With over 150 species of animals including lemurs, meerkats, wallabies, alpacas, armadillos, reptiles and much more!
Northumberland College Zoo opened in May 2011. The zoo is part of Northumberland College's Kirkley Hall Campus and was set up as an educational training facility for the college’s Animal Care students as well as becoming a tourist attraction on weekends and school holidays. Since opening the zoo has grown massively and now boasts over 150 species of animals, reptiles and birds including alpacas, r
ing tailed lemurs, marmosets, wallabies, kookaburras, snakes, lizards and smaller domestic animals in our petting barn. Visitors can meet our zookeepers, enjoy various animal encounters and even have the opportunity to hold reptiles and domestic animals when activities are available. In 2013 the zoo was awarded a prestigious TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award for consistently achieving outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. The zoo has a full zoo licence, is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has links with various partners to actively promote the conservation of animals including the Wildlife Trusts, Red Squirrels Northern England and Newcastle University. As well as being a great family day out the aim of our dedicated zoo team is to educate people about the various species of animals we have and their behaviours and habitats.
🐒 SPACES AVAILABLE FOR THE 29th AND 30th OF JULY 🐒
🌞 SUMMER ZOO CLUB 2024 🌞
✅ BOOK ONLINE NOW ✅
Available for ages 6-14.
Zoo Club will start with a zoo tour to check up on all the animals then head to help the keepers look after our amazing animals. 🐸🐒🐰🦆🐐
You’ll find yourself feeding, cleaning and caring for all our animals. 🦙🦜🫏🐌🐍
£50 per day.
Drop off 9.30, Pick up 4pm.
Head to our website for further details and where to book online.
Beautiful Safina, our common genet 😍
Common genets are a type of viverrid, native to Africa they are related to civets and mongooses.
Safina is nocturnal, so you might not always spot her when you visit the zoo, but she always knows when her keeper is coming with her dinner!
Keep an eye out for Safina when you next visit
We couldn’t celebrate without showing you our Bush Dogs we have here.
They love to swim and our pair are loving their large pool they have!!
They were very inquisitive and nervous of the water when they first arrived but as you can now see they are very confident with their swimming.
Happy world Bush Dog Day 2024!!
Today is
We are very lucky to have a pair here at the zoo !!
We are supporting helping support fund the care of their amazing sniffer dogs that go out and identify different s**t to show the abundance of various species in the Atlantic rainforest !!
At the zoo we have wristbands for £1 that money raised will go directly to the project
🌈 Today Newcastle will be celebrating
🌈 Our rainbow lorikeets are already in their very awesome pride coloured plumes !!
🌈 Come see our amazing lorikeets over the summer !!
Lillian and Princess are looking to seeing everyone at the Zoo for the summer holidays ☀️🍦
✅ we are open every day till Friday the 30th of September. We are closed the weekend of the 31st of August for a private function.
✅ please see our daily activity sheet for what’s happening around the zoo each day.
✅ take part in our Big Summer Quiz and scan the QR code when you arrive.
✅ we still have limited Zoo club availability on selected dates.
Today is world snake day! 🐍
There are over 3500 species of snake worldwide, with an amazing diversity. At Northumberland College Zoo we have 5 species of snake, including corn snakes, a Dumeril's boa, and royal pythons.
Snakes are fascinating animals with incredible senses.
They use their tongues to 'taste' the air and they hear using their jaw bones. Snakes are often animals which are feared by humans, but most will do us no harm, as long as we respect the snakes and their space. The more you learn about snakes the more captivating you will find them!
Come along to Northumberland College Zoo over the summer holidays to learn more about these wonderful creatures! 🐍🐍🐍
We’re very chuffed to announce we’ve achieved friendly hedgehog campus bronze award!!
The conservation society with help from lots of students and staff have done various activities over the last few months to ensure the campus is a friendly place for hedgehogs along with raising awareness and funds for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society
hogfriendly sosuk_charity
👀BIAZA SPOTTED ON SITE 👀
🐭🐰🦊🐥🦆🦅🦉🦇🐝🐛🦋🐞🐜🪰🪲🪳🐌🦟🦗🕷️🕸️🦌🪶🦔🌱🌿☘️🍀🍃🍄🍁🌾
🍄 We are part of British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums Spotted on Site project focusing on what wildlife we have in and around our site.
🦔 We want your help!
