Have you explored the iconic former Bear Ravine Tecton yet?
We’ve opened it up to visitors, which provides an elevated view of the reindeer herd in their new habitat!
Take a look the next time you’re visiting!
International Orangutan Day
Watch the playful antics of our Bornean family group this International Orangutan Day!
Join us on Wednesday (21) when we’ll be having a belated 2nd birthday party for Jim and Joe as part of our Summer of Celebrations!
Visitors will also be able to find out how we can all do our bit to help save their magnificent wild cousins as well as learning more about Sintang Orangutan Center in Indonesia, where we’ve funded a second Forest School for rescued orangutans.
But for today – we ask you to check the ingredients list on one item in your home. Does it contain palm oil – the biggest threat to the orangutan?
Palm oil is used in half of our supermarket products, especially processed foods, cosmetics and cleaning products.
You can help them by ensuring your shopping only contains sustainably sourced palm oil, which is evident by the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Trademark or Rainforest Alliance logos on packaging – this means it has been responsibly sourced and is also benefitting the environment and local communities.
Happy Birthday to Keshari, who turns 5 today! 🎉
Happy Birthday, Becca & Lana
Six banded armadillos, Becca and Lana, were treated to a special eggy birthday breakfast, as our siblings turn five today!
If you’d like to help celebrate their birthday, did you know you can send them a gift directly from our Amazon wishlist 👉https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23SWM8GBWT5V9?ref_=wl_share
Our keepers have listed specific items they’d particularly love to receive for the armadillos, with current goodies, including a small paddling pool, lick mats and treat dispensers.
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Thank you for all the name suggestions for ‘The Sleepies’ our two Humboldt penguin chicks. Our Bird Team are currently wading through them!
But for now, here’s a video of Michael and Jaws taking part in their first few swimming lessons in the off-show training pool in Penguin Bay.
Watch how they go from waddling around in shallow water for a few seconds on their very first try, to trying to swim while keeping their feet on the floor, to splashing, swimming and diving!
The Bird Team now hope to start gradually introducing them to the rest of the colony – so keep your eyes peeled if you’re visiting over the next few weeks, as you may spot them exploring!
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Our micro pigs have been enjoying a cooling wallow in the recent warm weather – here’s Harley having some fun in the sun! ☀️
Baby Jude has tried solids for the first time! 🥰
Our seven-week-old Linne’s two-toed sloth, named after footballer Jude Bellingham, was spotted having a little nibble of mum, Flo’s lettuce!
Have you spotted our newest addition yet?
Lemur enrichment
Our black-and-white ruffed lemurs have been putting goodies from our Amazon wish list to great use.
Keepers filled pine cones with tamarind paste, which is made up of the edible fruit of the tamarind tree – a favourite food of ring-tailed lemurs in the wild.
After adding the cones to a metal hanging basket, keepers hung them off webbing in Lemur Wood and watched as the lemurs investigated!
Section Leader, Jodie Dryden, said: “We positioned the enrichment to encourage the lemurs to hang from their back feet and despite being a natural delicacy for ring-tailed lemurs, it also proved a hit for our black-and-white lemurs!”
Our Amazon wish list is filled with practical and enrichment items especially chosen by our keepers for the animals they care for, which you can purchase for them and have directly sent to us here at the zoo.
If you’d like to take a look at our list, click here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23SWM8GBWT5V9?ref_=wl_share
Santa cut short his summer holiday to come and officially open our new £200K Reindeer Ravine! 🎅🦌
The work, which has taken four months to complete, has seen the Bear Ravine paddock on the lower zoo site transformed for our herd of 12 reindeer – including our five 2024 calves, Koda, Flynn, Flora, Robin and Sven.
The build has included Nordic inspired animal dens and a hardstand area for the ungulate species, as well as outdoor shelters and a large gravelled paddock, allowing for plenty of visitor viewing areas. The new habitat also takes in the sweeping grassed space of the iconic former Bear Ravine Tecton, which has been opened up for visitors to allow a view of the herd and lower zoo from above.
Santa, dressed in his summer attire helped cut the ribbon to the zoo’s latest development alongside Zoo Director, Derek Grove.
Derek said: “We are delighted to have been able to create a new home for our reindeer and at the same time bring the former Bear Ravine back to life following the completion of the concrete restoration programme. With the Tecton terracing being opened to visitors it provides views from various vantage points, just as it was intended when it was first constructed in the 1930s.
“And we thank Santa for taking time of out of his busy schedule to come and check in on his herd and we look forward to welcoming him back to DZC for his grotto this Christmas.”
Santa’s grotto will open on Saturday, November 30 and run until Christmas Eve, with tickets on sale now!
We’re currently offering a 20 per cent discount early bird offer for visitors who book Santa’s grotto before August 31, just quote SANTA24 at the checkout.
Just an orangutan with his favourite bread crate!
Who's coming to see Benji this weekend? 🦧
After last night's win, Keshari is ahead of the game and has already got to work this morning predicting Sunday's results!
Remember he's not been wrong yet!
Is it coming home....
⚽️🦁🦁🦁⚽️
Keshari's been pretty spot on with his last predictions, so we've got paws crossed he's right again!
C'mon England!
🦁🦁🦁
Will Charlie the Macaw's prediction of a Netherlands victory over Turkey ruffle some feathers?!
Keshari the Lion most definitely predicts a win for our "Three Lions!"
COME ON ENGLAND! 🏴🏴🏴
Mixed views for mum, Lyra and son, Miguel on whether Portugal or France will win tonight!
After a correct prediction of the last match, Bush Dogs, Twenke & Dora are a little undecided about tonight's Germany v Spain game! Who do you think is going to win?
Helga’s got the Friday feeling and is excited for the weekend!
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And here are our bush dogs and meerkats predicting today's two matches...
Our animals seem to be spot on with predicting the last few Euro results.
How will Meena the tapir and Gigi and Basil the skinks get on today...
After Keshari proved to be spot on with his Euro match predictions yesterday, how will Helga the wolverine and our meerkats get on with today's results?
