Natal Zoological Gardens — Attraction in Mkhambathini Local Municipality

It's the small things really. Some maintenance needed with improved signage on enclosures. As a conservationist, this is a key area to really get people to begin to understand the value of nature and for many people it will be their only chance to view many of the species and so there should be a strong education component to the zoo. The area was clean, although some of the toilets needed some attention as they weren't clean. The picnic areas looked functional and seemed really popular. One of the highlights is the elephant encounter. Both elephants are from an old circus so are very comfortable around people. We didn't use all amenities, but there was plenty on offer other than the enclosures. The water park looked functional and clean and was in use.

If you are choosing between the Zoo and the Lion Park, it's no choice at all, unless you really want the cuddle the elephant experience. Here you can have that close encounter, scratch and feed the Eles and see the difference between the African and Asian Elephants. But honestly give the lion enclosure a miss. Yes it's nice to see the lion's close up in your vehicle, but you get good views of the lion's at the zoo. So Ele encounter is a 4 out of 5 and the lion enclosure a 2 out of 5 so paying R200 for a vehicle with upto 4 people, you can't really complain from a value for money experience and the elephant encounter is worth every Rand.

The enclosures could use some TLC and the Chimp and orangutan enclosures are in desperate need of some more "toys" for the animals.

At R90 per person it is good value for a visit, but expect it to be busy over weekends. But honestly having visited a few zoos, including JHB and PTA Zoos, this zoo has a long way to go, but has the opportunity to really...

The Zoo has added a great water park, it's smaller than some other ones, but combined with the Zoo's other attractions it's a good extra activity for the kids. The bird section make up a large part of the attractions, the big cats look a bit tired and worn down but magnificent none the less.

The Chimps and Orangutan really do make you feel sorry for them being in captivity tho. There's a story about Opal the Orangutan being a rescue and although there was an offer to move her to a European Monkey rescue, the Zoo declined and she does look lonely and makes you sad.

The big cats are a sight to behold and the Bengal Tiger enclosure allows you to see them up close. The llamas look like the happiest animals at the Zoo. Over the years I've noticed the lineup of animals does change from time to time and if you're not opposed to Zoos as whole, it's a great opportunity to see animals you would never get a chance to see otherwise.

The on site cafeteria offers some great options...

The Natal Zoological Gardens has become one of my favourite places with friendly staff members and a variety of animals to see and learn about. They have put in so much effort to make sure that all the animals are in excellent health and have everything they need. It is an amazing place to take young children and even some adults to learn some new and interesting facts about some of the animals. If you get one of the ground staff members to walk and talk you through the zoo, you have to opportunity to feel like you are up close and personal with some of the animals for example the Liger( Tiger cross lion), the absolutely entertaining chimpanzees, the Drama queen orangutan and so many more. And with their new splash pad and swimming pool area, families can cool down on those hot days before continuing the full zoo experience.

side note: If you plan on doing a drive through the Lion Park make sure to have 4x4.

Thank you so much to the Natal Zoological Gardens for a...