🦌 Download the INaturalist app and register an account
🍁 Come to the zoo and the Kirkley Hall estate and look out for native plants and animals taking photos when you find them. Why not give it a try this weekend - we’re open Saturday and Sunday from 10am.
🐞 Head to the app and upload them as an observation , ensuring the photo location is correct and also try to identify what it is you’ve spotted
🪲 We hope to be able to get a picture of what wildlife we have here at the zoo so we can plan projects to help protect what we already have and promote others.
🌞 SUMMER ZOO CLUB 2024 🌞
✅ DATES AVAILABLE NOW ✅
✅ BOOK ONLINE ✅
Available for ages 6-14.
Zoo Club will start with a zoo tour to check up on all the animals then head to help the keepers look after our amazing animals.
You’ll find yourself feeding, cleaning and caring for all our animals.
£50 per day.
Drop off 9.30, Pick up 4pm.
Head to our website for further details and where to book online.
Our crowned lemurs can’t wait to finish their breakfast off so they can come and say hello !!
We’re open from 10 am today
Tickets 🎟️- online or at the gates
Recently staff from Northumberland County Council came for a Volunteer day here at the zoo.
They worked with our amazing student lead conservation society to carry out a bioblitz looking around the campus finding all the flora and fauna they could.
They used the INaturalist app to record their finding contributing to the spotted on site project with BIAZA
Thank you to all who attended and helped out on the day!
Our student lead Conservation Society received a highly commended place in the young persons project category recently at the Love Northumberland Awards held at The Alnwick Garden earlier this month.
The conservation society had done so many amazing projects around the campus this academic year along with taking part in the red squirrel surveys around the county to support Red Squirrels Northern England
We’re very proud of all our students who have been part of this society and can’t wait to see what else they achieve to support conservation in the future !!
🐇 Rabbit Welfare Awareness Weekend 🐇
🐇 Come along TODAY and TOMORROW to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
All money raised this weekend will be going to support Pawz for Thought to help them continue their amazing work!!
🐇Rabbits are very sociable animals, in the wild they live in large groups. Pet rabbits must have the companionship of another rabbit.
🐇Rabbits and guinea pigs should not be kept together! Often having a pair of rabbits consisting of a neutered male and a neutered female is the best combination (neutering is a must for rabbits to live together happily). Rescue centres usually have lots of single rabbits looking for new homes with another rabbit pal, bonding can be tricky so get advice from the rescue on how to do this properly for the best chances of success.
🐇At the zoo all of our rabbits are in bonded pairs, and many of them are rescue rabbits that have come from the local animal rescue charity Pawz for Thought. They love playing and snuggling together.
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
🐇Keeping rabbits in hutches is now a very outdated practice. Hutches do not provide nearly enough space for rabbits to move around or perform their natural behaviours.
🐇The minimum recommended space for a pair of rabbits is an enclosure which is 2m x 3m (ideally give as much space as you can!), This ensures they have plenty of space to run, hop, lie down, dig and play! An outdoor shed with a large, secure, run attached is ideal, or a room within the house. They also need areas to dig and toys to play with to keep them entertained!
🐇At the zoo our rabbits have access to a space which is large enough for them to exercise, we do not use cages or hutches and aim to vary the enrichment we give to our rabbits.
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
🐇Rabbits are very active and inquisitive animals, when you spend time watching them you’ll see that they perform a wide range of behaviours. Despite their popularity as children’s pets, and their historical depiction as cuddly toys, real rabbits find handling to be very stressful. To form a strong bond with your pets rabbits try interacting with them at ground level, sit within their enclosure and hand feed them, rather than trying to pick them up.
🐇At the zoo we do not allow visitors to cuddle our rabbits, because of the stress it causes to the animals.
🐇During the day you’ll often see our rabbits lazing around, this is because they are crepuscular so they will be more active around dawn and dusk- daytime is for snoozing!
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
🐇Rabbits are prey animals, so they often disguise signs of ill health. It’s really important to observe your rabbits daily to spot any changes in behaviour which might indicate illness.
🐇Lack of appetite, lethargy, lameness, discharge from the eyes or nose, scratching, changes in the quantity or consistency of droppings are just some of the signs you need to look out for, always consult a rabbit savvy vet straight away if you have any concerns about your pet!
🐇At the zoo, all of our rabbits get regular health checks from staff and students, and a yearly health check from our vet.
