About us
Watatunga is a stunning reserve based in West Norfolk, covering over 170 acres of woodland, grassland, wetland and lakes.
The diverse habitat at Watatunga makes an ideal environment for all of our animals to thrive, including over twenty types of deer and antelope and rare bird species. Our aim is for our animals to live as natural lives as possible, with the space and freedom to roam at their will.
We welcome families for safari stays & tours of endangered species, and access to the reserve is via pre-booked guided tour. We also offer private tours for small groups in our electric buggies or large groups in our safari trailer.
Tours, experiences and stays
Buggy Tours
With over 170 acres of Norfolk Wetland, Watatunga is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of deer, antelope and birds, so we welcome visitors to experience the reserve via guided tours in self-drive electric buggies. This means that they can fully immerse themselves in the Watatunga experience and get up close and personal with some of our animals and nature, with the wellbeing of our animals is firmly at the centre of the visitor experience.
Trailer Tours
We take pride in offering a wheelchair accessible trailer that provides a comfortable and inclusive experience for all. This specially designed trailer is capable of accommodating one wheelchair user and two additional guests, ensuring that everyone can enjoy our tours together. The trailer is conveniently towed behind the guide’s buggy, allowing for seamless integration into our operations.
Group Tours
Watatunga is renowned for its conservation efforts, so you’ll gain invaluable insights into our acclaimed team’s work and witness firsthand the incredible results of their dedication. These captivating journeys through our expansive reserve are accompanied by our expert guide, offering a unique and personal perspective on our ongoing conservation endeavours and the remarkable creatures that coexist with us.
Photography Experiences
The perfect chance for people to get close to nature, extend their photography skills and learn more about the work we do, whether a budding photographer, seasoned pro or just keen on wildlife! Our photography experiences take visitors up close to some amazing birds, deer and antelope. These include unique opportunities to leave the trailer and approach the subjects on foot under the supervision of our expert guides.
BBQ Hut
With a newly erected stretch tent around the BBQ area, we are pleased to be able to offer a private tour followed by a BBQ experience overlooking our stunning lake, allowing people to relax and take in the peaceful ambience of the wildlife reserve, while enjoying the BBQ.
Corporate Events
We now welcome organisations to visit Watatunga for the day, for client meetings, colleague away days and team building experiences.
Stays
Every day at Watatunga is different and visitors can also experience the variety of the reserve than by booking one of our newly renovated holiday cottages. Guests staying in the Stable Cottage, Gate Lodge or Major’s Lodge are welcomed on a complimentary guided tour of the reserve the morning after their arrival to learn about the animals and their conservation stories. Unsupervised use of our electric buggies is exclusive to guests booked into our holiday accommodation to ensure that their experience of the reserve is unique and undisturbed, experiencing the magic of Watatunga’s wildlife at their leisure.
Opportunities
Our team is immensely privileged to work with many endangered species at Watatunga and are passionate about sharing the importance of this work with the conservationists of the future.
As a passionate supporter of sustainable tourism, we are cultivating an ethos that echoes the very definition of it, which is to “provide authentic tourist experiences that celebrate and conserve heritage and culture, protecting natural environments, wildlife and natural resources when developing and managing tourism activities.” As part of our sustainability, we keep the stocking density of the reserve in balance with nature – this means that we minimise supplementary feeding with feed that is often heavy in soy products and we keep numbers of animals in line with what the trees, grasses and browsing material in the reserve can support. At times, usually early spring, this may result in a species being off-site to protect the balance and regrowth of the flora within the reserve.
Watatunga Education
The UK is short of 40,000 STEM graduates every year. By engaging young people with the stories of our animals and their threatened habitats, we demonstrate the important role that each one of them could play in the future of conservation. As part of our drive on sustainability, we also provide educational programmes for school children and young people. We understand that to be sustainable, we must involve and educate the younger generations to ensure our conservation efforts continue into the future. To find out more about our education programmes, visit our website's education page.
Vacancies
Watatunga is home to the largest collection of deer and antelope species within the UK. We also have many different species of waterfowl, cranes, pheasant & Great Bustard. Animal welfare is at the forefront of everything that we do. Our animals are free to roam within our 170-acre reserve, whereby guests can visit on pre-booked buggy tours. Having only been open to the public since 2020, It is an incredibly exciting time to be involved.
Follow us here on icanbea... for the latest vacancies at the reserve, as well as insights into conservation and our line of work.
