animals seem a lot more active compared to other places I've been. The park itself is very clean and there are loads of staff around if needed. Addressing the ehrm "elephant" in the room, I think this may be better than Dublin Zoo... read more

I used to work in a restaurant here part time a few years ago. I Somehow managed to build a certain level of ignorance towards the park as seeing it daily became the norm and took it all for granted. Recently visited the park again with a first timer. I had un-intentionally set the bar of expectation quite low but I was delightfully surprised. The park has been much improved in the last few years and expanded to include more animals than before. It provides a great day out for all ages. Would highly recommend if you have an afternoon to spare. Close proximity to Cobh, Midelton, Carrigtwohill and Cork City. Easily accessed by train for those without the luxury of a car. read more

I love Fota Wildlife Park, 'Ireland's Wildest Attraction'. I came here as a kid and still have a vivid memory of the Lemur jumping on my shoulder and snatching my jam sandwich! I then returned only a little while ago with a 3 year old child in tow, not mine thankfully, and she enjoyed it just as much as I did! Although her favourite part was the gift shop! They have over 90 species of exotic and endangered animals in 70 acres of parkland. It is run by a not for profit organisation and it is quite educational and there are hands of experiences too like feeding and petting zoos. There are lots of facilities like restaurants and a tour train and play areas as well as picnic facilities! I think this really is a great family day out! read more

My mom got us a family pass here a few years back and we went there every week for an entire summer, I definitely recommend this as a family trip. read more

This place gets five stars because Its brilliant and reasons being, 1. The animals have cool enclosures with plenty of space (and seem happy) 2. The monkeys are on island so without cages you can see them very clearly. 3. The Lemurs are loose and lots of fun. They are very tame, as are the peacocks. 4. The place does amazing work assisting the protection of endangered animals. 5. It is child friendly (train play area etc) and fun for adults too. 6. The coffee shop (Oasis Coffee) had good coffee, I was a bit surprised but nicely surprised. Yes, I loved my return visit here in adulthood. Loved the monkeys. While it doesn't have as many animals as a zoo (but it doesn't call itself a zoo) it is a great day out and has so much to offer. It has giraffes, buffalo, ostrich, cheetas, kangaroos, zebras, monkeys, lots of monkeys, lemurs, meerkats, penhuins, red pandas, and much much more. Also, we missed it but a 4pm I saw something called a cheeta run offered. Not sure what it is but sounds exciting. Careful though, park closes at 430 but place for the run is near exit. Oh and the staff were really nice too. One draw back, on top of tickets there is a three euro charge for car park :( read more

FOTA WILDLIFE PARK 12.10.10 Went through the smashing new entrance to Fota Wildlife Park yesterday and enjoyed a great stroll in the sun. The animals too enjoyed the extra heat and seemed to be even livelier than usual. The new entrance was hardly tested at all yesterday as the season winds down. There are also new toilets, with sinks at just the right size for the kids to wash their hands. The new café and shop also looked well and work continues around the parking areas. Great spot for a visit. If you are a local, you should consider becoming a member. For just over the price of a couple of visits, you'll get a pass for the full year. I find it invaluable as I vary my visit times and, without fail, see some action or animal in a situation that I haven't seen before. Quite a lot of activity yesterday morning but perhaps the highlight was the sleeping red panda baby Rua, born just about a month back. FOTA WILDLIFE PARK 24.06.10 Fota Wildlife Park is always worth a visit as it invariably throws up something different. Take the Siamang Gibbons for instance. To-day, they put on a noisy display (twice a day, I was told by one of the helpful assistants (green tops)). I've usually seen and hear them in noisy action around noon in summertime but never as close-up as to-day. Usually, the gang put on their display high up in the trees. But today, they were right in front of me, just across a little channel of water. The female took the lead, puffing up and letting out her cacophony. Every now and then she encouraged the alpha male to do likewise and he obliged, slowly taking in the air and then taking the lead when ready, usually getting to his feet so the audience knew who the real boss was. One of the young males was a bit put out and discreetly stayed at the back of the "stage" but the baby, a few months old, was enjoying the show and right in the thick of it (see photo). Spectators gathered, including a school tour who were fascinated by the spectacle. Fota today 24.12.09 Away from the shops today at an icy Fota - see n-ice set of pics at http://corkandabout.blogspot.com Happy Christmas!! Fota today 06.12.09. Go to http://corkandabout.blogspot.com/ to see today's photos.... FOTA WILDLIFE PARK Fota is one of the three bigger islands in Cork harbour. Easily accessible by rail and road, its major attractions are the golf course, the restored Georgian House and the Wildlife Park. A visit to Fota can be combined with a trip to nearby Cobh where huge cruise liners dock in the town centre and where you can visit its Famine heritage centre and the hillside Cathedral. The Wildlife Park is well worth a visit. It shares its car park with the House and Arboretum. The park is well laid out and a circular walk, at your own pace, can take between an hour and two hours. Straight away you will the see giraffes as you start the circular walk (there is also a mini-train). You will meet emus, Maras, peacocks, and guanacos on the roadway and will see the European bison behind the timber railings on your right. Oryx and peacocks are also at hand. Then you come to an area of little islands and lakes where you will see wildfowl (a huge collection of ducks and geese), various types of monkey and lively gibbons (who may put on a noisy show for you, usually at noon), lemurs, penguins, flamingos, pelicans, black swans and seals. The cheetahs are the pride of the park who have just opened Ireland's first Cheetah Run. Come and watch Cheetahs being fed on a special device which makes them sprint! They are fed every day at 4pm. Highly recommended for children of all ages. Further info at http://www.fotawildlife.ie read more

