Wild Futures Review

Back to Wild Nature - but So So UN-NATURALLY!
I have to say first, the animals are very well cared for and have a great physical environment. But sad to say, despite all good intentions by those in charge, I felt the ethos of the place was both un-natural and psychologically unhealthy. On arrival we were instructed not to engage with the monkeys, and if we saw any engagement by them with people, we were to look away. My partner and I dutifully obeyed. So we saw the monkeys in the enclosures, and heard their carers talk about them - rather like human equivalents of automated video transcripts. Whilst there, the only actual engagement we experienced was a young robin who came up close to test out his new whistle on me. The atmosphere of the whole place was thick and heavy with this lack of engagement - due to the instructions everyone UN_NATURALLY followed. (The monkeys have no option!)

It was only on reflection that we realised the real implications of such an unwholesome approach to these creatures. In the wild, if they are presented with human company, they naturally engage readily. We've seen it on TV how friendly wild capuchins are with film crews, for example. As humans, we naturally want to engage with other creatures, as I did with the robin, and they with us. The controlling effect of the management of this establishment reminded me of the Nazis - well intentioned but deluded. Plus the food at the award winning veggie cafe was actually the worst we'd had in years. It made both of us somewhat ill - and I usually have an iron stomach! . . . . . .

So - as an overall experience it was dire - but worthwhile - because it taught me the folly of trying to impose intellectual control on nature. And how powerful a single instruction to many people can be.

Great little place they rescue monkeys and give them a good home they also have a cafe and take questions and give you stories about the monkeys lives before coming to the sanctuary

Awesome place, go visit and support as much as you can!

It's a nice little place, but not worth the entry fee. Not much to do there if I'm honest. Won't go again unfortunately but that does not take away the fantastic job the staff do.

Just a handful of small monkeys but well worth the visit. Not wheelchair or impaired walking friendly

Stunning but small. Support these amazing people and support these beautiful animals that have been abused. Can't wait to go back.

Monkeys were veru well looked after. Staff efficient and knowledgeable. Only gripe is the steep hill going down to premises from carpark. Especially if you are diabled.

Lovely day out. Staff are very friendly also the cafe serve some great food vegan chocolate cake was amazing. Highly recommend

We went today as the boy got excited about monkeys. Naturally. But it was a great experience and although he didn't need telling, he came away telling us how people shouldn't have monkeys as pets. Quite right too.
The staff are great. We spoke at length with one girl and another seemed like he could talk for England about the animals.
The grounds are beautiful and so, so peaceful. There seemed like so many hidden spot to stop and have a picnic, and so many spots where there was something for the boy to read or activities for him to do.
This is definitely somewhere to go and if you are in the area then you should make the effort. The entrance fee is money well spent and goes to a great cause.

Superb attitude from well informed and caring staff, a must for kids, such a good day.

5 stars for the monkey park, 2 stars for the cafe. As a disabled guest there were some challenges in the park, it's not something that could be easily remedied though so we just made the best of it. The cafe was very disappointing, I don't appreciate inedible vegetarian food being the only option, in the same way a vegetarian wouldn't appreciate an all meat menu. I would advice bringing your lunch with you if possible

Amazing people who love their jobs looking after rescued primates that have had a very sad start in life. The staff know the back stories to every monkey in the sanctuary & give talks on all of them if you wish to listen. Some very sad stories of abuse, incarceration & health issues. They do a fabulous job caring for them & raising awareness of the pet trade that they have been rescued from. It is a charity based sanctuary & well worth a visit. As well as the rescued monkeys there is a small walk around the gardens that you can go on, a children's play area, a gift shop & a cafe. There was also crafts for children to do when we visited.

Lovely place to visit, best intentions are the monkeys and it's great to see.

It's a sanctuary not a zoo. It's decent enough but you can be done in an hour.

Nice to see that they are doing the best for the monkeys but the entrance fee s little high for what you can see here but it's going to the right causes.
Nice tea and coffee but again a little high on price of you compare the cost to Costa or other well known coffee shops you get more for your money.
Not many monkeys to look at but the keepers know what they are talking about.

The sanctuary have made fantastic use of the landscape of the site. Monkeys are well looked after, and the staff are very passionate about what they do.
The restaurant in the car park is very good.

Cute monkey sanctuary that we just happened to see signs for, whilst driving elsewhere. Very glad we detoured to it. Small sanctuary, with some gardens cut into the hillside & a gift shop but, the monkeys look clean & happy. The volunteers are also quite knowledgeable about each monkeys history so it was very interesting.

Very informative talks about the monkeys that they have rescued. The people here are really passionate about there work. Great place to visit.

Lovely sanctuary so natural for the monkeys , very professional and knowledgable workers on site

Volunteers are very knowledgeable and well laid out so you can see the monkeys running overhead. Not enough to keep you there all day but a good way to enjoy a couple of hours

Lovely sanctuary where you can see primates in a near natural environment, animals that have been saved after being in not to nice situations. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful too. Not expensive either

Great experience, enhanced by knowledgeable and friendly staff going into detail on the history of the monkeys and the site.

