With so much to see and do at ZSL London Zoo’s Zoo Nights, we’ve put together a handy guide to make sure you maximise your time with the animals.
Ready to admire the animals, feast upon street food picks, try your hand at crazy golf, learn some crazy creature facts and more? Here’s everything you need to know.
On your marks, get set…
Doors open at 6pm and you’ll want to arrive soon after in order to experience everything that Zoo Nights has to offer. You’ll find different talks, workshops and more going on across the entire length and breadth of the zoo so we recommend starting your evening by simply wandering around and checking out all of the animals.
As you enter the zoo, turn right to explore the Outback, Reptile House and Tiger Territory. On this edge of the zoo you’ll find everything from gibbons and camels to beautiful, multi-coloured fish and the bird safari.
Be sure to stop by In With the Monkeys and laugh at the energetic squirrel monkeys swinging from tree to tree. Then, wander through to Land Of The Lions and gaze at the lion pride. If you time your visit correctly, you’ll be able to listen in to a talk about these majestic creatures at 7pm.
After that, if you fancy getting up close and personal with some smaller animals, don’t miss out on B.U.G.S, where you’ll find a whole host of magnificent mini-creatures. Then head over to Butterfly Paradise to walk amongst a huge range of brilliant bugs.
Follow the happy squeaks to catch the penguin feeding at 7:15pm. You’ll likely get a fishy whiff of the remains of dinner time – and some very happy looking birds!
There are still plenty more animals to check out at Zoo Nights but if you’re feeling peckish then you’re in the right place to grab some food at the World Food Court. Arepas, burgers, curries and other international picks are just a handful of the street food stalls on offer at Zoo Nights. Save room for one of the mouthwateringly gooey brownies and make sure to stop by the Watering Holes to quench your thirst at the same time. Then grab a bean bag and tuck into your food on the lawn, whilst watching aerial performers gracefully dance to a backdrop of ambient music.
Once you’ve finished your drink, it’s time to continue exploring the zoo. Use your new-found energy to compete against your friends in a round of PLONK crazy golf and delve into the zoo’s creature feature cupboard to get some animal-inspired face paint. Keep an eye out for the unique guided tours: “You’ll never see a moon-walking emu” and “Birds and the bees”.
Now’s your chance to see the meerkats and otters before exploring Rainforest Life (hello, new baby animals!) and going In With The Lemurs. Then, pop by the hippos and climb up the stairs to stand face-to-face with the friendly giraffes. Once you’ve ticked all of ZSL’s animals off of your “to visit” list, enjoy some animal-themed stand up sessions followed by the Zooniversity Challenge, where you can test your animal knowledge.
Zoo Nights at ZSL London Zoo run on Friday evenings until the end of July. Tickets are £19.95 and can be purchased here. 18+ only. For more information, head to ZSL’s website.