Summer at the Zoo
28th Nov 2022
A Recap Of All the Exciting Things We Have Been up to So Far this Summer
Summer feels like it is flying by here at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm - but they do say that’s what happens when you’re having so much fun! And what a lot of fun we have been having; it’s been a jam-packed few months of animal births, conservation work and world animal days, our Elephant Parade sculpture trail, photography competitions and new bear encounters - all against a backdrop of glorious summer weather!
But summer certainly is not over - with the August bank holiday weekend just around the corner, we look forward to welcoming many more visitors for a big day out of animals, adventure play areas, and delicious food, drinks and tasty snacks.
That being said, here is a recap of all the exciting things we have been up to recently…
Birth of a Zebra Foal
In July, a zebra foal was born! She has been named Amahle by her keepers, which is an African name that means “the beautiful one.” Her birth means we now have four zebras at Noah's Ark.
Birth of a Rare Breed Calf Named Primrose
Early in August we had the birth of an adorable, rare breed British White female calf who has been named Primrose by her keepers. British White cows are classified as ‘Minority’ which means there are less than 1500 breeding females remaining - meaning that this birth is great news for the conservation of this breed!
Relaunch of our Bear Encounters
We have now relaunched our hugely popular Bear Encounters! The experience is now better than ever and includes getting up-close with our Spectacled Bears and the chance to feed our male bear Rasu, whilst learning about their enrichment and feeding from our bear keepers. These encounters have been high in demand since we launched them again at the start of August and would make a memorable gift for a loved one, or a special experience for yourself! You can book a Bear Encounter following the link below.
Elephant Parade Sculpture Trail
Our Elephant Parade trail has been a massive hit this summer - the 26 unique, hand-painted, life-size baby elephant sculptures located around the zoo have been incredibly popular with our visitors, and they provide some great photo opportunities! Not only are these vibrant, eye-catching sculptures beautiful to look at, but they also provide awareness of the plight of wild elephants and the importance for elephant conservation. Elephant Parade is a social enterprise whose sculptures can be seen in cities and attractions around the world with the mission of spreading their conservation message and working with other conservation charities to protect endangered species. On Tuesday 5th July we welcome the Elephant Parade’s Managing Director, René de Wit, who was enthusiasticto see Noah’s Ark’s involvement with their work. On working with Noah’s Ark, he said: “After visiting so many great cities around the world, Elephant Parade is thrilled to arrive in Bristol at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm. And we hope our vibrant art pieces will give the visitors – young and old - a reason to smile, meet friends and have a great day.”
As well as following the trail around the zoo, we also have small version of some of the sculptures available to buy in the Gift Shop and Farm Shop, with a percentage of the proceeds going towards important conservation charities.
Conservation Work
As well as Elephant Parade, we are continuing to work with several other charities and organisations who do critical work in conserving vulnerable species. Following the birth of our twin bear cubs back in January of this year, Noah’s Ark has maintained its support of Spectacled Bear Conservation, a charity that protects spectacled bears in Northern Peru through scientific research, education, and working with local communities and landowners. Spectacled Bears are classed as vulnerable to extinction, meaning it is crucial we do everything we can to protect them and conserve their habitat. Spectacled Bear Conservation is one of the main charities we support through Elephant Parade.
We have also had a number of world animal days recently that have allowed us raise awareness for certain species and the importance of conservation. Notably, on Friday 12th August we celebrated World Elephant Day. Noah’s Ark worked with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to lobby the government about doing more for elephant conservation and welfare and signed a letter on the matter addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs along with other zoos around the UK. In addition to this, our elephant keepers provided some extra special enrichment for our two resident elephants, Shaka and Janu, we did a Q&A with our head elephant keeper Tom, and we furthered the awareness of our work with conservation charities.
BIAZA Spotted on Site
This summer we are also excited to be part of BIAZA’s ‘Spotted on Site’ campaign, which encourages its members to raise awareness of our wildlife on-site. Our staff have been busy spotting and identifying a vast array of native species around the zoo this summer and sending in their photos as well as sound recordings to assist conservationists in gathering valuable data on British wildlife.
Keeping Cool in the Summer
We have had some record-breaking heat this summer, making it all the more important to be vigilant about managing the higher temperatures and staying cool. Fortunately, at the zoo we have many ways to do this, including using our various indoor spaces, a welly splash, café, and multiple kiosks on site serving cold drinks, ice creams and slushies, and many shady areas around the site.
Social Media Competitions
Over the summer we have been running a number of competitions through our social media platforms with prizes ranging from our very own Noah’s Ark Top Trumps through to day tickets to the zoo. Our photography competition has seen some spectacular entries that have captured the range of our different animals at the zoo from our highland cows and pigs through to our elephants, lions and lemurs. To take part in these competitions and see more of what we can get up to on social media, you can like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Here are some of our photography competition winners and runner ups below:
