Cheryl gives animal-loving son a safari park treat on second Christmas without his dad Liam Payne

It was named after a wild animal; so a New Year’s safari to meet its namesake was the perfect treat.

In fact, Bear Payne’s mother, Cheryl Tweedy, was so keen to give him a memorable Christmas following the death of his father, Liam, nearly 15 months ago that she took him to meet his favorite animals; It was something he and the late One Direction singer shared a love of.

The eight-year-old, wearing a gray down jacket and matching hat suitable for the dropping temperatures, was invited on a three-night trip to Port Lympne, a safari park in Kent, where he looked “thrilled” when he came face to face with park residents.

Bear took the former Girls Aloud star on a two-and-a-half-hour ‘ultimate safari’ open safari tour in a Land Rover for £110 per person. Also present were Ms Tweedy’s mother Joan and younger brother Garry, whom she described as her “rock” after Liam died after falling from his hotel balcony in October 2024, aged just 31.

In addition to meeting the spectacled bears that inspired Paddington, another famous bear, Bear was also able to sleep next to tigers.

Cheryl Tweedy’s son Bear fed giraffes during safari experience

The group seemed especially excited when they reached the African section of the park and spotted sculptural Nubian giraffes nearby, which guests could feed as part of the experience.

The bear was seen looking up in surprise as the animals lowered their heads to reach the food.

Miss Tweedy, who first met Liam when he was a contestant on talent show The

Viewers told The Mail on Sunday that Bear ‘looked excited’ and ‘couldn’t quite absorb what he was seeing’ as he and his mum enjoyed the safari.

One guest said: ‘They all looked really fascinated, especially Bear. This must be a great treat for him.

‘It must be so sad. ‘There’s no dad for Christmas so it was lovely to see Cheryl doing her best to make sure there was a smile on her face.’

The family group seemed especially excited when they arrived at the African section of the park and spotted the statuesque Nubian giraffes nearby.

Cheryl prepares to exit Land Rover during safari experience

Cheryl was wearing a long brown puffer jacket and a sheepskin-lined trapper-style hat with the earflaps down.

While the singer is determined to raise his only child intact (he will one day inherit Liam’s £30million fortune), their stay was luxurious.

Mrs Tweedy, whose fortune is said to be around £10 million, could easily afford to take her only son abroad on safari, but the group couldn’t have looked happier at the park, which is owned by conservation charity the Aspinall Foundation.

She and Bear, along with her wider family, stayed in a private £3,000-a-night glass-sided ‘tiger lodge’ where guests could see the magnificent creatures roaming the immediate surroundings.

In fact, many guests wake up to find the animals at their windows, in what the park describes as an ‘unforgettable experience’.

Bear and his family also enjoyed some of the park’s other delights during their visit, including an illuminated walk, a vintage-inspired funfair and lighting installations that have previously attracted other celebrity fans such as Holly Willoughby, Carrie and Boris Johnson.

And there were other treats waiting for Bear. He would no doubt be thrilled to see the dinosaur models in the park, which are thought to resemble the three dinosaurs his father bought on eBay and later installed in the backyard of his Buckinghamshire mansion.

The group couldn’t have looked happier at the park, which is owned by conservation charity Aspinall Foundation.

The eight-year-old fed the giraffes wearing a gray puffer jacket and a matching hat for the dropping temperatures.

Liam Payne was with Bear after his birth in 2017. Although Liam and Cheryl split in 2018, father and son shared an unbreakable bond when Bear was just two years old.

Father and son spent hours playing with the statues, while little Bear was playfully ‘poking his head’ at his father.

‘They had both been fascinated with dinosaurs since Bear was very young,’ said a friend.

Cheryl and Liam met in 2015 following the end of her marriage to French businessman Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini.

Although the couple separated in 2018, when Bear was just two years old, there was an unbreakable bond between father and son. Since the singer’s death at the Casa Sur Palmero hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he has suffered multiple traumas and traces of alcohol, cocaine and antidepressants were detected in his system, Ms Tweedy was determined Bear would never forget his father.

Friends say Bear ‘goes to great lengths’ to make sure there are reminders of Liam in his life, ensuring he remains close to Liam’s parents Karen and Geoff, as well as his sisters Ruth and Nicola.

And of course, she will never forget the touching legacy that Liam left to his young children: his love of animals.