The Red Panda Experience

Would you like to meet a Red Panda up close? A fantastic special face to face, interactive meet and greet with our wonderful Red Pandas.

Thank you to everyone who has booked a Red Panda Experience for 2024. We are almost completely booked now! If you would like to be added to the 2025 interest list, please send an email to admin@paradisepark.org.uk and you will be contacted when bookings are open in September 2024.

Cornwall Tourism Awards – GOLD WINNER Experience of the Year (Active or Learning) 2020/2021
South West Toursim Awards – COMMENDED Experience of the Year (Active or Learning) 2020/2021

Photograph below of Donna Sinclair with the beautiful Jai-Li

You can buy this amazing experience for yourself or for a loved one or friend. If this is a gift, you will receive an ‘Experience Certificate’ to give as a present. This can then be redeemed when they book their experience on a date to be arranged with us.

Sima Ballard commented “Absolutely fantastic experience; the keepers are so knowledgeable and the Pandas are by their very nature very wary.  However the opportunity to feed them their treats was a dream come true for me.  To know that my payment also goes in part to the conservation of the Red Panda network was also a reward in itself.  I will definitely be back soon!”

Quote from TripAdvisor From Wigguru
Red Panda Experience the best in the country
“Husband booked this for my big 3.0. I love Red Pandas and this is my third experience in the UK. This hands down beats Paradise Park in Herfordshire and Chester Zoo by miles. The keepers had no problem letting us stay in the enclosure as long as we wanted, were informative and cheery, took LOADS of pictures for us and overall were superb. The actual experience is brilliant, as these particular Pandas will not be released into the wild, they are trained to be incredibly friendly to assist with transportation for their breeding programme (currently they are high on the endangered list) and for vet visits. This means they don’t mind being stroked and they will happily sit on you to eat, as well as cutely holding your hand!!! I was in my element, almost died of cute overload. Entrance to the park is free with the experience, which makes the park well worth it as it is a tad small, but there are beautiful birds, penguins and otters as well as farm animals and shows so a family day out is decent if you’re on holiday. The jungle barn soft play looked good for kids too. They have an undercover picnic area which means rainy days aren’t a problem and the cafe prices are reasonable. Would do the experience again!!!

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Entry into Paradise Park*
• Each experience session typically lasts thirty minutes.
• An introductory briefing by one of our Red Panda Keepers
• Then the really exciting bit… it’s off to the enclosure where you will come face to face with these wonderful Red Pandas. You will be able to hand-feed, stroke, take photos, and maybe one will even sit on your lap!
• Opportunity to ask our Keepers any questions you may have.
• You will be given a complimentary drink voucher to use in the Otter Pool Cafe.
• You can then enjoy the Park for that day and before you leave you will receive a certificate as a memento of your experience.
• Included in the price, Paradise Park makes a £25 donation to the Red Panda Network for each Red Panda Experience booked. The Red Panda Network is committed to the conservation of wild Red Pandas and their habitat through the education and empowerment of local communities.
• Don’t forget your camera!

*For children aged 10-15 years, accompanying spectating parent/guardian allowed free entry to the Park and can watch from the public viewing area. If the parent/guardian wants to join in the experience in the enclosure, then you would have to pay the ‘two person’ price. Please note any additional family/friends will need to pay standard admission fees to watch from the public viewing area outside the enclosure.

PRICE

The cost for this award-winning experience is £250 for two people at the same time, with a £50 reduction for one person. A £25 donation is included within this for the Red Panda Network charity.

Please note: If for any reason, we cannot run the Red Panda Experience we will let you know in advance and offer another date.

CONDITIONS

The Paradise Park meet and greet experience is available for adults and children over the age of 10 years, however please note, that children between the ages of 10 to 15 years old must be accompanied by a spectating parent/guardian.

RESTRICTIONS

Regrettably certain guests will be unable to take part including people with relevant phobias or known allergies; pregnant women; and immunocompromised individuals. Whilst every effort is made to accommodate those with a disability or learning difficulty, due to practicality and health and safety this cannot always be achieved; please contact Paradise Park for advice before booking.

WHEELCHAIR TRAINED RED PANDAS

The Red Pandas are ‘wheelchair trained’, and the Keepers report that it didn’t take long for the pandas to become comfortable having this new item close by. The enclosure had been designed to be accessible, but now we are confident that wheelchair users can have great Red Panda Experiences.

Although it is not guaranteed, the Red Pandas are usually happy to sit on a person’s lap, as you can see from the photo.

BOOKING YOUR EXPERIENCE
We have already received so much interest in our Red Panda Experiences for 2024 we will reply to those on our current list and open up email applications again after that.

Thank you for your interest in meeting these wonderful animals and many thanks to everyone who has taken part in this fantastic and rare experience to get up close to a beautiful Red Panda, and at the same time know you are helping to support this endangered species in the wild. For full terms and conditions please click here

Red Panda Experience Donations
The funds we have raised from Red Panda Experiences at Paradise Park are helping two projects in Nepal

£9,385 to the World’s First Protected Forest for Red Pandas
The Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung (PIT) Red Panda Protected Forest has the densest population of red panda in Nepal and is part of the Kangchenjunga Singhalila Complex: one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. It is threatened by human population growth and expanding development. It’s in this place that Red Panda Network is establishing the world’s first protected area dedicated to red panda. This area is critical not only to the red panda but also to many other threatened species who share habitat with red pandas including clouded leopards, Himalayan black bears, and hundreds of bird species. This territory will provide a safe environment for over 100 individual red pandas, believed to be about a fourth of Nepal’s total red panda population. Find out more from the Red Panda Network here

£7,735 to ‘Plant A Red Panda Home’ – Reforesting Core Red Panda Habitat in Nepal. So far we have helped to plant 9,669 trees!
This donation is to help restore more than 32 hectares in Nepal. These degraded locations have been identified as core habitat for red pandas and are critical to their survival. A Plantation of 32,000 native trees, installation of fencing to protect tree saplings and purchase of land for restoration (Eastern Nepal only). Find out more from the Red Panda Network here

A BIG thank you to everyone who has been involved in our Red Panda Experiences.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY!

“We had our Red Panda Experience yesterday, and I just wanted to let you (and the team!) know how wonderful it was. Rachael and Danny really looked after us,and were so friendly and knowledgeable. The pandas were, of course, incredible! Thank you again! Best wishes, Imogen and Steve”

We had the best day ever, really was the best moment of the year!”
From Hannah and Tom

“The pandas and keepers were amazing and so informative! Pandas were lovely and tame and cuddly and are now my favourite animals. Would definately come again and would recommend to anyone else to do it too!”
From Lauren Calway

“The panda experience is amazing to see them close up and have them sit on your lap is such a buzz. I have fed red pandas in many zoo’s but it’s my first real close up, hands on encounter and I would do it again in a heartbeat. ***** a 5 star experience  (if I could give 10 I would). A real VIP experience and keepers are very informative, friendly and willing to take photos and video which is a bonus – I couldn’t be happier” From Shannon Workman

“Wonderful experience, worth every penny and really great that some of the money goes the the Red Panda Network” From Suzanne Adams

“What an absolutely fabulous experience, would recommend to everyone” From Deborah Carpenter.

“It’s brilliant and it’s nice to know that the money that I pay will be helping them in the wild as well.” From Becky

“Having the Red Panda Experience is like a dream come true for me. I’ll be coming every year to see the most adorable animal on the planet” From Jaiyi Zhang

MORE COMMENTS HERE