Review: Suffolk News visited Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park, near Ipswich, for an unforgettable day out
Suffolk News had a memorable visit to Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park (JFWP) and saw animals from baby goats to bears.
More than two years on from our last visit to JFWP, near Ipswich, we were keen to spot some of the attractions’ new arrivals.
As we joined the queue to get in on a busy Saturday morning, Spencer, my four-year-old, was very eager to see the chickens and perhaps slightly apprehensive about the idea of polar bears and cheeky monkeys.
Stepping into the park we immediately spotted an armadillo scuttling around in the enclosure that used to house the meerkats. This was just the first of many changes at Jimmy’s since our last visit.
In search of chickens and other farm animals, we headed past capybaras (my favourite) and went into the forest with Spencer proudly clutching the animal feed we bought on arrival.
After a five-minute trek we arrived at the new rare breeds section of JWFP, which alongside Suffolk punch horses had the all-important chickens, a play area and a coffee hut aptly named ‘the trough’.
As my husband attempted to persuade Spencer to feed a goat I was itching to get a glimpse of Diego, a brown bear I had heard was a little shy.
After stepping up to his impressive enclosure we didn’t have long to wait. Diego was heading towards one of the viewing areas.
Seemingly without a care in the world he sat down on a rock for a rest, much to the delight of us visitors.
I have never seen anything like it before at a zoo or wildlife park, photographers and families crowded around trying to get that all-important photo.
Around his enclosure there are lots of informative signs about Diego who arrived in Suffolk, in October 2023.
He was brought to England from a now closed Swedish zoo.
Excited after our first encounter with a bear, we set off on a new path which runs between the rare breeds area and the ‘lost land of the tundra’.
I loved the views as we walked in search of the polar bears who are joined, in their special section by arctic foxes, arctic wolves and reindeer.
The tundra is laid out perfectly with higher points giving a great vantage points of the four polar bears; Hope, Ewa, Flocke and Tala.
I am no animal expert, especially when it comes to polar bears, but it honestly seemed to me that they were really settled in their Suffolk home, making the most of all their space.
Some of the bears were sheltering in the shade of the forest, while others took a dip in the pools that had been specially made for them.
Seeing all of the bears, including Diego, on the move and exploring really made my day and is something I think we will all remember for a long time.
After spending time in the lost land we continued exploring the park and stopped for a spot of lunch at the Field Kitchen.
Staff throughout the day of our visit were really friendly and welcoming.
Our walk then took us past the zebras and to the monkey enclosures, where there are strict rules about what you can and cannot do, so you don’t upset the animals.
Thankfully we (Spencer) followed the rules to the letter and we did not see any misbehaviour from the monkeys either.
Though I was disappointed that the Australian section and wallabies was no longer at Jimmy’s, all the new arrivals certainly made up for it, as did the baby goats and capybaras.
One of my favourite memories from the day was Spencer being brave enough to feed the kids and absolutely loving it, going back to the roots of what Jimmy’s Farm started out as more than two decades ago.
And if you ask Spencer, his best bit was seeing the monkeys.
I have no doubt the attraction will continue to grow and change over the coming years.
Making more memories for children that can spend a whole day learning about animals big and small.
Suffolk News visited Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park on August 31.