Fota Wildlife Park - Parks Near Me - Fota, Colorado

The Fota Wildlife Park first opened in 1983, which was a joint project by University of Cork and Zoological Society of Ireland. The objective was the conversation of the wildlife which is now home to just over 90 species of exotic wildlife, some of the speices include zebra's, Giraffes and antelopes and many more. The have a restaurant called Oasis where you can relax, giftshop and a playground facilities for children. The best part of my experience was the Awacachi train tour, that shows you sights of the whole park. read more

Have you ever seen giraffes run? Like in real life? Well they all run back to their enclosure for feeding towards the end of the day and it is cool. The animals all look happy in Fota, they don't pace around in circles like animals tend to do in zoos and they all look extremely healthy. We went for just under 2 hours and it was a perfect walk about. There is plenty to see and having some of the smaller animals running around you was very good entertainment. You could spend longer here with kids, but 2 hours was perfect and then you can jump in the car for a short drive to Cobh which is exceptionally pretty, especially if you head out at dusk. read more

A great place for a family or a group day out . Lots of wild life and lots of things to see . Take a trip to the souvenir shop to remember your day here. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Park. it was a treat for a 3 year olds birthday and she could not have enjoyed it more. we had a large group of kids and adults and the staff were amazing, allowing us to bring our own cake and drinks into the coffee shop because it was miserable outside. around the park they have such a variety of animals, the kids favourites were the giraffes and trying to catch a few ducks along the way. the little stops on the way around are great. there was an arts and crafts tent which the kids really loved and a playground half way around. hopefully this will sort what to do on her 4th birthday. thank you very much. read more

As a child we used to have family trips to Fota Wildlife Park, it was a tradition that we would go in the summer holidays and take a picnic with us. When I was on holiday last year my family and I went there. The first thing I noticed is that it really is quite expensive - 13 euro per adult and 8.50 per child. In the interests of nostaligia we took a picnic with us and made us of the picnic tables in the car park. It was a cold day so we didn;t linger long but set off walking around the park. Fota isn't a traditional zoo but the animals are chosen for their ability to adapt to the Irish climate and to roam outdoors. Giraffes, bison, apes, monkeys, cheetahs, flamingos and lemurs are just some of the species that live in the park. A relatively recent 'attraction' is the cheetah run - the cheetahs are fed using a special device which swings the food around the enclosure until one of the animals catches it. It's still a great place to go for a day out and the facilities are good - there's the aforementioned picnic and rest areas, toilets including an accessible toilet, baby changing facility, a gift shop, restaurant, playground and a little train that tours the park. read more

Absolutely amazing. I can only recommend it to everybody, doesn't matter what age they are. We went there about 2 months ago and we were amazed, how many different animals we saw. It is a nice walk through the park and with some animals walking freely along with you was just amazing. read more

I was in my element here, it was amazing to see all the different animals and there is just an air of happiness around the park. It was sunny and packed on the day that I was there but the amount of people didn't bother me as it is such a wild and open space there was plenty of room for everyone to walk around and to see the animals. read more

Great activity when it's not raining! Lots of happy memories of wandering around this place when I was little.

This is my new favorite zoo! I was not originally going to visit this zoo but I am so glad I did. It doesn't even seem like a normal zoo. Animals are out and about, kangaroos and Lemurs sitting on the road. A keeper was nearby, but the animals were loose. Also over 100 Wallaby's that just go wherever they want. And the animals are "housed" with other species that they would normally interact with in the wild. I could not believe how large the rhino area was, it seemed to go on and on. Thank you for a wonderful atmosphere. read more

Ah you gotta love this place.

Great place to have in cork.Has all the animals a zoo has.But didn't like the paying €3 at the exit barrier accepting only coins. read more

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I went here about two weeks ago. It was a great zoo which has a great deal of freedom for the animals to venture out instead of little cages. You can feed the birds as well while sitting on a bench. They have a cafe and a nice gift shop. Only thing I did not like much was the fact that the tiger was alone without any other tigers around. Not sure if that is normal but I felt bad for it. Prices were really reasonable. You could make a day of it for sure. read more

Such a great place to visit. Animals running around throughout the park (don't worry, the dangerous ones are in pens). A great day and not too pricey. Bring your own lunch. Currently they are half way through building a modern tiger enclosure. It looks great so far read more

A great place for a family or for anyone interest in wildlife. My favourite thing about this place is getting up and closes with the wildlife Wallaby and the Kangaroo who roam free in the park along with other wildlife. read more

Fota is Daycent, they feed the cheetahs @ 4:00 , well worth a look see. it's like jurassic park.

Im from Cork Fota is unreal, it lives up to its billing. Personally i think the cheetahs are the best you can watch them being fed. No Zoo could ever compare. The animals look so happy and well looked after. If your visiting Ireland Fota is a must see. read more