15 AUTUMN / WINTER 21 DESTINATION IRELAND
EDITOR ’ SCHOICE
RECOMMENDED a top Irish attraction
Fota Island
Fota Wildlife Park is one of Ireland ’ s top ten visitor attractions and a perfect place to visit for people of all ages . Fota Wildlife Park is not like an ordinary zoo . Wherever possible the park have chosen animals that thrive in a free-range environment , which allows them to roam free , while mixed with other species and with us human visitors !
Fota Wildlife Park , a not-for-profit organisation , is part of the Zoological Society of Ireland and is set on the scenic Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour . Open to the public since June 1983 , its vision is to inspire people to understand and conserve the biodiversity of the natural world . Fota Wildlife Park cares for 135 species of which 75 species at the Park that face the danger of extinction in the wild .
Fota Wildlife Park is a unique place where you can come face to face with free roaming animals and birds from different parts of the world . So , if it is a kangaroo that hops in front of you , or a ring-tailed lemur , which jumps down from a tree , each visit is sure to bring its own fantastic memories . Fota Wildlife Park features the recently opened Asian Sanctuary - with Asian lions , Sumatran tigers , Indian rhino , Warty pigs , Visayan spotted deer , Lion-tailed macaques and Red panda . The development of the Asian Sanctuary over the past seven years has enhanced the Park as an iconic international visitor attraction as well as serving the core values of conservation , education , and research .
Fota Wildlife Park cares for several different animal species in danger of extinction . Through long-established breeding programmes , which are run cooperatively with other institutions around the world , the Park is helping restore populations of some species while protecting the very survival of others . Fota Wildlife Park reopened to the public on Monday 26th April after several months of closure due to Covid-19 . Visiting protocols now include an online pre-booking system which has dates and times slots available to book 7 days in advance ; the closure of indoor public viewing areas ; and a one-way walking route .
Through long-established breeding programmes called European Endangered Breeding Programmes ( EEPs ) which are run cooperatively with other institutions around Europe and beyond , Fota Wildlife Park is helping restore populations of some species while protecting the very survival of others . As a conservation charity , the continued work of the Park is not possible without annual pass fees , gate and gift shop receipts .
www . fotawildlife . ie