A Day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

This past Saturday, 14/03/2026, I spent the day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, and as a multi-genre photographer, I have to admit—it almost feels like cheating.

Here you are, surrounded by incredible animals, all in large, beautifully maintained enclosures, giving you a captive audience that’s perfect for capturing shots you’d normally need to travel halfway across the world to get.

Among my favourites for the day were the cheetahs, as sleek and as ever, and the Amur tiger, whose gaze alone could fill a frame.

Cheetah

Amur Tiger

I also have a soft spot for the lemurs—their playful energy makes them impossible not to love. Although, he doesn't look too happy here:

Lemur

A personal highlight was finally seeing the hyena with her cub for the first time, a rare treat that added an extra layer of excitement this time, as we usually don't get to see them at all.

Spotted Hyena

Spotted Hyena Cub

Of course, that’s just a small selection of what’s on offer—there’s so much to see and do that the park makes for a really fun-filled day out.

For anyone looking to capture their own wildlife shots here, I tend to use a few camera settings that really work: a fast shutter speed to freeze movement, around f/8 for good depth of field, and Auto ISO to handle changing light as you move around the park. With these, you can get crisp, sharp shots without missing the moment.

All in all, a day at Yorkshire Wildlife Park is both fun and inspiring—a chance to enjoy wildlife up close while practising your photography skills in a way that’s both challenging and forgiving. Whether you’re a pro, an amateur like me or just someone who loves animals, it’s well worth a visit.

Amur Tiger