Family-Friendly Days Out: Walking in the Ice Age

Did you know that the woolly mammoth was the largest animal of the cold steppes of the last two ice ages, weighing the equivalent of six rhino? Wowing small children with this fact becomes a little easier if you have a life-sized model of a mammoth (Mammuthus) to hand. Howletts award-winning wild animal park in Kent can help; the brand-new Animals of the Ice Age outdoor exhibition is a line-up of life-size anatomically correct beasts from the ice age, sure to wow children (and adults) of all ages with their size.

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Megatherium (Great Beast)

Animals of the Ice Age at Howletts

From sabre-toothed cats to the giant sloth, the giants of the ice age are brought back to life with Howletts’ new Animals of the Ice Age exhibition, a permanent addition to the wildlife park near Canterbury, Kent. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to walk amongst the creatures and learn interesting facts on the accompanying signage, which will tell the story of the animal kingdom as it was over 2.6 million years ago.

The animals featured in the exhibition are as close as possible to being exact replicas of the animals, built to scale and sure to wow younger visitors. Along with all the favourites (sabre-tooth cats and woolly mammoths) find some of the underdogs of the ice ages, including the pleasingly-named Megalocerus, which grew an antler of up to four metres.

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Back to Life

When you’ve marvelled at the extinct giants, get back to reality with the 400 plus animals in the wildlife park, including Kent’s only giant anteaters (truly glorious creatures), the largest herd of African elephants in the UK and more gorillas, tigers, leopards and monkeys than any animal park in the county.

Part of the Aspinall Foundation, a conservation charity, all visits help to protect wildlife here in the UK, which then enables them to send animals back to the wild.

How to Visit

Prices start from £18.95, but book online and you could save 20% and until 25^th May 2018, one child will be able to visit Howletts Wild Animal Park for just £1. Click here for further details: aspinallfoundation.org/howletts

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