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
🐇 This week is Rabbit Awareness Week! 🐇
🐇 Despite the common perception that rabbits eat carrots, the diet of a rabbit should mainly consist of grass and hay!
🥕Carrots are high in sugar and should only be given as an occasional treat- much like us eating chocolate cake.
🐇 At the zoo our rabbits get unlimited hay, a small amount of rabbit pellets and a selection of fresh greens, herbs, and forage.
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
🟧 The meerkats are ready to greet you this weekend.
🟧 We have a full day of activities every day including keeper talks, a discovery room session where you get to meet some of our reptiles and invertebrates and our wallaby walk-thru open daily at selected times.
🟧 Free Parking
🟧 Under 3’s go free
🟧 Over 100 species
🟧 Book online or pay at the gates.
🐇29th and 30th June 2024🐇
🐇Come along and help us raise awareness of rabbit husbandry and their welfare!!
🐇Come along to our rabbit welfare weekend (29th and 30th of June) to meet our rabbits and learn more about rabbit care!
BIAZA
🌞 SUMMER ZOO CLUB 2024 🌞
✅ DATES AVAILABLE NOW ✅
✅ BOOK ONLINE ✅
Available for ages 6-14.
Zoo Club will start with a zoo tour to check up on all the animals then head to help the keepers look after our amazing animals.
You’ll find yourself feeding, cleaning and caring for all our animals.
£50 per day.
Drop off 9.30, Pick up 4pm.
Head to our website for further details and where to book online.
‼️ We have a few remaining dates available before the summer holidays - BOOK NOW‼️
If you’re looking for a great interactive and engaging educational visit please contact the team on [email protected]
This coming weekend!
Dads, Step dads and Granddads go free on June 15th and 16th 2024
Pre booking online ONLY - Not valid when purchasing tickets at the zoo
Head to the book site and select a Free Father’s Day Ticket.
Available ONLY when purchasing any child or adult ticket ONLINE ONLY.
It’s the weekend !!
Our lemurs can’t wait to see you today :-)
Open Saturday and Sunday 10-4
Dads, Step dads and Granddads go free on June 15th and 16th 2024
Pre booking online ONLY - Not valid when purchasing tickets at the zoo
Head to the book site and select a Free Father’s Day Ticket.
Available ONLY when purchasing any child or adult ticket ONLINE ONLY.
🌞 ZOO CLUB 2024 🌞
✅ Additional spaces added for June 16th NOW AVAILABLE ✅
🌞 Summer Holiday Dates Coming SOON!! 🌞
✅ BOOK ONLINE ✅
Available for ages 6-14.
Zoo Club will start with a zoo tour to check up on all the animals then head to help the keepers look after our amazing animals.
You’ll find yourself feeding, cleaning and caring for all our animals.
£50 per day.
Drop off 9.30, Pick up 4pm.
Head to our website for further details and where to book online.
As proud supporters of , we believe in their mission to protect and conserve parrots and their habitats around the world.
On this , we encourage you to join us in supporting their efforts to ensure a bright future for these amazing birds.
With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of parrots everywhere.
Every donation made to on will be doubled, meaning twice the impact for parrots everywhere.
Did you know that all this week it’s week!
This is the week each year all BIAZA zoos celebrate all
the great work all of the members carry out.
From amazing conservation work to the wonderful education our teams provide to all our guests to the outstanding care all our keeper teams provide to ever animal in our care !!
We are very proud to be a member of BIAZA and love being part of this great BIAZA zoo community.
