I told you this blog post would involve preparing lunch! Our last task of the morning was to scrub the penguin pool - with some little helpers! We each had a long-handled brush and went around the edge of the pool scrubbing off the poo stains. A couple of friendly penguins followed us around to keep an eye on us. And they were happy to meet us afterwards! I got to stroke Ricky the Rockhopper penguin which was really cool.
Finally we got to sit down and eat our own lunch. The zoo has a number of catering outlets, including a milkshake bar, a cafe and a hotdog kiosk, and this summer will be opening a new Terrace Restaurant.
In the meantime it has a temporary restaurant called the Pavillion, which is where we ate. It had a really good choice of food - sandwiches and snacks, and several hot meals on offer, including pizza, pasta, meat and fish.
I had fish in a pesto sauce with some roast potatoes there were also new potatoes , though the only vegetable available was peas which I don't like. There was a good selection of cakes including a 'tiger cupcake'; I chose a millionaire's shortbread. So I would always recommend to families visiting the zoo to take a picnic, though the food was very nice and I've had far worse for the same sort of cost when I've been out and about.
After lunch we discovered we had finished with the most tiring chores for the day and for the rest of the afternoon were just going to be feeding different animals. Well, 'just' isn't the word for it Members of the public have to stay behind a fence, then there is a gap between that and the actual fence of the monkey enclosure.
We were allowed into the gap so we went right up to the monkeys and fed them handfuls of nuts through the bars of the cage, much to the envy of some onlookers!
Our next job was to feed the zoo's two anteaters. While they were shut into their cages we went into the outdoor part of their enclosure and put down a bowl of food - a soup-like mixture that apparently mimics the nutrients they would get from eating ants in the wild. Then we retreated to the viewing platform as Karen let the anteaters out. They didn't seem all that hungry though - one of them stayed inside and the other only had a little food.
Which was good news for us, as it meant we had to go inside and feed them by hand! The anteaters get very messy noses from sticking their snouts in the bowl of 'soup' and they have to be cleaned off afterwards! Their reward for enduring having their noses sponged off is to have a treat I'm really squeamish and didn't want them in my hand so they were placed in a plastic bottle.
I wasn't sure how the anteaters would be able to get to the mealworms but they have freakishly long tongues, that whip around inside the bottles to get each last worm. I was a bit disappointed to learn we wouldn't be working with the big cats, as it did say that on the website for the zookeeper experience which I have suggested they change! Karen explained it was because a new tiger enclosure had just been built and they hadn't yet assessed the best way of giving people on the zookeeper experience access to a safe part of the enclosure.
It was a shame, though I was quite pleased that we were going to see the llamas and alpacas instead as I love those animals - but it wasn't quite the same as lions and tigers! The llamas were quite friendly but the alpacas were much more shy. I have a bit of a thing about alpacas, I just love their crazy hairstyles! We fed them pieces of fruit and veg - they seemed to particularly like corn on the cob. Onto the meerkats I was a bit disappointed we couldn't go inside their enclosure as I know other zoos do offer 'meet the meerkats' experiences so they can't be that unfriendly but we fed them by leaning over the side of the enclosure.
Don't ask me what we fed them, I still shudder. Oh, OK. Live mealworms and locusts - the other girls were happy to put their hand in the bag of insects and scoop some out but I couldn't bear to do that.
Karen the zookeeper gave me a plastic glove to put on, and put some into my hand, and I have to admit that I squealed and dropped them- at least I dropped them in front of the meerkats who gladly devoured them. I hate insects Our last encounter was probably my favourite, as we went inside the glass-fronted lemur enclosure.
The lemurs were really friendly - and greedy! We had handfuls of fruit, peas and nuts and the lemurs sat on our laps while they took food out of our hands. They liked the apple pieces best of all, and were quite fickle - as soon as one lemur had eaten all the apple pieces you had, he would spring over to the next 'zookeeper' and see if they had any apple. Only when all the apple was gone did they come back and finish off the nuts! We also placed handfuls of food inside hanging balls that would swing backwards and forwards when the lemurs tried to get the food out, which I imagine provides more stimulation for them.
Here I am with another lemur. Overall I had a wonderful day. I thought the activities and encounters were good and well thought-through in terms of what we were able to do - we definitely took care of some tasks that needed doing so it wasn't all just playing with the animals. Not being able to see the big cats, or go in with the meerkats, was a little disappointing but I loved being able to feed the giraffes, anteaters and llamas, stroke a penguin and have a bunch of monkeys sitting on my lap!
The 'be a zookeeper' day is expensive but an amazing experience and I highly recommend it. GeorgeXgr London, UK contributions.
A acre zoo, in the north side of Regent Park that will keep you busy a whole day and you will really have fun either going with friends or having kids with you. Grab a free map in the entrance ticket price quite fair for the size of the zoo and explore the different organized areas; there is a gorilla kingdom, a tiger territory,a lions land, a penguins beach, a bugs building, an aquirium, the butterflies land, into the africa section, meerkats, monkeys and so many more.
In many instances you can even walk and be in a breath distance from many of these animals. Why not become a member of ZSL and enjoy free fast-track entry for a year to London and Whipsnade Zoo as well as other exclusive benefits such as discounts in our shops and cafes. Animals super - but advice on parking, tickets and food. We parents of children aged 6 and 8 were bought a gift family ticket as a Christmas present by my in-laws and used it today.
