A popular wild animal park is set to welcome guests back when lockdown ends.

Port Lympne Reserve near Hythe will reopen its doors to pre-booked visitors from Thursday December 3.

The popular reserve will be operating limited services after Kent was placed in Tier 3 today.

Government guidelines on the new restrictions mean that game reserves can reopen across the country, as long as they adhere to other rules.

This will mean that safaris will not be running in the park, while catering facilities will only be operating a takeaway service.

All accommodation at the reserve will also be closed until further guidance, while the new restaurant 'The Garden Room' is closed until further notice.

To find out more about what Tier 3 means for you, click here.

"We take the safety of our guests, animals and staff very seriously"

A Port Lympne spokesman said: "We have been hard at work preparing all 600 acres of Port Lympne to ensure that you can enjoy a fun day out in the stunning Kent countryside.

"Our beautiful Reserve is the largest in Kent, offering huge amounts of outdoor space to explore and enjoy.

"We take the safety of our guests, animals and staff very seriously and have taken extensive measures following the latest government advice regarding COVID-19, to ensure that visits are safe and enjoyable.

"Please note that safaris are not running at this time and all non-concession tickets must be purchased online, in advance of your visit.

"Park members and Season Ticket holders must also pre-book their visit to allow us to responsibly manage visitor numbers."

Bosses at the reserve and its sister site at Howletts in Canterbury had previously launched an appeal to help the reserves survive lockdown and continue to feed their animals.

In addition, after the first lockdown was introduced, the charity began working on one of their most ambitious projects to date - the rehoming of a family of brown bears from an Andorran zoo and three lions, Mojito, Timothy and Anthares, who were rescued from a circus in France.

Staff say Mojito and Timothy were rescued from the 'cruel clutches' of Circus Wonderland where they were 'deliberately underfed to keep them weak and small enough' to use for photoshoots.

As a result of this poor treatment, Mojito will require specialised care for the rest of his life.

Anthares was confiscated from another circus where he was forced to perform and lived in a 'tiny, filthy trailer'.

Port Lympne was then alerted to the plight of Julio, Enciam and Neu - three brown bears who will soon be homeless, along with their three young cubs.

The bear family’s current home is an adventure park in Andorra, which will soon be closing their zoo and this young family desperately needs a forever home where their cubs will be safe to grow up.

Managing director Tony Kelly said: "With the announcement of the second lockdown, not only are we fighting to feed our animals but we also want to be able to offer the lions Mojito, Timothy and Anthares and the bears Julio, Enciam, Neu and their babies a permanent and safe home.

"However, without help and donations from the public we are struggling to fulfil our desire to rescue these animals and feed those animals already under our care."

The creation of new sanctuaries for Mojito, Timothy, Anthares, Julio, Enciam, Neu and their cubs will cost £250,000.

There are various ways to help; donations can be made via the organisation's Animal Support Fund, by purchasing a Care Package for Animals from £5 or by Adopting An Animal with The Aspinall Foundation.

Read more: All the latest news from Hythe