Porfell Animal Land

My boy was two yesterday, and we had a really good day. We bought him a trampoline, toy cars and various other bits and pieces. My mum gave him a ride-on tractor & trailer, which is rather lovely, but he can't quite reach the pedals on it yet, so it's a grower. In the meantime, we have to push him around on it, often with S sat in the trailer, or vice versa. She's too tall to pedal it, but can scoot along on it.

In the afternoon we went to Porfell Animal Land. It's a lovely place. I felt it was excellent value for money.



There were lots of different animals, from the exotic to farmyard, and they were all extremely friendly and visible. You could feed some of them, and the children got a lot out of that. We petted sheep and heard the donkeys bray. The ocelot was about the only animal who concealed himself or herself, the rest seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

Some of the grounds seemed a little shabby and there were some things which I thought would have been better screened off from public view, but it had a friendly family feel and it seemed clear the animals were well-cared for. Apparently they are all rescue animals, either ex-pets or surplus to requirements from various zoos.

The walk round the enclosures was most pleasant and there was plenty to interest the children. At 3pm they had an animal encounter/talk, which was done brilliantly. The audience got to touch a giant hissing cockroach, a barn owl, an African hedgehog and a bearded dragon. We also got up close to a red-kneed bird-eating spider, but no-one could touch that in case it released irritating hairs. Afterwards S got to hold the cockroach and a giant African landsnail.

When we got home, we had birthday cake and drinkies at my Mum's with the neighbours, and it was good fun. The neighbours' granddaughter was there and she & T interacted well. T appeared to be telling her off when she dared to touch his cars, but apart from that audacity, they got on splendidly. I took loads of pictures using my Mum's camera. I don't know how well they came out - I just kept snapping in the hope of catching the two facing the same way or something.

I think T had a lovely day, and although S sulked a bit over it being his birthday and not hers, she did have a good day as well, although you might not know it from how hard done by she seemed at times.