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Wildlife & Nature · North

Wildlife in the North of England: Zoos, Birds Reserves, Butterflies

The best places to see wildlife in the North of England (Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Yorkshire): zoos & wildlife parks, birds & nature reserves, butterflies.

Zoos & Wildlife Parks

  1. Chester Zoo

    Chester, Cheshire

    The UK's most visited zoo, home to some 450 species over 128 acres, including a multi-generation elephant herd.

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  2. Knowsley Safari

    Prescot, Merseyside

    Open since 1971, with the longest safari drive in England, five miles past baboons, camels and rhinos, plus the Amur Tiger Trail on foot.

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  3. Yorkshire Wildlife Park

    Branton, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire

    Elevated boardwalks over the Land of the Tigers reserve, with lions, leopards and polar bears.

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  4. Lake District Wildlife Park

    Bassenthwaite, near Keswick, Cumbria

    Some 24 acres and over 100 species, most roaming large fields, with lynx, zebra, gibbons and daily bird of prey displays.

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Birds & Nature Reserves

  1. RSPB Bempton Cliffs

    Bempton, East Riding of Yorkshire

    Great seabird colonies seen from clifftop walkways and protected viewpoints, with puffins the star attraction.

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  2. Farne Islands

    Northumberland coast (National Trust)

    Reached by boat: some 150,000 pairs of breeding seabirds each summer, and grey seals and their pups in autumn.

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  3. RSPB Leighton Moss

    Silverdale, Lancashire

    A freshwater marsh a mile from Morecambe Bay, famous for breeding bitterns and bearded tits, with marsh harriers and water rails.

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  4. WWT Martin Mere

    Burscough, Lancashire

    A large mere and winter-flooded fields where more than 25,000 pink-footed geese and hundreds of whooper and Bewick's swans roost in winter.

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Butterflies

  1. Tropical World

    Roundhay Park, Leeds

    Opened in 1988 as a tropical butterfly house, with 20 to 30 species including owl butterflies; refurbished in 2015.

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  2. Williamson Park Butterfly House

    Lancaster, Lancashire

    A former tropical palm house beside the Ashton Memorial, with swallowtails, owl butterflies and a display of pupae, plus a mini zoo.

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Checked October 2026. Opening times and seasons change, so please check before you travel.

Read our guide to Britain's wildlife → · Gardens and the best garden & home addresses in the North of England →