Food was all vegan/veggie and no other choices.




There are workers that drone on useless facts about the monkeys as you go through, and avoid eye contact. It was weird.

The 'Bat Zone' was a shed with several fake bats hanging down, with a video of bats nesting. No really.

Small play area, not suitable for children under 3, although the 'activity tent' was enjoyable.

Gift shop is overpriced, and the pencil with pencil topper we bought for our child had broken before we had even managed to get back to the car.
Will not be returning, and hope to enlighten other parents of what the reality is of the park.
Cut your losses and just drive onto Seaton

Fantastic place for all the family.
Staff really care for the monkeys well being

If I could mark it as a minus star rating I would...... we visited today with my partners disabled brother, an have to say was extremely dissapointed with the lack of facilities for a disabled person to be able to get around the site... The gardens are inaccessible for wheelchair users and are extremely dangerous it was so slippery and steep we couldn't access over 3/4 of it. As for the monkeys the pathway leading up to them was again very steep and slippery, and could only go part way due to numerous steps of which could not be navigated in a wheelchair..... As for the cafe on site well if your vegetarian or vegan then you'll do fine there but if you expect to find a bacon roll or beef burger then forget it, we will not be returning here EVER..........

Please feel free to see for yourselves but seriously I wouldn't bother wasting your money

A great sanctuary and a pleasure to visit. Very important work being done in the sanctuary and the staff and volunteers gave some great talks.

A great place for learning about the habitats and habits of monkeys and fun for kids.

Visited this week with family, very unimpressed. Cost very over rated for what you actually see. Few monkeys and a bat cam. Would not recommend unless you like wasting your money

I didn't get any pictures other than this one. However, it is an amazing experience as you get to see all of the wonderful rescued monkeys and the money that you pay goes towards the wages of the staff but more importantly it pays for more food and medicine for the monkeys. I would definitely recommend this place.

Small sanctuary but with lots of space for the rescued monkeys. We arrived at feeding time (2pm, Sunday) so got to see most of the furry little bundles of joy cracking nuts and munching leeks. Saw four types of monkeys, not a huge place but dedicated and knowledgeable staff helping to home monkeys rescued from tiny cages as part of the UK pet trade. Great little place.

Yes it seems like a lot of money but you have to remember that all these animals have been rescued from horrid conditions. The staff clearly love their jobs as well as the animals. The enclosures are huge giving the monkeys plenty of room to play. We will be back. (Oh yes if you gift aid your entry fee you get a free return ticket.)

Great place, great value for money - take a picnic though

Excellent day out and educational as well. They do a great job

Beautiful place to visit. It made me happy and at the same time made me want to cry. Most of the animals here have been rescued from appalling situations, which are still legally permitted. The staff is doing an awesome job educating people More

We liked the sanctuary and the ethos of the place but felt that the cause was a bit full on at times

Love it staff great and fab talks and love the Monkeys

I love this place. Its a great little sanctuary for the monkey's and they clearly love it. The staff are fantastic and love the monkeys and take care of them very well. Its well worth a visit with the family and every penny you spend there goes back into looking after the little guys

Just a great experience and you learn so much a bout these monkey's all the staff so friendly

the place is really fun but not for families with small children that go there to see monkeys as if it were a zoo, it's a sanctuary so the monkeys have MASSIVE enclosures so it's not exactly easy to spot the monkeys

Friendly staff, small place but nice to walk around and see the monkeys. Has a cafe in the carpark and a shop once in the sanctuary. There's also a climbing frame/play area for the children. It's mostly pushchair accessible but is on the side of a hill so a bit up and down. Also if you gift aid your entrance fee they make it a 12 month pass.

The cafe did not live upto the reviews i had read. The food was a little dry and edible at most. The road to the sanctuary was horrendous and we spent an hour in a jam on a single track road with large vehicles trying to pass. The sanctuary itself was a little disappointing! It took us around 20 minutes to walk around altho walking was difficult with so many visitors, we could not see many of the monkeys due to the amount of people on the walk ways. The bat cave was no more than a camera in the corner very dissapointing! The toilets at the car park were filthy. The newer block in the attraction altho clean stunk of sewerage and the building which lead off the toilets we could not go in and see as the smell was too strong. The park was broken part of it taped up! All in all it was a quick dissapointing visit for a 2 hour trek up and down the roads!

well first and foremost dont bother save your money its rubbish hardly any monkeys and not at all pushchair friendly the shop was that dark u needed a torch to see things getting in was a joke we had a family in front of us with the brat from hell so if u want a good day out go to newquay zoo far more animals we only spent 37 minutes in side as that was all it was worth

great place. not big. only need a few hours. staff helpful and full of information.