We drove, and on arrival on the Outer Circle of Regent's Park we thought we might park in a pay and display bay, as we had done once before when we visited on a Sunday, but then realised that it is for only four hours on weekdays, so not realistic.
There was plenty of space. Although the attendant in the office by the barrier asked us if we already had tickets, he didn't ask to see them. I don't know what the position would be if you didn't have any. The website doesn't make that clear. Worth checking with them if you don't plan to book tickets in advance.
With regard to tickets, we were very worried as we drove past the huge queue that snaked its way a very long way back along the road. It looked like about an hour's wait, if you were lucky. We decided that if possible we would upgrade our gift tickets to fast track ones. This we did and we went straight through. There would have been no point at all getting 'fast track tickets' as even with our standard ones we went straight through.
Bear in mind this was on a nice day in the middle of August, so peak time. I am absolutely baffled as to why so many hundreds of people hadn't bought their tickets online in advance. A reviewer below mentions Tesco vouchers, so maybe this is a reason people queue as perhaps they save even more money, but if you are doing this route I would seriously bear in mind the wisdom of waiting in such a long queue, maybe on a hot day with young children.
I would strongly recommend avoiding this waste of your time, money, and avoiding stressed children, by getting your e-tickets online, which will be for your nominated day or get somebody to buy them as gift tickets well in advance, as they need to be posted, and then you can choose any day for a year in which to visit! So, we sailed in and proceeded to have a fantastic day seeing all the creatures. I do have some concerns about zoos and wild creatures being kept in captivity, but I know this is so often done for conservation and educational reasons, and while visiting here I had no concerns as it was very apparent that the 'enclosures' and habitats for these creatures were very well-maintained and designed.
Where concerns might possibly be raised there were boards up explaining why this was the case e. There was nothing to overly concern. Enclosures and space were large for all creatures we saw. There are just so many creatures! It is amazing to see them all and find that many are only found on particular islands. You can see them all so easily, and there is just the right amount of information given. We loved them all, from the stick insects to the tigers to the penguins to the tiny hummingbirds.
Impossible to choose a favourite. The new Tiger experience was the only slight disappointment - not because it was a poor enclosure, as it was huge, with so many different viewing platforms and opportunities, but on our visit we did only see the one tiger sitting on a ledge, despite the fact that several are there and they have a good enclosure to roam. We realise that they were all asleep out of sight somewhere, as is their right, but just be warned, do not come here with the expectation that you are guaranteed great close-up views in this new and extensively-advertised exhibit, or you may be disappointed.
In short the animals are varied, great and easy to see, with many in some exhibits actually running around in front of you naturally with no 'cages'. The staff too are great, particularly the volunteers who helpfully man various exhibits and explain to you what to look for. Finally, the catering! We didn't take a picnic so tried the new Terrace Restaurant. It was huge, with all sorts of varied seating all over the place - inside, outside and on its actual terrace, where we sat. We went on a busy day and there were still plenty of tables available in all locations.
There is a fantastic range of food on offer, from children's lunchboxes to pizzas and roasts and curries and cakes. All was good quality. However, although it is a beautifully designed space with great food options, there are negatives.
The layout of the food serving area means that it doesn't 'flow' properly, so if members of a family are all wanting food from different areas, it is a bit of a scrum to get through.
We and other customers were all hanging on to our trays of food and drinks and our children for dear life as we attempted to negotiate the huge crowd of people all choosing from different areas. Adding lots of people pushing pushchairs into the mix in there made it even harder to get around. The designers didn't imagine it with pushchairs I reckon! At last we made it in safety to a till, but it wasn't a simple process! Nor is it a cheap one. We are quite used to buying lunches for four on family days out, but this one was much higher than usual in cost.
For this they got two very tiny TINY! Very poor value. They were OK taste-wise, but not worth that amount. Much more than normal. I realise it's a top tourist attraction in London but that's not OK.
It's only the quality of the animals that makes me decide to give this a 5 star rather than 4 star rating, due to the high cost of the food. Zoo life is packed full of wonder and amazement, with more than 20, animals and heaps of fun and fascinating facts just waiting to be discovered.
Find yourself face to face with our Asiatic lions in Land of the Lions, get up close in our walkthrough exhibits including In with the Lemurs, Meet the Monkeys and, if you're feeling brave, Europe's only walkthrough spider experience! Your visit helps support our conservation work in the UK and around the world.
What are you waiting for? Experience it for yourself. For more information, check direct with the venue ahead of your visit. Opening hours: From daily. We aim also to make efficient and effective use of available resources to achieve the highest possible standards in everything we do, in the operation of a successful and innovative conservation organisation.
We aim to operate in fair and justifiable ways that do not conflict with our mission or objectives, and which respect the environment. We support and value teamwork and collaboration, strive for fair and equitable treatment of everyone with whom we work and come into contact with, and aim to act with respect and courtesy in all our dealings.
Read more about ZSL's history. Over the years ZSL has been home to many famous animals, including Guy the gorilla, Goldie the golden eagle and Winnie, who became one of the most famous bears in the world. Find out more about ZSL's Famous animals. When London Zoo opened in , Decimus Burton was called on to lay out the grounds and house the animals.
Many other leading architects have since contributed to the built environment of the Zoo, creating a collection of buildings that includes two Grade I and eight Grade II listed structures.
Read more about the ZSL's amazing architecture.
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