A family-run wildlife park in Caerphilly, where tickets start at £5.50 for children and £11.50 for adults, has been described as a “total revelation” by a visitor who spent her 27th birthday there interacting with meerkats and capybaras.
The Meadows Wildlife Park, which opened in 2019, is home to more than 300 animals, including meerkats, capybaras, lemurs, armadillos, llamas, prairie dogs, wallabies, reptiles, and lorikeets. It was originally created for schools, community groups, and members, with a focus on hands-on, interactive education. At the time, a busy day meant welcoming around 30 people, with visitors helping to feed and care for a small collection that included rabbits, guinea pigs, cows, goats, sheep, alpacas, horses, reindeer, turkeys, donkeys, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
A full day of interactive experiences
The visitor, Indigo Jones, said she and her family were “completely shocked” by the size of the site and expected to get around the park in a couple of hours, but it turned out to be a full day affair. They started with the prairie dog, porcupine, kookaburra, and meerkat enclosures before moving on to feed alpacas and brush goats. The park also offers walk-throughs of the wallaby and lemur enclosures and lorikeet feeding.
Katherine Watkins opened the park in 2019 and runs it with her daughters and a team of staff and volunteers. One volunteer-turned-staff member, Phil, led both the meerkat and capybara experiences, sharing facts and showing a clear passion for the animals.
Meerkat and capybara encounters
The meerkat experience, which costs £60 for one person, £90 for two, and £45 for each extra guest, allowed the group to feed, play with, and cwtch three meerkats named after South Park characters. Jones called it “one of the best things I have ever done in my life.”
The capybara experience, priced at £70 for one person, £100 for two, and £50 for each extra guest, involved sitting with capybaras Karen and Keith, feeding them fruits, vegetables, leaves, and sweet potatoes. Jones described the experience as “extremely relaxing, almost quite meditative.” Both experiences include the price of park entry.
Good value and room to grow
Jones noted the park’s visitor numbers now rival those of Caerphilly Castle, something the team “never could have imagined” in 2019. She recommended arriving early to make the most of the walk-throughs and interactive activities, and mentioned the on-site café, which serves food, drinks, and ice cream, though picnics are also welcome.
She said the park has “a number of improvements and expansions in the pipeline” and that supporting a local family-run business made the experience even better. “I can honestly say that the animal experiences were a dream come true,” she added. “It's safe to say my 27th birthday will definitely be a difficult one to top.”