Kirkley Hall
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE200AQ
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We couldn’t celebrate #worldbushdogday2024 without showing you our Bush Dogs we have here. They love to swim and our pair are loving their large pool they have!! They were very inquisitive and nervous of the water when they first arrived but as you can now see they are very confident with their swimming. Happy world Bush Dog Day 2024!! #bushdog #bushdogs #bushdogsofinstagram #worldbushdogday2024 #atlanticforestbrazil #proyectozorropitoco #studentlife #student #atlanticforest #misionesargentina
We couldn’t celebrate #worldbushdogday2024 without showing you our Bush Dogs we have here. They love to swim and our pair are loving their large pool they have!! They were very inquisitive and nervous of the water when they first arrived but as you can now see they are very confident with their swimming. Happy world Bush Dog Day 2024!! #bushdog #bushdogs #bushdogsofinstagram #worldbushdogday2024 #atlanticforestbrazil #proyectozorropitoco #studentlife #student #atlanticforest #misionesargentina
🌈 Today Newcastle will be celebrating #pride 🌈 Our rainbow lorikeets are already in their very awesome pride coloured plumes !! 🌈 Come see our amazing lorikeets over the summer !! #pride #pridemonth #pride2024 #Pride #pridenewcastle #pridenorth #rainbowlorikeet #rainbowlorikeetsofinstagram
Our crowned lemurs can’t wait to finish their breakfast off so they can come and say hello !! We’re open from 10 am today Tickets 🎟️- online or at the gates #animals #animalexperience #somethingdifferent #conservation #northumberland #northumberland_pics #zooeducation #wildlife #college #lemuria #lemur #lemursofmadagascar #lemurs #lemurlove
🦎Has anyone seen our amazing Beccari’s Tree Monitor? 🦎He’s recently joined from Shuttleworth College 🦎He’s called Snape and is settling in really well. 🦎Keep an eye out in the plants as he’s difficult to see when he’s sleeping!! #beccarimonitor #black #tree #blacktreemonitor #monitor #reptiles #reptilesofinstagram #reptile #reptilelover #zoo #college #CollegeLife
Anyone else fall asleep at the hair dressers? Oliver our amazing Shetland pony today had the full works at the paddock salon and as you can tell his bottom lip was going and his eyes closing !! #shetland #shetlandpony #shetlandponysofinstagram #pony #ponyclub #salonservices #hairdresser #hairdressing #hairdress #keeper
🔉Sound ON 🦜Here’s Oscar - one of our amazing macaws we have here at the zoo. ❤️ They’re always busy doing something including rearranging their enrichment that the keepers give them. ✅ Pop down and see them and all the other animals this weekend Tickets 🎟️ online or at the gates It’s looking like it’s going to be a lovely sunny day here at Kirkley Hall Did you know we support parrots around the world by donating to the World Parrot Trust - you can purchase a wrist band at the kiosks where all profits go straight to charity. #macaw #macawsofinstagram #macawparrot #macawlover #macawlove #yellowandgoldmacaw #worldparrottrust
#worldparrottrust #blackcappedlory #wpt #fridaynight #fridayvibes #fridayfeeling #noiseon #birdwatching #birdsofinstagram #birdphotography
We couldn’t let the first #worldcivetday pass without sharing a video of the main man himself Teemo-!! Teemo is an Asian palm civet. In their native countries of origin they are often caught and placed in awful small cages to be given coffee cherries to eat which they pass and leave the coffee beans. These are then roasted and sold at high prices as Kopi Luwak Coffee. One of the aims for the world civet day is to highlight this appalling method of coffee production and prevent people purchasing the coffee when out on holiday and in shops. 👀 please note he has has surgery to remove one eye when he had an incurable eye condition. He’s doing well with just one eye. The Civet Project BIAZA #kopiluwak #civetcoffee #worldcivetday2024 #animalwelfare #northumberland_uk #college #northumberland
👂Dougie our 6 banded armadillo having his breakfast - isn’t he just so 🥰 👂 ASMR 🥰 - sound on. Come and visit Dougie !! #armadillo #asmr #asmrsounds #brunch #brunchtime #brunchgoals #brunching #brunchideas #brunchboys #brunchmenu #brunchclub #zoo #biaza
We recently received a beautiful male Von Der Decken’s hornbill from Birdworld Surrey. As you can tell he’s settled in really well and has certainly found his feet when it comes to his afternoon snacks while he’s been hand fed by their Keeper Leah. #hornbill #hornbillsofinstagram #hornbills #birdworldsurrey #vonderdeckenshornbill #vonderdecken #vonderdeckenhornbill #college #hand #feed #handfeed #handfeeding #handfeedingbirds
