I visited Dundee’s Camperdown Wildlife Centre and it was a truly special experience
- Andrew Batchelor
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
There’s something truly special about getting to experience a place from the other side of the fence.
Today, I had the incredible opportunity to go behind the scenes at Camperdown Wildlife Centre, meeting the dedicated keepers, learning about the centre’s conservation work and, perhaps best of all, helping to feed some of its amazing animal residents.
For many people, wildlife centres can sometimes be misunderstood. Questions are often raised about why animals are kept in human care, but spending time with the team at Camperdown quickly demonstrated that every animal has its own story, and many simply would not survive if they were living in the wild.
Some of the animals were born in managed care and have never developed the instincts needed to survive independently.
Others have permanent disabilities or injuries that make life in the wild impossible. Among them are birds that can no longer fly, while several species are also part of wider conservation programmes designed to help protect endangered populations through carefully managed breeding and, where appropriate, future release initiatives.
It was fascinating to learn just how much thought, planning and specialist care goes into looking after every single resident.
Behind every enclosure is an experienced team whose day revolves around animal welfare, enrichment, nutrition and ensuring each species can display as many of its natural behaviours as possible.
One of the standout moments of the visit was meeting Camperdown’s much-loved European brown bear siblings – Brum, Brumma and Maja.
Watching the trio up close while helping to feed them was an unforgettable experience. I scattered out apples, pears, oranges, celery, carrots and parsnips like a treasure hunt for them - and when they finally came out, they immediately found them
Seeing their different personalities emerge during feeding time gave a real appreciation for these magnificent animals, and it was impossible not to admire both their power and their playful nature.
The bears weren’t the only stars of the day.
Feeding the giant tortoises quickly turned into one of the funniest moments of the visit after they decided my Adidas Superstars looked remarkably similar to mushrooms, leaving me having to gently rescue my trainers from becoming lunch.
The centre’s mother-and-daughter gibbons were equally memorable, greeting us with incredible curiosity and energy. I fed them grapes and it was a beautiful interaction.
The resident hornbills put on a fascinating display of natural behaviour as the male carefully passed food across to the female in what felt like an impromptu game of catch.
I also met two greater rheas who were so beautiful, we fed them grapes and they were so energetic! You can tell that they adapt so well with human interaction.
Another highlight came with the chance to hand-feed two of the centre’s lemurs.
Standing just inches away as they gently took food from my hands was a wonderful reminder of just how intelligent and charismatic these animals are.
Although visitors see the finished experience when they walk around the wildlife centre, what often goes unnoticed is the enormous amount of work taking place behind the scenes.
From preparing specialist diets and maintaining habitats to monitoring animal health and creating enrichment activities that stimulate natural behaviours, the keepers’ work is varied, demanding and deeply rewarding. Their passion for the animals is evident in every conversation, and it is clear that welfare always comes first.
Camperdown Wildlife Centre continues to play an important role within Dundee, not only as a family attraction but also as a centre for education, conservation and wildlife care.
Every visit helps support that work while giving people the chance to connect with species from around the world and better understand the challenges many face in the wild.
Leaving the wildlife centre, I came away with far more than a collection of photographs and videos. I left with a genuine appreciation for the expertise, compassion and dedication shown by every member of staff, and a much greater understanding of the important role modern wildlife centres can play in conservation.
It was an unforgettable experience, and one that perfectly reminded me why I love telling the stories of the people and places that make Dundee such a remarkable city.
