Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre — Attraction in Stafford

You go in expecting to see a few kestrels and owls, only to be surprised by things like coatis, lemurs, monkeys, raccoons and even a dingo - not your usual small sanctuary fare! This makes for a pleasant surprise, especially considering the (fair) price of admission, and the space is well worth taking an hour or two to explore.

The animals are in old-fashioned wire-mesh enclosures, but have plenty of stimulation and space to roam around, and generally seem perfectly content - although a couple were seen to be pacing. Each animal also has its own story, which is interesting to read and usually a little heartbreaking, as most are neglected or surrendered pets that the sanctuary has taken in and rehabilitated or given a good home to. These individual touches perfectly complement the experience of seeing the animals, giving it a more personal feel. The staff also clearly love the animals, and are happy to talk about them - unless they're busy caring for them, of course!

The ground also feature a miniature train, which goes on a short loop around the play area and the back of the sanctuary. It's not that pricey for about 10 minutes of fun, and will put a nice bow on the experience, especially if you have children.

All in all, if you are expecting a big zoo-type experience, this isn't it. This sanctuary is located at the back of a garden centre in the middle of nowhere (the Midlands countryside) and is more about re--homing and rehabilitating animals than catering to visitors. But if it's an inexpensive day out you're after, and you want to see cuddly animals and/or imposing birds of prey, by all means make the effort of visiting here - it's well worth it, and you'll be contributing towards the...

Fantastic little day out! We were not sure what to expect, as we had never been here before, but we had a great time. We were 2 adults and a 4 year old child. We came for the wildlife centre, which was well cared for and better than expected, but we also checked out the garden centre, the waffle shop, the cafe, the kids Park and the little train experience. The wildlife park had over 100 animals including a huge array of birds, wild dogs, wild cats, meerkats, Shetland ponies, emu, snakes and lizards, an array of small monkeys and more! It opens at 11am. The tickets were £14 between the 3 of us to get in (which is so cheap at £5 for adults and £4 for kids) and you can come and go all day. The staff held bird displays which were informative and entertaining. It was well kept, and the animals are clearly well looked after. The little train is only £2 each and takes you around the outside of the wildlife park, and was great for kids and adults! The little gift shops for the train and wildlife park didn't have a huge amount of items to buy, but there was still a nice selection of items and really cheap. The cafe was reasonably priced, with friendly staff and it tasted nice. The waffle shop was reasonably priced (£10 for 4 scoops of icecream), and it was so yummy! The little adventure park had lots of swings, lots of wooden climbing things and lots of space to run around! There are also lots of pic nic benches in the centre for parents! The car park is free, and a reasonable size. Overall, for a few hours to a day total, it was a cheap and thoroughly enjoyable day out. 10/10-...

Visited Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre on Fathers Day. It’s right at the back of the garden centre and we did end up going into the railway by accident but found it eventually! £5 for adults to go in and free for our 11month old and it’s brilliant value for money. There’s a lot of animals to see, lots of different birds of prey but also monkeys, reptiles, pony’s, meerkats and more. The animals were active and looked in good health. We liked learning about each animal’s personality by reading the plaques on the wall. A lot of the animals are rehomed from pets so it’s nice to see them in a comfortable space that suits their needs.

We watched the birds of prey display and loved it. 4 birds flown and the staff encouraged them to show natural behaviours, like hovering. The lady running the display knew each bird well, telling us about their species and personality. She was also really funny and you could tell she cares a great deal about the birds.

Almost the whole thing was wheelchair and pushchair friendly. The only bit we couldn’t go to was the emus and goats as the path turned from concrete to mud and my husbands chair wouldn’t cope. The ramp out is a little steep but manageable. We didn’t look for toilets so unsure about their access.

Overall, a lovely visit and we will absolutely...