The very first animals you’ll encounter at the zoo will be our giant tortoises and one of them, Darwin, an Aldabran tortoise, is much bigger than the rest. At the first talk of the day, you’ll find out just how old he is and what these prehistoric-looking animals love to eat.

Our sea lions are lucky enough to live in the largest sea lion pool in the UK and it gives them plenty of room to help their trainers show you their natural behaviours in the wild. They will show you the differences between sea lions and seals and which predators hunt them in the ocean. Their display is not to be missed!

There are loads of animals in our Children’s Farm from tiny guinea pigs to donkeys and alpacas.  Fun on the Farm gives you the chance to hug a bunny, feed some of the other residents and find out why even domesticated animals adapt differently to climates around the world.

Everybody loves a comical penguins, but just watch them chasing their fish under the water at feed time! They’re like streamlined torpedoes! Did you know that they don’t all live in the cold regions on Earth? You’ll find out lots more fun facts at feeding time!

Our sea lions are lucky enough to live in the largest sea lion pool in the UK and it gives them plenty of room to help their trainers show you their natural behaviours in the wild. They will show you the differences between sea lions and seals and which predators hunt them in the ocean. Their display is not to be missed!

Do orangutans live in trees or on the ground and why? Will there be orangutans in the wild in 20 years’ time?  Visit Orangutan Outlook to find out the answers to these and many more questions about one of our closest relatives. You can even get within inches of our huge male, Ramon, and females, Vicky, Cherie and Summer.

Our brand new concept in animal care, Project Elephant, will open your eyes to the future of zoos and in-situ conservation programmes working together to preserve our most iconic species. Learn all about our brand new elephant house and it's three residents - Kate, Tara and Minbu.

“Bird brains” – never! Our birds are really intelligent and very happy to prove that to you. We have parrots which can solve puzzles, owls that can see in the dark and even a kookaburra called Bruce who can laugh (although he doesn’t always get the joke!).

If you’ve seen the “Madagascar” films, you’ll no doubt love lemurs as much as we do! Attend this talk to find out how many species of lemur there are and why they are originate from just one small island off the coast of Africa. Are lemurs really as cute as they look and why do they do yoga when it’s sunny?

Our sea lions are lucky enough to live in the largest sea lion pool in the UK and it gives them plenty of room to help their trainers show you their natural behaviours in the wild. They will show you the differences between sea lions and seals and which predators hunt them in the ocean. Their display is not to be missed!

There are loads of animals in our Children’s Farm from tiny guinea pigs to donkeys and alpacas.  Fun on the Farm gives you the chance to hug a bunny, feed some of the other residents and find out why even domesticated animals adapt differently to climates around the world.

Stick your tongue out. Now look in the mirror. What colour is your tongue? A giraffe’s is black (and they can stick it up their nose!). Want to know why? Come along and find out. There’s a great similarity between giraffes and humans in their necks, too, believe it or not. 

“Bird brains” – never! Our birds are really intelligent and very happy to prove that to you. We have parrots which can solve puzzles, owls that can see in the dark and even a kookaburra called Bruce who can laugh (although he doesn’t always get the joke!).

How would you describe big cats? Cute, awesome, cuddly, scary – there are so many descriptions, but many of them are very apt. Tigers live alone, lions in prides – why such a difference when they’re all cats? We'll also shed light on some of the problems they're facing in the wild.

They’re like Marmite – you either love ‘em or hate ‘em, or, like some people, are absolutely terrified of them! Why is that? Perhaps it’s the number of legs or that some of them sting or bite, but they are a vital part of the planet’s ecosystem, even cleaning up the jungle floors. Come and meet a few – you might even enjoy it!

Please note: This session now takes place in the Darwin Centre.

Our sea lions are lucky enough to live in the largest sea lion pool in the UK and it gives them plenty of room to help their trainers show you their natural behaviours in the wild. They will show you the differences between sea lions and seals and which predators hunt them in the ocean. Their display is not to be missed!