At Tapnell Farm there are daily animal activities, depending on the time of year they may vary. Come and meet some of our amazing creatures great and small there will be the chance to get up close, watch them have fun and you can speak with our animal keepers. Please check the daily activity board on arrival to see what’s on! Ask at admissions where to find this board.
All year round we have our new improved animal petting, come along to Tapnell Trims to brush, stroke or just look at some of our smaller furry friends like rabbits, guinea pigs and occasionally a goat! This is also your chance to learn some health tips or ask any questions regarding small animals you may have. This is a timed session to limit the stress on our animals and allow our keeper team to care for all the animals on site, so please queue early to avoid disappointment.
Daily you may be able to see our animals being given enrichment. Enrichment is something fun, challenging yet stimulating for our animals to enjoy, often with added food for a reward. It can be as simple as doing tricks with a pig, scattering food, or creating treat boxes and giving treat dispensers to our animals. If you check the activity board, you will be able to watch some animals get their daily enrichment.
Come and see our Bennetts Wallabies in their wallaby walkthrough, this area has its own opening times and will be supervised by a keeper. You will have the opportunity to get up close to a wallaby and if the wallabies hopped out the right side of bed you may get the chance to stroke or feed some! The keepers will be on hand to answer any questions you have.
Within the walkthrough you will also find our mischievous meerkats, watch a keeper feed them and you can ask any questions you might have. Please note the meerkats can only be seen up close during the wallaby walkthrough opening times. For opening times please check the activity board on arrival.
Trotter Training what is this you might ask? Well have you ever seen a pig take on an agility course? Fancy yourself as a judge? Come and watch our Kune Kune pig trio Peggy, Frank and Bruno take on a timed course, the pigs enjoy their mental stimulation and are rewarded on and after the course. This activity usually takes place in the paddock during the summer months (school holidays only).
During some warmer months and the October school holidays you might get the chance to watch our ever popular ‘Bugs and Beasties Show’. Come and see Terry-antula with the help of a keeper show off and teach you about some of our incredible creepy crawlies. Often this show requires the help from the audience so be prepared to get involved!
If the show cannot go on the keepers will bring out some bugs and beastie for you all to meet. Our, two, four and six legged friends cannot wait to meet you!
T & C’s
