Knowsley Safari Park: Our Safari Drive and Wildlife Photography Experience

Knowsley Safari Park gave us the opportunity to experience two very different kinds of wildlife visit in the same day: a safari drive through large animal enclosures and a walking section with smaller animals, giraffes and live displays. For me, it was also an excellent opportunity to use a long telephoto lens on subjects that are normally difficult to approach.

This article is built around the photographs I took during that visit. They show only part of what can be seen at Knowsley, but they give a realistic impression of the variety—from deer, camels and large grazing animals to the lioness, monkeys, meerkats, giraffes and birds of prey.

Short verdict: Knowsley Safari is easy to recommend for families, animal lovers and photographers. The combination of driving and walking creates a fuller day than a conventional zoo visit, although visitors must follow the current vehicle and animal-safety instructions carefully.

Where is Knowsley Safari Park?

Knowsley Safari is in Prescot, Merseyside, at Prescot L34 4AN. It should not be confused with Preston, which is farther north. The attraction is within practical driving distance of Liverpool and other parts of North West England.

Opening times, ticket prices, animal displays and individual attractions can change with the season. Rather than relying on an old timetable, check the official Knowsley Safari website before travelling. The official site separates the experience into Safari Drive and Foot Safari and provides current information about access, food, events and facilities.

Our Safari Drive experience

The driving section is what makes Knowsley feel different from an ordinary wildlife park. Instead of viewing every animal from a path, you travel through large areas in your own vehicle. During our visit, we saw deer and stags, large grazing animals, camels, a lioness and monkeys among the animals along the route.

Photographing from a vehicle changes the way you work. You cannot always choose the perfect angle or background, and another vehicle may need to move before the animal does. The advantage is that some animals are comfortable near the road, allowing detailed portraits without leaving the safety of the car.

The lioness and larger animals

One of the most memorable sightings was the lioness. A long lens allowed me to frame her closely while maintaining the distance imposed by the safari route. Encounters like this are the reason a telephoto zoom is so useful: the subject can fill the frame without the photographer disturbing it or attempting to move closer.

The drive also brought us close to bulls and camels. They were not all moving dramatically or posing against perfect scenery, but that is part of honest wildlife photography. A resting animal can still provide an interesting portrait through its size, expression, coat and relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The monkey section: protect the car and follow the rules

The monkey area is entertaining, but it deserves preparation. The animals may climb onto vehicles and investigate anything they can reach. During our visit, the practical advice was to keep the windows closed and avoid operating the windscreen wipers because monkeys can damage them.

Visitors should always follow the instructions displayed at the entrance and any directions from the park staff, because procedures can change. Anyone who does not want to take a car through this section should check the current route and alternative options before visiting.

Exploring the Foot Safari

After the driving route, the experience continues on foot. This section gives visitors a different pace and the opportunity to spend more time watching individual animals. During our visit, we saw meerkats, giraffes and other animals housed in areas designed for viewing from the walking route.

Meerkats are excellent photographic subjects because their alert posture and frequent changes of direction create expressive moments. Giraffes present the opposite challenge: their height makes composition and background control more difficult, but it also creates distinctive portraits.

Birds of prey display

I missed the sea lion show on this visit, but I did see the birds of prey display. Flying birds require faster reactions than the animals resting beside the safari route. A long zoom helps isolate the bird, while a sufficiently fast shutter speed is needed to control motion blur.

The camera and lens used for these photographs

I took every photograph in this article with my Sony A7R II and a Sony 200–600mm telephoto zoom. This was my own camera system at the time, before I later moved from the Sony A7R II to the Olympus OM-1 system.

The A7R II’s high-resolution full-frame sensor gave me room to crop when an animal could not be framed perfectly from the car. The 200–600mm range was particularly useful for the lioness, giraffe portraits and birds, although it is a large lens to manoeuvre inside a vehicle.

You can read my Sony A7R II review for more about the camera I used here. My later Olympus OM-1 real-world review explains the system I eventually moved to.

Practical photography tips for Knowsley Safari

• Clean the inside and outside of the car windows before entering; reflections and dirt can reduce contrast.
• Keep the camera ready before an animal approaches because stopping and positioning options may be limited.
• Use a fast shutter speed for moving animals and flying birds.
• Avoid pressing the lens against the window, which can transfer vibration to the camera.
• Photograph through an open window only where the park explicitly permits it.
• Do not call, feed or disturb animals to obtain a photograph.
• Bring a spare battery and enough memory-card capacity for bursts and repeated attempts.

Facilities and planning the day

When we visited, the attraction provided parking, toilets, places to buy food and drinks, shops and facilities for children. Specific activities, talks and displays may vary, so it is better to check the current schedule rather than build the day around information from an older visit.

Allow enough time for both parts of the experience. Rushing through the drive can mean missing animals that are resting away from the road, while the walking section deserves time of its own. Weather also changes the experience: animals may be more or less active, and photography from the car becomes more difficult in heavy rain.

Is Knowsley Safari Park worth visiting?

Yes. Our visit offered plenty of variety. The Safari Drive creates the excitement of seeing large animals from the car, while the Foot Safari allows a slower look at giraffes, meerkats and displays.

For photographers, it is a useful environment in which to practise timing, autofocus and telephoto composition while respecting the safety boundaries around the animals. For families and casual visitors, it provides a full day with enough variety to keep the experience moving.

The photographs above are not stock images or manufacturer samples. They are my own images from the visit, made with equipment I personally owned and used. Knowsley Safari gave me memorable subjects and a strong set of wildlife photographs, and I would happily recommend the experience.