A 100-acre conservation charity on Fota Island where kangaroos, lemurs, and wallabies roam freely around you — just 15 minutes from Cork City and with its own train station.
Unlike a traditional zoo, many animals here are not behind bars. Ring-tailed lemurs, wallabies, Eastern grey kangaroos, and capybaras wander the paths right alongside visitors. You'll also spot giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and European bison in large open paddocks with minimal barriers.
Fota is home to endangered Northern cheetahs and features Ireland's first Cheetah Run — a high-speed feeding device that sends food whizzing along a wire at up to 65km/h. The daily cheetah feed takes place around 4:00 pm and is one of the park's most thrilling spectacles.
A 35-metre-high temporary attraction offering bird's-eye views across the park's savannah, cheetah paddocks, and bison fields — plus out over Cork Harbour, Fota House, and Belvelly Castle. Tickets from €5 per person; operates for a limited season from mid-March.
Book a 2-hour private guided tour with a ranger: go behind the scenes, learn about animal care, help with feeding, and see how the giraffe house operates. The adult experience costs from €140 (one person); the family experience is €195 for up to 6 people (kids must be 4+). Park admission included.
Opened in 2024, this sustainably built facility features a 265-seat auditorium, classrooms, a native plant garden, and a plaza for outdoor seating. The building runs on solar panels and uses rainwater harvesting for 80% of its water. The Savannah Café is right beside it for snacks and drinks.
Your €3 parking fee also covers entry to the grounds of Fota House — including its walled gardens, frame yard garden, and arboretum. The Regency-era house and formal gardens make a peaceful add-on before or after the wildlife park.
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