🐿️ Red Squirrel 🐿️ Conservation Project We’re working in partnership with Red Squirrels Northern England to look at how we can attract and protect Red squirrels on the land we have here at Kirkley Hall. Look at the fantastic TikTok our conservation society produced to look at how the project started Cramlington & District Red Squirrel Group Red Squirrels Northern England Bedlington & District Red Squirrel Group #redsquirrel #redsquirrelconservation #redsquirrelsofinstagram #redsquirrels #RedSquirrelAppreciationDay #conservation #local #support #local #supportlocal
🐿️ Red Squirrel 🐿️ Conservation Project We’re working in partnership with Red Squirrels Northern England to look at how we can attract and protect Red squirrels on the land we have here at Kirkley Hall. Here’s Abbie from @RSNE talking about the project Red Squirrels Northern England Cramlington & District Red Squirrel Group Bedlington & District Red Squirrel Group #red #redsquirrel #redsquirrelsofinstagram #redsquirrelconservation #redsquirrels #conservation #studentlife #wildlife #so #I #wildlifesociety
We’ve recently had a restock in our aquatics centre. We’ve introduced a few new species including these amazing tank bred pyjama cardinals. They’re settling in really well. #pyjamacardinal #pyjamacardinalfish #pyjamacardinals #aquatics #aquarium #aquariumsofinstagram #aquariumlife #aquariumfish #aquariums #visitengland #visit #visit #let #visitnorthumberland
Martina our prehensile tailed skink enjoying her morning shower. They come from the rain forests of the Solomon Islands. They are herbivores and can live up to 24 years in captivity. #prehensiletailedskink #solomanislandskink #zoo #experience #zookeeperexperience #biaza #visitengland #visitnorthumberland #northumberlandcollegezoo #visit #animaladoption #kidsactivities #autumnactivities #somethingdifferent #enrichment #zookeeper
Today is World Lemur Day and we celebrate our ring tailed lemur, crowned lemur and black and white ruffed lemur. Natty our Black and white Ruff lemur enjoying her enrichment a bit too much. #blackandwhiteruffedlemur #lemur #lemurs #enrichment #animalenrichement #animalenrichmentproject #animalenrichmentday #zookeeper #boointhezoo #halloweenvibes #boo #autumn #somethingdifferent #autumnactivities #animals #conservation #northumberland #somethingnew #autumnkids #halftermactivities #homeschooling #animalexperience #kidsactivities #kidsclub #biaza #visitengland #visitnorthumberland #northumberlandcollegezoo #worldlemurday
Who’s looking forward to half term? Our bagot goats are getting in the Halloween spirit!! #halloweenparty #boo #zookeeper #halloween #halloweendecorations #boointhezoo #halloweencostume #halloweenvibes #halloweenmakeup #somethingdifferent #autumnactivities #halftermactivities #northumberland #kidsactivities #enrichment #bagot #bagotgoats
This year Northumberland College Zoo has worked with PAWZ for Thought, an animal rescue charity based in Sunderland, to rehome some rabbits to our care. We have been able to rescue 8 gorgeous bunnies in total! This is an amazing opportunity to be able to give these animals a new home and for our learners to be a part of their new lives here at the zoo! Pawz for Thought #animals #halftermactivities #autumnactivities #autumnkids #somethingdifferent #northumberland #enrichment #rabbit #rabbitcare #rabbitrescueuk #rabbitsofinstagram #rabbitlife #rabbits #rabbitlove
Oscar our blue and gold macaw getting into the Halloween spirit 🎃👻💀 #boointhezoo #blue #and #gold #blueandgoldmacaws #blueandgoldmacaw #blueandgoldmacawsofinstagram #giftideas #zookeeperexperience #biaza #visitengland #visitnorthumberland #northumberlandcollegezoo #somethingnew #conservation #boo #halloweencostume #zookeeper #halloweenmakeup #halloweenparty #halloweendecorations #halloweenvibes #halloween
Our happy black cap lorikeet enjoying his treat. The video was missing on Saturday.
Kirkley Hall Zoological Gardens opened in May 2011. The zoo is part of Northumberland College's Kirkley Hall Campus and was set up as an educational training facility for the college’s Animal Care students as well as becoming a tourist attraction during school holidays. Since opening the zoo has grown massively and now boasts over 200 species of animals, reptiles and birds including alpacas, ring tailed lemurs, marmosets, capybara, emus, wallabies, kookaburras, snakes, lizards and smaller domestic animals in our petting barn. Visitors can meet our zookeepers, enjoy various animal encounters and even have the opportunity to hold reptiles and domestic animals. In 2013 the zoo was awarded a prestigious TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award for consistently achieving outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. The zoo has a full zoo licence, is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has links with various partners to actively promote the conservation of animals including the Wildlife Trusts, Red Squirrels Northern England and Newcastle University. As well as being a great family day out the aim of our dedicated zoo team is to educate people about the various species of animals we have and their behaviours and habitats.
