Meerkat Experience

Get up close to our amazing meerkats in this unique and exciting meerkat experience.

In this unforgettable encounter you will get to meet the meerkats and come face to face with these cute, characterful and sociable animals.

Our Meet the Meerkat experience can be purchased for yourself, for a loved one or friend. A meerkat experience would make the perfect present for any animal lover!

This meerkat experience is an amazing one-to-one experience (we also have an option for two participants) which allows you to get up close and personal to these gorgeous animals. The Meet the Meerkats experience involves going behind the scenes to prepare meerkat snacks, feeding the meerkats their favourite treats, one-on-one time with your Zoo Keeper to answer all your meerkat related questions, as well as a fantastic opportunity to get some amazingly close photos of the meerkats from inside their enclosure.

Your Meerkat Encounter

Your Meet the Meerkats experience will last around 30 to 40 minutes and includes:

Admission into the zoo for the participant.
Meerkat food preparations in our Zoo Kitchen
The chance to feed our meerkats.
One-on-one time with a Zoo Keeper to ask any questions you may have.
The opportunity for some close up meerkat photography
You will receive an Animal Encounter certificate at the end of your meerkat encounter.

Prices

We have two price categories for our meerkat experience;

Gold - £95 on weekends, East Sussex school holidays and inset days

Silver - £80 on East Sussex term time weekdays

What's included

Entry to the Park is included for the meerkat experience participant(s).
Additional (non participating) guests will require a valid day ticket.
In the case of two participants the cost of the second participant is half price (two participants must be the same group or family, and booked at the same time).

How to Book Your Meerkat Experience

All meerkat experiences can be booked online, please click here to book. Please note you will be required to fill out a participant form which will accompany your confirmation email and e-ticket in the form of a hyperlink. Please make sure you read our Health & Safety information once you book an encounter.

FAQs

How much does a meerkat Close Encounter cost at Drusillas?

The meerkat experiences range from £80-£95 depending on the date they are booked for.

What does a meerkat Close Encounter at Drusillas involve?

Each encounter lasts between 30-40 minutes and is a one-to-one experience that involves helping a Keeper prepare their food, feeding the meerkats, one-on-one time with a Zoo Keeper to answer all your questions, as well as a great opportunity to get some up-close photos of the meerkats from inside their enclosure. Entry to the Park is included for the meerkat encounter participant(s).

How old do I have to be to do a meerkat Close Encounter?

The minimum age is five years old and there is no maximum age!

Can more than one person take part in a meerkat Close Encounter at once?

Yes. Two people who know each other can book onto the experience together. The second participant is half price. The two people taking part must be in the same group or family, and booked at the same time.

How does taking part in a Close Encounter experience at Drusillas help the animals?

By booking a Close Encounter at Drusillas you are supporting the extensive conservation work we do through our breeding programmes, studbook and record keeping and the research we undertake in the Park. Click here for more information about our conservation work.

What other animals can I take part in a Close Encounter with a Drusillas?

At Drusillas we offer Close Encounters with red pandas, lemurs, anteaters, camels, sloths, coatis, beavers, penguins, snakes and tarantulas. You can find out more and book here. We also offer unforgettable Keeper for the Day experiences- discover what it is like to feed, clean and care for a variety of furry and feathered friends and spend the day with one of our experienced Keepers.