Zoos and Wildlife Parks Reopen in West Midlands

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As the UK slowly emerges from lockdown, the government has announced that English zoos and safari parks can re-open from Monday 15 June 2020.

Hurrah!



The move coincides with the reopening of non-essential shops.

It's been a challenging time for zoos and safari parks, who'd normally be welcoming hundreds and thousands of visitors over the spring and summer.

While many other attractions have been able to mothball their sites, those hungry chimps, tigers, creepy crawlies and meerkats still need looking after.

But will no income, some zoos around the country have been struggling, making June's reopening a lifeline for many.

And also a fantastic opportunity for families and small groups to head out for a real day out.

So who'll be opening their gates in the West Midlands, and what do we need to be aware of?

The region has some great outdoor animal attractions, and as they start to welcome back visitors for the first time since March, they've been busy putting measures into place that ensure the safety of everyone - staff, visitors, animals - including maintaining social distancing by reducing the number of people attending at any one time, encouraging hand washing, enhancing their cleaning schedules, and introducing pre-booked slots.

Find out more about West Midlands Safari Park, Twycross Zoo, Dudley Zoo and Monkey Forest below, including some of what they will be offering.

However, due to the fast-changing nature of the current crisis, we strongly recommend you check out their websites (and social media channels) to confirm the latest news on openings, as many will be adapting and changing quickly as time goes on.

West Midlands Safari Park

Situated between Kidderminster and Bewdley, in Worcestershire, the always popular West Midlands Safari Park (WMSP) will be re-opening on 15 June, beginning with a Safari Drive-through only as a temporary measure. With tickets available online, pre-booking is essential, with all attendees given specific arrival times in advance.

WMSP is home to various rides and indoor attractions, so you can't see everything, but the Safari Drive-through will take you past all the great beasts, such as rhinos, lions, zebra, giraffes, and more.

For more information, see: www.wmsp.co.uk



Dudley Zoo and Castle

Black Country attraction Dudley Zoo is home to more than 1,300 animals, and has nigh on 200 species! They're also re-opening on 15 June, offering pre-booked timeslots for 300 visitors per day. The funfair and indoor walk-through areas will be initially closed, as will the restaurant, but picnics are welcomed.

Among the animals who you'll be able to see are monkeys, otters, red pandas, arctic foxes, baboons, macaques, bearcats, tapirs, giraffes, flamingos, owls, lynx and many more.

For more information, see: www.dudleyzoo.org.uk



Twycross Zoo

Based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, the 100 acre Twycross Zoo has recently celebrated its 57th birthday. Open from 15 June, food and drink should be available as takeaways, including pizza and fish'n'chips, and there's plenty of wild animals to see, including their apes.

Download their app for full details.
For more information, see: twycrosszoo.org



Monkey Forest

Over in Trentham, Staffs, the Monkey Forest is taking a little longer to prepare their site for visitors, but are aiming to reopen on Thursday 25 June.

The Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-ranging Barbary macaques, with visitors able to walk along a three-quarters of a mile pathway.

For more information see: monkey-forest.com



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