We have a lot of wildlife parks and zoos here in the UK and to be honest you are never very far away from one. But which one gets the most yearly visitors on average? Let’s find out where they are and how many people visit them…
 

10 – West Midland Safari Park – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 401,413

West Midland Safari & Leisure Park is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered exotic animal species. It also has a fast-growing theme park which might explain some of the visitor numbers.

9 – Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 422,644

Home of ballroom dancing and a pretty popular zoo it seems. While not the biggest zoo it does have some pretty impressive attractions and is very easy to get to.

8 – Paignton Zoo, Paignton – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 460,685

As far as I know Paignton Zoo is the biggest in the UK and while it doesn’t pack in the most people that will be mostly down to its location.

7 – Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 575,364

I can’t remember the last time I went to The Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, but I do know it has hundreds of animals set over a very large park.

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6 – Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 814,515

While not the largest zoo it is home to the largest collection of monkeys and apes in the Western World! Plus it has a very nice nature reserve to walk around.

5 – Colchester Zoo, Colchester – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 964,050

With some of the rarest animals in the entire world, this is a family day out that does not disappoint.

4 – Drayton Manor, Tamworth – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 1,210,141

This is where the mix of theme parks and zoos starts to happen. Sure that is visitor numbers, but how many people will goto the zoo part of the park?!? Having said that I make sure to go around the animals everytime I go there, only then it is onto the rides.

3 – London Zoo, London – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 1,265,911

Said to be one of the oldest zoos in the world it was officially opened on April 27, 1828! But still, it remains a top tourist attraction and a firm family favourite.

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2 – Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 1,470,828

Once again we are blurring the lines between people going for the wildlife and people going just for the theme park rides. I’m sure the people going just for the animals is very small indeed.

1 – Chester Zoo, Chester – Average Yearly visitors (Based on last 3 years): 1,516,808

It might have opened way back in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family, but it has since gone on to be considered the seventh best zoo in the entire world by TripAdvisor! Now that is a big claim to fame indeed.