ARTS & CULTURE Days out for families who enjoy visiting animals A

NIMAL-LOVING families can cuddle up to a pygmy hedgehog, feed a penguin or fly a bird of prey on an animal experience day in West Yorkshire.

We’ve compiled a guide to nine venues, all within an hour’s drive of Huddersfield, where it’s possible to get up close to furry and feathered friends.

There are opportunities for older children to learn more about animals and farming practices, while young children can enjoy meeting everything from cute bunnies to newborn piglets. animals. Piglets and chickens run free in the yard and there are pens full of rare breed birds, goats, cattle and sheep. During the summer holiday the farm is open from 10am until 5pm every day. There is free parking for the farm and tickets are £3.80 for adults and £2.50 for children. Cafe facilities are on site and there is also a stately home to visit for history buffs.

This working farm is a base for Barnsley College Horticulture and Animal Management courses and open to the public. It has a wide range of animals, including meerkats, cows, goats, Shetland ponies, donkeys, alpacas, pigs, sheep, chickens, red deer, guinea pigs, rabbits and more. There is also a rodent room and an aquatics room featuring many different varieties of aquatic life. The farm offers VIP and Young Keeper experiences, which allow visitors to feed meerkats, hold snakes and tend to the rabbits and guinea pigs. Costs vary from £20 to £25 and need to be booked in advance. Contact 01226 216 474 for further details and booking. Admission is £3 for adults and £1.50 for children. There is a cafe on site and opening hours are 10am until 4pm daily.