A Wild Encounter

Visiting Us

• Are you open for visits?

  Our encounters hub located in South Woodham Ferrers is open 7 days a week by appointment only. Give us a call to check availability 01245 910456

• How many people can visit you?

  Due to the size and layout of our encounters hub we can only accommodate up to 8 guests at any time. This means that your group is the only one on-site, leading to a truly personal experience.

• Is there an age limit to visiting you?

  We do have a minimum age of 3 years for any guests visiting us. Some animals require 5+.

• How do i book a visit to you?

  The best way of booking a visit to us is to either give us a call on 01245 910456, emailing contact@animalisticencounters.com or by sending us a message on Facebook.

Information About Us

• Do you have insurance?

  We are fully insured and have £5m in public liability cover. For more information please contact us.

• Are you licensed?

  Yes we are fully licensed under the The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 by Chelmsford Borough Council with licence number 21/00387/PERANI

• Have your staff been dbs checked?

  All permanent staff who attend encounters are fully DBS checked. However please note we do sometimes have student volunteers accompanying us on encounters who are not DBS checked.

• Do your staff have experience?

  Our staff have a varied range of experience and qualifications including an MSc in Animal Welfare and Conservation, Level 3 in Animal Management and a BSc in Social Work with a focus on children.

• How do i complain?

  If for any reason you feel the need to raise a complaint with us, we would be happy to discuss it with you. Please email the Managing Director Lexi at lexi@animalisticencounters.com or call us on 01245 910456.

Payments & Cancellations

• Do we need to leave a deposit?

  Depending on the type of encounter, we may require a 25% non-refundable deposit or full payment within 48h of confirming your booking.

  In the event that we have to cancel your booking due to unforeseen circumstances then we will refund you in full or reschedule whichever is most suitable to you.

• What payment methods do you support?

  Deposits need to be paid online by card or bank transfer. The outstanding balance can be paid by card, bank transfer or in cash prior to the encounter starting. If any payment is outstanding at the start time of your encounter then the encounter will not take place.

• Can you provide a receipt for my payment?

  Yes, no matter how you pay we are able to provide a receipt. Please contact us for more information.

• Can i cancel my booking?

  In the event that you need to cancel your booking, please let us know at the earliest opportunity. All deposits are non-refundable however in the event that unforeseen circumstances prevent your encounter going ahead, we will endeavour to rebook your encounter at a later date.

• Do you charge for mileage?

  All mileage is charged at 50 pence per mile, based on a round trip to our HQ. Please ensure the venue postcode is accurate when booking. For any encounters where additional charges would be applicable such as the congestion charge we will notify you of this at the time of booking and all extra charges will be included in the price at time of booking.

Our Animals

• Where have your animals come from?

  Around half of the animals we keep have come from responsible breeders or private collections. The other half of the animals we keep have either been rescued or donated to us. Some of the animals rescued or donated are unsuitable for public display and so will live out their lives with us in private.

• Are we able to handle all the animals?

  While we spend a lot of time preparing the animals for public handling, not all of them are suitable or enjoy being directly handled and prefer being stroked only. When making your booking and choosing your animals we will provide information on which animals are suitable for handling and which can be stroked.

• Do the animals bite?

  As with any animal they have the potential to bite. Our animals are trained to take part in encounters and desensitised to the encounter process, however we cannot remove the risk entirely and we constantly seek to minimise that risk throughout the encounter.

• Can we request specific animals?

  Yes we are generally able to take requests for specific animals, however, understandably one of our top priorities is the safety and wellbeing of the animals. While me make every attempt to provide the animals requested, we reserve the right to change animals or take them off display completely in cases where the animal is unwell, stressed or unable to carry out the encounter safely.

Venues

• What requirements and space do you need?

  We require access to an electricity point and clean water facilities and need 4×2 meters in order to setup our tables and equipment.

• How long do you need to setup?

  We require 30 minutes before an after the start and end time of an encounter in order to setup and pack away the animals and equipment safely.

• Do you have risk assessments?

  We complete risk assessments on each and every encounter, these can be provided on request.

• Other animals?

  While we appreciate that you are probably also animal lovers and so have your own pets at home, we require that all animals such as cats & dogs are located in a separate room and have no access to the encounter space while our animals are on site. This is to prevent distress to our animals while they are out on encounters.

• What areas do you cover?

  We generally limit travel to up to 90 minutes from South Woodham Ferrers (CM3 5TG). If you are located outside of this range please get in contact and we may well be able to make a special visit to you.