Hanwell Zoo — Attraction in London

Visited today (15th June 2023). With the weather being a bit warm these days, most of the animals were sleeping in the shade, but I'm not taking points away for that. Animals have to do what they can against the heat.

For the low admission fee, it's not too bad a place, but to be honest I could see more potential than anything else. It's in such a nice location but inside the actual zoo the plants and grasses are too overgrown to really say it's a must-see experience. I liked what I did see, and the animals do seem pretty well-cared for, but there was always the sense of... more could be done in terms of the beautification.

In short, I did enjoy my time here, no doubt. Will I recommend it? I think it's worth a visit once at least, especially as getting there via the meadows was a bit of an adventure for me.

I think having the grounds trimmed more often will easily bump this little zoo up to 4 or even 5 stars.

Note - I did not visit the cafe, but the gift shop was pretty nice.

Second note - there were a few families around and the kids did seem to enjoy the experience so I'll bump up my rating to 3.5 stars.

EDIT - If you do have young kids, it's a very nice place. For adults without kids, it's not a bad place but it's not stunning either. Except the meerkats and miniature donkeys. They...

I did not want to write this review but I believe what I have seen was absolutely shameful and I have to let it be known.

They have a rabbit enclosure. On the day I visited, they had placed two brand new rabbits in that they had received. I believe they were testing to see if they would get along. I watched for a while as one of the rabbits kept fighting the other constantly. I was quite concerned, a staff member came and I wish I could tell you what they were doing but I had no idea, I left that bit to go explore a bit more of the “zoo” and came back. To my shock, they had decided it would be a good idea to lock both rabbits in the same small hutch. One of the rabbits kept attacking the other and you could even see the fur shedding and in its mouth. What I have seen is borderline abuse and I am absolutely appalled. The staff were 100% aware and decided to force them to get along by trapping them together. Imagine being locked in a cage with nowhere to go and escape from being attacked? This made me really upset and disappointed. Imagine what they do behind closed doors if this is what they do while it was open to...

Our recent visit to Hanwell Zoo with our family and kids was a mixed experience. On the positive side, the ticket prices were impressively affordable, making it an accessible option for families. It's always a relief to find an enjoyable outing that doesn't break the bank.

However, the only disappointing aspect of our visit was the size of the zoo. It felt rather small, and we found ourselves moving through the exhibits quite quickly. While the animals were captivating and well-cared for, we wished there were more to see and explore. The visit seemed to be over in a flash, leaving us wanting more.

Despite the limited size, Hanwell Zoo still provided an enjoyable outing for our family, and we appreciate the effort put into maintaining the exhibits and providing an affordable family-friendly experience. It's a great option for a short, budget-friendly excursion with the kids, but if you're looking for a larger and more extensive zoo experience, you might want to consider other options...