We are excited to announce that we will be re-opening our doors to visitors on the 4th July 2020. We'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support over these past three months. We are immensely excited to welcome you back!

Throughout lockdown, core staff have been working nonstop to prepare for a fully COVID compliant reopening. We saw, and took, the opportunity to go further and make exciting major improvements to many of our facilities and exhibits.

In between feeding, cleaning, health checks and enrichment activities for the zoo’s two thousand creatures, staff have rolled up their sleeves to make the changes required to ensure visitors could return in safety and comfort.

We've knocked down walls to create separate entrance, exit and wide, one-way walkways.

Returning visitors will also enjoy the zoo’s fully refurbished ‘evolutionary journey’ walkway, leading to an aquarium corridor featuring four new marine exhibit tanks. New reptile enclosures in the tropical hall increase face to face interaction, and the zoo also promises the patter of tiny paws, with new spring babies!

Our zoo has always been scrupulous about hygiene and, with new mascot Sally the Safety Salamander pointing out increased handwashing stations and easy distancing paw-prints on the floor, our new important safety guidelines are as clear and fun for youngsters as possible.

With most animals missing visitor interaction and entertainment, Jack, Grace, Matt and Neil have been busy giving them extra attention, food puzzles, and refreshed enclosure layouts. It’s important to get the animals ready for a return to the zoo’s usual level of noise and bustle, so over the next few days, keepers will be deliberately trying to make lots more clatter!

With the indoor café initially remaining closed, visitors will be encouraged to drink their takeaway coffees in front of the ‘miniature monkeys’ exhibit, as these sociable primates have missed outside company the most.

While popular group keeper talks are suspended, these will be played on 10 large TV screens around the site, so no one will miss out, and keepers will of course be available for the usual queries and chat.

Zoo Manager Jack has said “Of course it’s been incredibly tough and scary, but belief and our amazing supporters have not only got us through, but revealed silver linings. Thank you to everyone whose generosity (through food donations and an incredible £20,000 fundraising campaign) has enabled us to keep going."

“We value our staff and visitors too much to risk shortcuts. We are exceeding official government and zoo guidelines. Everyone here is so excited to be unveiling an even better zoo, we cannot wait to welcome our wonderful visitors back through the gates again!”