After a summer which has seen amazing new animals arrive to join familiar favourites, Hanwell Zoo has been enjoying autumn and gearing up for winter, with fun events for Halloween half-term and the Christmas period.
There are daily events running between 23 and 31 October, allowing visitors of all ages to find out about animal skeletons, how bones work, what they are made of and why the zoo’s animals evolved into many different, incredible skeleton structures.
There is still lots to look forward to at Hanwell after Halloween, with plenty planned to make it the biggest Christmas ever at the zoo. Visitors can take the perfect family holiday photo in a festive yuletide vista, and make a special wish in the animal grotto. They can also wander through the arboretum and animal spaces which will look wonderfully magical during winter. There are also plenty of stocking fillers available in the gift shop, perfect for animal lovers everywhere.
Currently, 50 species call Hanwell Zoo home, including the ever-entertaining meerkats, porcupines, and a family of ring-tailed lemurs. Spectacular, endangered red-crowned cranes and green peacocks grace the Asian aviary, which is dedicated to the conservation of rare birds from the Far East, and the ‘Jungle Walkthrough’ houses a number of fantastic lizards, snakes and butterflies.
Capybara, the world’s largest rodents also reside at the zoo alongside many other species, from the flock of flamboyant flamingos, to more familiar favourites such as pigs, goats, rabbits, ducks, chickens and turkeys. Newer additions such as Alpacas and frilled-neck lizards are now settled in, adding to the zoo’s impressive array of creatures.
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, the council’s cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure, said: “There are so many fun events happening at Hanwell Zoo over the coming weeks, from Halloween fun through to Christmas events starting in December – and of course there are the wonderful animals living here, which are worth a visit any time of year.”
“I’m really proud to have Hanwell Zoo in the heart of our borough – it’s a real gem for both local people and visitors from far and wide. The zoo also plays a vital role in conservation and education programmes and this would not be possible without the support of our wonderful visitors and volunteers, so I thank everyone involved.”
Entrance fees into the zoo (not the park) – Adults £2.50, Children over 3 years old £1, Children under 3 Free.
There will be annual season tickets at great prices – and membership packages too. This entrance money will be essential in funding the running costs of the zoo. You can read more on the zoo’s Facebook page.
