Drusillas Zoo Park facts for kids
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| Date opened | 1920s |
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| Location | near Alfriston, East Sussex |
| Land area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Coordinates | 50°49′26″N 0°9′46.8″E / 50.82389°N 0.163000°E |
| No. of animals | 1638 |
| No. of species | 196 |
| Annual visitors | 370,000 |
Drusillas Park is a fun zoo located near Alfriston in East Sussex, UK. It's about 10 acres big and is a popular spot for families, attracting over 350,000 visitors each year! While it's great for younger kids, there's plenty for everyone to enjoy.
The park is home to many different animals, like ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, and penguins. Besides the animals, Drusillas offers lots of exciting activities. You can find adventure play areas, an indoor soft play centre, and even a train ride called the Safari Express. There are also places to eat and shops to explore.
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Park History
Drusillas Park started way back in the 1920s. It began as "Drusilla's Tea Cottage," run by Douglas Ann and his wife, Drusilla. Over time, animals were added, and it slowly grew into the zoo we know today.
In 1959, Douglas Ann's sons took over running the park. Later, in 1997, Laurence and Christine Smith bought Drusillas from the Ann family. They own it now and continue to make it a great place to visit.
Animals and Fun Attractions
Drusillas Park has many different animals, even though it focuses on smaller species. You can see various primates, like Sulawesi crested macaques, brown capuchin monkeys, and lar gibbons.
Other cool animals living here include servals, red pandas, and Humboldt penguins. Don't miss the two Bactrian camels, Lofty and Roxy, or the new Giant Anteaters!
You can also visit special areas like Pet World and Lemurland. There's a small farmyard and a walk-through lorikeet aviary. In the aviary, you can even feed nectar to the colourful birds!
Interactive Experiences
The park has a Discovery Centre where you can learn about animals. It displays things like animal pelts and horns that were stopped at customs.
Try the 'Zoolympics challenge' to compare your skills with animals. You can see how well you can drag, hang, jump, or shout compared to different creatures. There are also 'stamp books' to collect stamps around the animal enclosures.
Many parts of the zoo are interactive and fun. 'Mokomo's Jungle Rock' has singing animatronic animals. They sing about the food chain, which is pretty cool! You might also hear an animatronic crocodile singing "Never Smile at a Crocodile". In the farmyard, animatronic chickens sing about washing your hands. There's even a cockatoo that can copy your voice!
Play Areas
Drusillas has awesome play areas for different ages. 'Go Bananas!' is for younger kids under six, with swings and slides. 'Go Wild!' is for older children, offering climbing walls and more challenging fun.
There's also an indoor soft play centre, perfect for rainy days. It even has a cafe for snacks and drinks. For a puzzle adventure, try Eden's Eye, an interactive maze where you solve clues and meet mythical creatures.
Go Safari!
Go Safari! is the biggest project Drusillas Park has ever done. It cost a lot of money and took over a year to build! This exciting new area opened in May 2017.
For many years, Drusillas had a Thomas & Friends train ride. But in 2017, the Thomas contract ended. The new Safari Express train now takes visitors around the park. Go Safari! also includes two other fun rides: The Flying Cheetahs and Hippopotobus.
Hello Kitty Secret Garden
Drusillas Park is home to the very first permanent Hello Kitty attraction in Europe! It's called the Hello Kitty Secret Garden and opened in 2014.
In this special garden, you can enjoy three Hello Kitty-themed rides. There's a car ride, a tea cup ride, and a "reach for the sky" hopper ride.
Awards and Recognitions
Drusillas Park has won several awards for being a great visitor attraction.
- It was named a top attraction in Southern England by The Daily Telegraph in 2014.
- The Times newspaper shortlisted it as one of 'The Best Theme Park Half-term Holidays' in 2014.
- It won the 2014 Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Sussex Life Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards.
