WILDLIFE & ZOO's

Wildlife is abundant in Norfolk, with its rural landscape and unique habitat, it is home to many rare species, including birds and butterflies. Most of the best places to see natural wildlife is on the Norfolk Coast and the Norfolk Broads, where many nature reserves have been created to allow you to view the wildlife undisturbed. You will also find plenty of themed animal parks and zoos, where you can meet all kinds of animal close-up and learn about their natural habitat.

Just outside of Cley on the North Norfolk Coast, is a nature reserve and visitors centre. Cley Marshes are one of the best nature reserves for birdwatching in the whole of the UK. The visitors centre is slightly raised and gives good views over the marshes. Wooden board walks take you over the marshes and creeks to bird hides, eventually reaching the coast.

Further along the North Norfolk Coast is Blakeney. Here, there is a path from the village leading over the marshes towards the sea and eventually to Cley next the Sea. This is a good place for birdwatching. From Blakeney you can also take a boat trip to Blakeney Point to see the seals on a sandbank.

On the East Norfolk Coast betwwen Horsey and Winterton on Sea, is a lovely remote beach that is a popular place to see grey seals. A colony lives along the coast here and frequently you can see heads pop up above the waves or seals basking in the sun on the beach. In December and January they have pups and come out of the water for several weeks. Around 100 pups are born each winter. The pups are white, the females light grey and males dark grey.

On the outskirts of Cromer you will find a newly-opened, 10 acre site, which has been transformed into a South American themed Zoo. Highlights include Jaguars, Monkeys, Flamingos and a Reptile house; with all the animals coming from other zoos. You can see the animals close-up and signs help you understand about their natural habitat. See our guided tour of Amazona Zoo.

On the Norfolk Broads, Ranworth has a large nature reserve, where you can see plenty of wildlife over Ranworth Broad. A visitors centre has plenty of information and things to see and do, such as models of local scenes.

There is a large nature reserve at Hickling. This has a visitors centre, and many marked paths out over the edges of the Broad, with observation towers and viewing platforms. There are places to sit and enjoy the surroundings or spot the local wildlife, with many paths and fine views out over the reeds. There is an observation tower giving good views out towards Hickling Broad, and bird hides giving a chance to watch the wildlife undisturbed.

Close to Norwich is Whitlingham Country Park, a great place to walk, cycle, picnic or birdwatch. Built on the site of a quarry whose gravel was used for a number of major local construction projects, Whitlingham offers moth and bat evenings, pond dipping, quarry safaris and a Canadian canoe trail.

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