Drusilla's Park

In a medium-sized pen, they have a pair of Asian Short-Clawed Otters. The female, who is about 7, was bred at Drusillas, and her mate, who is about two, came from London Zoo - he is a remarkably handsome otter! They have had a litter of cubs, and when I went, the cubs were starting to come out at feeding time. They are very cute and fluffy. The pond has been drained so they can't come to grief, but they still make a beeline for it and fall in. Their mother scoops them out, and chivvies them back to the den, but as soon as her back is turned, they spill out again and rush to the water! Their den can be viewed by the public but to minimize disturbance, a wooden baffle with eye holes cut in it has been fitted over the window. Their enclosure has lots of different areas within it - sand, gravel, mud, a pond, rocks, pebbles, bamboo, grass and so on - and the keepers often hide food around it to give the otters some fun. Just at the moment, they aren't doing this, though, to cut down the time spent in the enclosure and give the mother and cubs some peace.

The zoo also has two male Canadian Otters, in a nearby enclosure. They have quite a lot of space (less than at the New Forest Otters and Owls Park, but a lot compared to other places), with a large pond, grass and trees. They are called Vic and Bob.

There is plenty of car parking, several cafes and gift shops, benches to sit on, a miniature railway, miniature golf, and lots of other things to do as well as the animals. There is a rather clever sensory trail round the zoo.

Drusillas Park is in the Cuckmere Valley at Alfriston, East Sussex. It is very easy to find, just off the A27, about 7 miles from Eastbourne and 12 miles from Brighton, near the Long Man of Wilmington ancient monument.

I last visited Drusillas in August 2003.