Santa is spending some special time with the animals at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo this Christmas and is looking forward to meeting lots of children too.
Santa will be at the popular zoo on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th December and from Saturday 15th through to 24th December. Children will be able to visit Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas and will receive a sticker, small gift, drink and a Christmas treat. Tickets cost £3.50 per child (£3 for season ticket holders) plus the cost of the normal child entrance fee to the zoo. Children must be accompanied by an adult and usual entrance fees apply. To avoid disappointment, it’s advisable to book visits in advance.
Children can also work out which animals have put out Christmas stockings for Santa with the Christmas Stocking Trail quiz, from 8th to 24th December. The quiz costs an additional £1 per child and includes a prize.
There are also special activities for schools, nursery groups and playgroups this festive season, including storytelling, animal encounters and crafts sessions. These group sessions should be booked in advance and further details are available on request.
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, whose animals and keepers have appeared in the popular BBC TV dance programme ‘Strictly – It Takes Two’, is located in the heart of South London. The zoo aims to help young children enjoy finding out more about animals, nature and conservation.
The family-friendly zoo has a wide range of animals on show, from the pigs, donkeys, rabbits and chickens in the Barley Mow Farm to capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, ringtailed lemurs, mara, emu, coati, Asian short-clawed otters and numerous bird species such as African grey parrots.
Children can let off steam exploring the real, life-sized fire engine and there’s also a fun-packed adventure playground, with a real tractor and a giant sand pit with water features.
At weekends and during the school holidays, children can help the keepers to feed some of the farm animals and there are also feed time talks where children can find out the animals’ names and some of their curious habits. There are also special events all year round, such as Snake Days, Hedgehog Adventures and other animal-themed activity days.
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is owned by conservationists Roger and Carol Heap, who also own the New Forest Wildlife Park in Hampshire and the Chestnut Centre Conservation and Wildlife Park in Derbyshire. Roger and Carol have been involved in wildlife conservation for over 30 years and are helping to protect endangered species through involvement in international captive breeding programmes.
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is in Battersea Park, near Chelsea Bridge Gate on Queenstown Road, Battersea Park, Battersea. Tel: 020 7924 5826 www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk
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