The staff are very friendly and so passionate about the welfare of their monkeys and educating the visitors that visit. We had a great day and loved wandering around. Looking forward to our next trip.

We have been to Monkey World in Dorset many times so we naturally compared. Both are great experiences but different. MW is large and well spaced out while WF gives the impression of a smaller area. We love both of them for what they do and what they are. WF have very large caged areas joined by overhead caged walkways similar to MW but WF have them in amongst the indigenous trees with housing mostly up the slopes it makes for a far more natural feel. So our vote goes to WF. The paths wound in under the trees and added to the feeling that there was very little separation from the public. You felt that YOU were discovering the monkeys. The staff had been well chosen not just very knowledgeable but natural communicators. We plan to visit more than once a year. All these similar places deserve our continuing support.

We all enjoyed not only seeing the monkies but finding out about their life. A well run sanctuary.
...

Do not waste your time. Done in an hour. No good for disabled

Very pretty setting and the monkeys have so much space to play!

U fortunately it was closed when we visited on Monday

This was amazing, great for a morning or afternoon of activities

Expensive and can be completed in less than an hour BUT a very worthy cause and they are very knowledgeable staff. Worth visiting but needs a major cash injection!

Pricey for what s on offer. Staff were great, a good experience overall but worth the money? Not entirely sure.

Lovely day out.. The sanctuary provides a home to many monkeys who have been kept in poor conditions. The staff know the stories behind each resident and are passionate about their work.. Enjoyable day out..

The wife and I had fantastic day today. Many thanks to the friendly helpful and informative staff. The monkeys were a joy to watch. So much so we found we totally lost track of time. A truly wonderful experience. We managed very well with the wheelchair and hope to visit again very soon.

Guides really knowledgeable and clearly care very deeply for the cause.

Great place very knowledgeable keepers really interesting.

The animals are well looked after, not that.muvh to see for the price though but it is for a good cause, so didn't mind to pay.

What sterling work this organisation does.However it s the staff who deserve the most praise because of their passion and hard work in caring for their guests.

Very knowledgeable staff and they're always friendly and willing to talk. The monkeys are also quite happy to show off if there's a small crowd forming. Well worth a visit although be wary that the journey from Looe involves an extremely narrow road!

They do great work caring for rescued monkeys and educating about wildlife conservation. The staff are passionate about their work. Beautiful location, old Victorian house, wildlife gardens, overlooking the sea, surrounded by big old trees. The vegetarian cafe is a perfect place for a drink, snack or meal. Most things are outside, including the cafe, so go on a fine day and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

Small but a worth while visit to help this great charity. Staff are awesome and show a lot of compassion for what they are trying to achieve. Also reasonable priced. One note monkeys don't like to come out in the rain.

Friendly staff, make sure you go there on the main roads, we went the back way to the sanctuary, was twisty roads.

Amazing talks about the monkeys must listen to their talks

A great place and they're doing fantastic word with rescue monkeys.

Great little place to visit when the weather is nice

Small monkey sanctuary with not that many monkeys and only two varieties. Over priced for what you get.

As a sanctuary and conservation project it can't be faulted but for young children, we had two 2 year olds, it's not appropriate which is probably reflected in the fact that under 4s are free. Also feels like it's seen better days and now needs some inspired leadership to sympathetically blend their worthwhile objectives with the expectations of todays holidaymakers.

Loved this small sanctuary. There are knowledgeable staff at each enclosure giving the experiance the personal touch. Even with my mobility issue I got to see all the monkeys. I did not see the gardens or the play area . They also do crafts. There is a cafe, with cuddley monkeys ,magnets etc for sale. Entry price lets you visit as many times as you wish in 12 months .

Excellent place learnt alot from the staff as they r so friendly

The roads up are narrow with hardly any spaces to pull in to allow for passing cars. It made for a stressful start before we even arrived.
The staff are great and very insightful and knowledgeable. Our visit lasted about 2 hours, didn't really need longer than that.

Great place. If you are expecting a monkey zoo, you will be disappointed. Though they have little to show, they show what they do have very well. The best part was hearing the stories of the rescued monkeys from their handlers. The surroundings are perfect with a well thought-out walk. Keep up the great work.

My daughter bought me a keeper for the day experience voucher. It was a great day. The staff were amazing. Went out of their way to make me feel welcome. They were very passionate about the primates they cared for. I wish I was young again. I would certainly be a volunteer there. Thank you for my lovely day.

Didn't visit the Monkey sanctuary but stopped off at the Cafe whilst walking the coastal path. It was half an hour before closing and we were only after a drink and small snack. All the staff were obviously tidying up to get off on time and we were made to feel unwelcome.

Fabulous place to visit. All money goes to an amazing cause. And the site is absolutely stunning.

Only a small place but the staff are very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. The grounds offer a nice short (but fairly steep) walk also.

Waste of money, way too overpriced for what it is, so small and can hardly see anything anyway. Cafe was closed. Pointless. Don t waste your time.