Opened in 1983, it is an independently funded, not-for-profit charity that is one of the leading tourism, wildlife and conservation attractions in Ireland.

Fota Wildlife Park also has red pandas, tapirs, siamang gibbons and other types of animals.

Fota Wildlife Park became a joint project of the Zoological Society of Ireland and University College Cork.

This device suspends food items on a wire that travels 10 feet (3.0 m) off the ground, at approximately 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph).

[14][15] The animals and birds at Fota Wildlife Park originate from a variety of habitats, a number of which are threatened with degradation through human activity.

[16][17] The 'African Savannah' paddock is home to ostrich, Grant's zebra, scimitar-horned oryx and Rothschild's giraffe breeds.

[19] A number of aquatic bird species (including penguins, Chilean flamingos, and great white pelicans) are found in wetlands around the park's 'Monkey Island' section, which itself houses black howler, Colombian spider monkeys, and Siamang gibbon and lemur species.