Play with baby lions/tigers/etc at a UK zoo?

You can get keeper for a day packages from most zoos. But playing with the animals generally won't happen so much. Feed them but you won't get too close. They are stil dangerous even if they are in captivity.
 
Did this in South Africa (snow lion cubs . Glad to have experienced this but, despite their age, they were surprisingly strong and I found that I couldn't relax enough to enjoy it (yes, a little cowardly I know!)
 
Freeman said:
Save up for a year. Take her to Africa and see them in the wild. I promise you it will be 100 times better than petting a cub.
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This, can't wait to go to Africa and see them in the place they're meant to be. I agree with a poster before, the only reason animals should be behind bars in zoos is to keep them out of extinction.
 
Skeeter said:
Stuffs ignorance is quite shocking really.

They are not pets there solely for your pleasure. Thinking it would be perfectly fine and not do any harm to let cubs become completely acclimatized to humans, therefore ensuring they remain captive their entire lives is a worrying mentality to have.

Also, caging an animal doesn't make it domesticated.
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Slightly off topic, but what's the deal with people who think "You should never keep a wild animal as a pet, or encourage them to interact with humans."

I mean, isn't that how wolves became domestic dogs?

What about domestic cats? I'm guessing they're all descended from wild cats too.

So why is it wrong, outrageous, immoral to want to keep wild animals (non-endangered!) like servals, etc?

And surely if you applied that reasoning to people in the past, all the domestic animals we have today wouldn't exist?
 
I think its more that there is no purpose in keeping wild animals like tigers etc, todays domestic animals were domisticated for a purpose, dogs for hunting, guarding property and cats for pest control. so its not the same thing
 
Rich1988 said:
I think its more that there is no purpose in keeping wild animals like tigers etc, todays domestic animals were domisticated for a purpose, dogs for hunting, guarding property and cats for pest control. so its not the same thing
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They aren't for the most part working animals these days. They are pets. Yes it explains their origins, but not our current motivations for owning them. Humans like animals, like to live with and keep animals.

I don't see a problem, for example, with wanting to own a serval. If you can care for it, keep it well fed, healthy, mentally active, why not? There's nothing I hate more than the people who think they should interfere in someone else's life out of some kind of moral superiority complex.

Tell me why should we limit ourselves to just the existing domestic breeds? Why shouldn't we be looking to domesticate other animals? For fun? For companionship?

Today we have cats and dogs.. tomorrow, why not domesticate something else?
 
You can hand feed the tigers at the paradise wildlife park in broxbourne. Costs about £170 and you get ur hand licked if you're lucky :). About the closest you'll get.
 
seriously? our 6 month old cats can do some serious damage with their claws and theyre tiny compared to tiger/lion cubs claws.

as said, good luck finding anywhere legit in the UK for this.

best thing you could do is the Big Cat Sancturary in Kent http://www.whf.org.uk/ (site appears to be down). but its all through bars and strictly supervised. and not cheap. (i dont even know if they have any cubs or whether theyd be out in public cages)
 
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Hyburnate said:
This, can't wait to go to Africa and see them in the place they're meant to be. I agree with a poster before, the only reason animals should be behind bars in zoos is to keep them out of extinction.
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+1
Totally agree with this and this is what I'm going to do.
 
[TW]Fox;25582376 said:
So he asks for places in England and so far we've got Kenya and New Zealand on the list. Excellent work chaps :D
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and a dozen people saying no where in england, kind of answers his question don't you think?
 
OK not a Lion but quite a few places let you cuddle/feed Lemurs, they're as cute as **** and less likely to eat your face off!!
 
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kitkat9933 said:
Many places around Africa let you do this. Nothing in the Uk though.
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This. Africa seem have the only places that allow you to get up close with the young, while they (mostly) aren't mistreating them.

Maybe do one of those drive-through type "safari's"? End up with little monkeys on the roof, ripping off your wipers, etc. :D
 
FoxEye said:
They aren't for the most part working animals these days. They are pets. Yes it explains their origins, but not our current motivations for owning them. Humans like animals, like to live with and keep animals.

I don't see a problem, for example, with wanting to own a serval. If you can care for it, keep it well fed, healthy, mentally active, why not? There's nothing I hate more than the people who think they should interfere in someone else's life out of some kind of moral superiority complex.

Tell me why should we limit ourselves to just the existing domestic breeds? Why shouldn't we be looking to domesticate other animals? For fun? For companionship?

Today we have cats and dogs.. tomorrow, why not domesticate something else?
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I'd agree with this to be honest. near enough every domestic animal in our homes today is descended from its wild ancestors.

I've got two huskies and they are one of the 14 ancient dog breeds, directly descended from wolves. They are not working dogs (at least at the moment) but still need an insane amount of attention to (as Fox said) keep them healthy, well fed, mentally active... Its not like owning a golden retriever ...!

I personally don't see a problem with handling young animals, providing they are in the right environment and given the care they need (i.e. not drugged up!).

I recall reading something a few years back of a bloke that lives in my local area who kept a big cat as a pet. IIRC it was a tiger. I'll try and find a link!
 
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In Australia I got close to a lot of animals. Wombats, Kangaroos, Parrots, Smaller birds, and loads more. Quite cheap too. :)

I am interested in places too in the UK in which you can get close with animals.
 
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