What's Included
• 1:1 meerkat experience
• Welcome, introduction and safety briefing
• Assist with the meerkats food preperation
• Scatter feed the 4 meerkats inside the enclosure
• Lots of interesting information and facts from the keeper
• Experiences last around 30 minutes
• Entrance to the 6 acre nature trail is included
• Opportunity to watch the various birds of prey demonstrations throughout the day
What Can I Expect
Get ready for a Meerkat encounter in Kent! Go behind the scenes of this family-friendly nature trail and farm centre to see what the resident Meerkats of Knockholt get up to. Experiences are hosted by the centre’s expert animal keepers, who’ll tell you all about these fascinating animals.
These miniature members of the Mongoose family have certainly a massive appeal. That might also be down to a certain series of TV adverts, but when you watch them in real life they really are rather cute. The ‘mob’ (that’s the collective noun for a group of Meerkats!) here in Knockholt is made up of four Meerkats and hopefully you’ll get to meet them all.
The first task is to make the Meerkats a meal. Yes, you will be assisting the keepers as they prepare the food for the Meerkat clan. We won’t tell what’s on the menu, as finding out what Meerkats eat is all part of the fun of these encounter experiences. But needless to say, it probably won’t look like your favourite dish!
Once you’ve got the food ready, it’s time to head into the Meerkat enclosure. This little gang of Meerkats are not on show to the public, so you’re getting privileged access to be in the same area as them. As it’s meal time, you’ll be the ones serving up, so be ready to do the scatter feeding. As this is a non-contact Meerkat encounter, this is a great moment to then step back a little and observe the Meerkats feeding. How they interact is fascinating and they do make funny little noises when they communicate with other.
The keepers might not be fluent in Meerkat speak, but they do know these little mammals really well. As you watch the Meerkats, they’ll be able to tell you all about their characters and how they live in their adoptive home of Knockholt and in their natural habitats around the world too.
As well as your Meerkat encounter, these vouchers give you access to the nature trail and all the regular activities here at Knockholt. There are daily bird flying displays in the Blueberry Arena, owl handling beside the Tree of Memories and chances to see them in Christmas Tree wood. You can also say hello to the other inhabitants, including rare bred pigs, raccoon dogs, ferrets and wallabies too.
Availability
• Sessions generally operate between March and October (availability during winter months may be possible depending on weather conditions)
• Monday-Friday at 10am or 2.30pm
• Saturday-Sunday at 2.30pm
• Experiences are subject to availability and other operational factors
Suitable For
• Minimum age 5, Under 12s must be accompanied by a participating adult
• Under 18s must be accompanied by a spectating adult for a additional £4.99 payable on the day
Spectators
• A maximum of one spectators may accompany you for an additional charge of £4.99 payable on the day
Anything Else I Need To Know?
• There will be lots of great photo opportunities, although no flash photography is permitted
Location
• Coolings Green and Pleasant, Knockholt, Sevenoaks, Kent
