Watch: Days out at Knowsley Safari are back and we went to visit after reopening

After months of waiting to get out, your little monkeys can’t wait to go wild – and you won’t find a more perfect post-lockdown family day out than at Knowsley Safari.

Watch above as Josh and his girlfriend Charl go on a date with a difference at Knowsley Safari.

With 750 animals on its 550-acre site, it guarantees a great adventure for big and small, and while it’s famous for its cheeky baboons, there’s tons more reasons why Knowsley should be first on your list of fun things to do.

So get ready to explore, because here’s just 9 of them…

1. The five-mile safari drive is the longest in the UK and you can go round as many times as you want. It’s separated into different zones like the African savannah and southern Asia with as natural conditions as possible – and it’s worth at least a second trip because what you see will be different every time. The lion enclosure, where its pride of lions roam around the cars, is a real highlight of the safari drive but there are plenty of others – with the rhinos, camels, bison, wildebeest and giraffes. (This may sound like the giraffes are on the drive itself, so could swap giraffe for zebra)

2. Knowsley Safari is 50 years old this year – but it certainly doesn’t act middle-aged! One of the north-west’s top attractions, it is constantly updating, with new adventures, new experiences and new animals – so if you haven’t been for a while, it’s definitely worth taking a new look.

3. You don’t have to have a car – or stay in your car all day. You can step out on foot safari where you can track down its fab play areas, hunt out the meerkats and giraffe and, now, take to the amazing new tiger trail where you can welcome a brand-new resident male Amur tiger.

4. Come rain or shine, you can have a brill time at Knowsley. There is so much to do, you can stay in your car or undercover if the weather decides to misbehave or get out and about when the sun shines. The only issue here will be fitting everything you want to do in!

5. We’ve already mentioned the baboons who do like to get up to mischief but you don’t have to drive through the monkey jungle if you’re worried about your wiper blades being whipped off, or your shiny paintwork scratched. There is a car-friendly viewing route at Knowsley Safari so you can still get to giggle at the baboons and their antics, without fretting that your Ford’s going to be worse for wear afterwards.

6. It’s got all the fun of the fair! Knowsley isn’t just a safari, it’s home to a fab amusement park with thrilling rides for even the littles one. There’s the Bumble Bee coaster to get the kids buzzing with excitement, the roundabout to put you in a spin, and the Star Dancer to keep you on your toes, and more.

7. You can watch the animals being fed at the Safari, but you’ll need to refuel too to keep your strength up to enjoy a full day of adventure – and there’s plenty to keep hunger at bay and energy levels high, with delicious homemade dishes at the Oasis Restaurant (takeaway only for now), belting barbecue food from the outdoor grill, fresh salads and sandwiches from the deli and, of course, ice creams from the ice cream parlour.

8. To help you get the most of your day and fit in all the fun, Knowsley is opening for an extra hour on the weekends of May 8-9, and May 15-16. That means there’s plenty of time to target the trails by foot and by car, enjoy a whirl around the amusement area, grab a bite to eat AND maybe make your day even more special with an animal experience, going behind the scenes in the lion enclosure and feeding ‘Leo’ his breakfast, seeing the sea lions and spending time with them and their trainers, or enjoying close up magic with the meerkats.

9. Your safety comes first – so you can rest assured that Knowsley Safari has got a truck load of measures in place from social distancing, to sanitising and enhanced cleaning regimes in high-use areas. Its team members will be wearing PPE equipment for their protection and yours, so all you need to do is relax, have a grrreat time and enjoy your walk on the wild side.