There are lots of zoos in the UK that are charities and many of them have fun activities happening throughout the summer. We've taken a closer look at why you should visit some of our favourite zoos.
If you’ve ever wondered what the animals get up to when the gates close and the visitors go home, then find out first hand thanks to London Zoo’s Sunset Safari. This unique experience allows you to visit the zoo when the sun is going down and see the zoo in a whole new way.
The sunset safari takes place every Friday throughout the summer and you can choose between guided tours or walking along the safari trails. There will also be a range of food vendors offering cuisine from around the world, plus an acoustic guitar performance to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Edinburgh zoo is home to a very special couple, giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang! Giant Pandas are endangered in the wild, and this loving couple are the only giant pandas in the UK. The pandas are on a 10 year loan and will be at Edinburgh Zoo until 2012 as part of a conservation project that plans to help reintroduce this special species back into the wild.
If pandas aren’t enough to entice you to pay a visit, then you may be interested to know that Edinburgh Zoo is also home to the UK’s only koalas. The koala group was originally made up of 2 males and a female until the UK’s first baby Joey was born in 2013.
Paignton Zoo allows you to see in areas of the zoo that aren’t available on foot thanks to their Jungle Express. The railway has been around since 1940 and gives your whole family a chance to see Gorilla Island, plus the lions and tigers, from a different point of view.
If you want to chill out after your fun ride on the miniature train then you can walk their nature trail which starts near Lemur Wood. The enchanting trail leads winds around a stream and gives you a chance to see some natural English wildlife before returning to the zoo’s exotic creatures.
This summer Bristol Zoo is becoming bug themed! 13 huge animatronic bugs that move, hiss and spray water will be placed around the zoo, including a giant grasshopper, emperor scorpion, red tailed bumble bee and a mexican red kneed tarantula.
The zoo have also created a special Bug Ranger app that you can download before arriving to help you to track the location of the giant bugs. Once you’ve found a bug there will be a code next to it that you can scan on the app to unlock lots of cool features!
To find more zoo charities search our directory here.
