Win a family safari break in Port Lympne’s new Shepherd’s Hut

A chance to get up close to some majestic big cats is on offer this weekend at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation’s (WHF) Big Cat Sanctuary.

The centre in Headcorn Road, Smarden, holds its annual open days from today (Thursday) until Sunday.

Dedicated to the breeding of endangered big cats and helping to fund field conservation projects, the 38-acre sanctuary in the heart of Kent became a charity in 2004.

It has more than 50 big cats including African lions, white lions, leopards, Sumatran tigers, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas.

The sanctuary is not open every day but specialises in one-off events and experiences, while its annual open days are always popular.

Some 10,000 people regularly attend the days.

The sanctuary’s vision statement is: Conservation, Protection, Liberation – Small Steps for Big Cats.

Not open to the general public expect for these annual open days, the WHF relies on donations and specialised experiences such as Ranger for the Day, Feed the Big Cat Experience, photo- graphic workshops, overnight African Lodge stays, weddings and Big Cat adoptions to raise much needed funds.

This weekend visitors will be able to meet some of the sanctuary’s best-known residents.

These include Manzi the lion, Nias the tiger, Themba the lion and Yarko the snow leopard.

Saturday and Sunday are both fully booked, but tickets are available for the first two days.

They cost £12.50, with underfives free, and need to be booked in advance.

There will also be arts and crafts, stalls and a barbecue each day.

For details visit whf.org.uk, call 01233 771915 or email enquiries@ whf.org.uk

Nias the tiger