Have a wild time at Bristol Zoo Gardens this half term

Bristol Zoo will be offering a host of half term fun next week, including fancy dress competitions, group games and an exciting animal trail around the Zoo.

Children are encouraged to visit the Zoo dressed as their favourite animal and join the Zoo’s rangers in a ‘creature feature’ game on the main lawn on weekdays at 12.30pm. Prizes will be offered for the best fancy dress.

On Monday, February 15, free entry will be given to every child dressed as their favourite animal when accompanied by a full paying adult between 9m and 11am.

The Zoo also has an ‘all creatures great and small’ trail, available from Saturday, February 13, running throughout the year. Youngsters can pick up a trail card, follow the route to various animal enclosures and answer questions about animals and plants and the role they play.

The trail aims to highlight the importance of biodiversity and forms part of the Zoo’s support of this years’ International Year of Biodiversity campaign. The campaign sees organisations across the globe working together to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s richly varied flora and fauna.

Free entry to the Zoo will only be given to children who arrive in animal fancy dress on Monday, February 15, between 9m and 11am, with a full paying adult.

To find out more about Bristol Zoo Gardens, visit the website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk or phone 0117 974 7300.

Ends

For more information please contact Bristol Zoo Press Office:
Lucy Parkinson, T: 0117 974 7306, or email: lparkinson [at] bristolzoo [dot] org [dot] uk
Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, E: vhollier [at] bristolzoo [dot] org [dot] uk

Notes to the editor:

Bristol Zoo Gardens

• Bristol Zoo Gardens is an education and conservation charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work at home and around the world.
• Throughout 2010 Bristol Zoo will be running a series of events to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s biodiversity, as part of the international Year of Biodiversity. For more information visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/conservation/campaigns/iyob
• To find out more about the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity visit the website at www.cbd.int/2010/welcome or www.biodiversityislife.net
• Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day.
• The Zoo is involved with more than 100 coordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species.
• It employs 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work.
• Bristol Zoo Gardens supports – through finance and skill sharing - over 12 projects in the UK and abroad that conserve and protect some of the world’s most endangered species.
• Bristol Zoo Gardens is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.