Conditions of Visit
A day at the zoo is a great experience! To ensure that a visit to the zoo is enjoyed by everyone, we do ask groups to respect our Conditions of Visit.
Arrival
• Please note that prior to your arrival at the zoo, it is a condition of booking that we have the name of the Group Leader and a mobile contact for them whilst in the zoo.
• All school groups should book in with our Education office (01244 389444 / 01244 650205) to qualify for the educational rates. On booking, you will be sent a confirmation letter, which will note your requested payment method.
• Please make sure that you have all the relevant paperwork to hand upon arrival at the Main Entrance. Additional maps of the zoo can be obtained free of charge at the front entrance.
• If you have chosen the pre-payment option, you will have the opportunity to be fast-tracked into the zoo. Your tickets will have been sent to you with your confirmation letter.
• Please be aware that during our busiest periods (May to July), you may experience a short delay from arrival to gaining entrance into the zoo. We are constantly seeking to improve our entrance procedures and apologise in advance for any unforeseen hold-ups.
Supervision
• It is the group leaders’ responsibility to ensure the effective supervision and behaviour of all students whilst in the zoo. A quota of supervising adults is admitted free of charge for this purpose.
• All students must be supervised whilst in the Fruit Bat Forest (free flying bats) and in Butterfly Journey. Groups of unaccompanied students will not be allowed to enter the exhibits.
• Children under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult when using the Waterbus or Monorail. Unaccompanied children will be asked to return with an adult. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access to the water buses.
• Both of our main retail outlets, The Fountain Shop and the gift shop in the Diamond Jubilee Quarter, may request that large groups of students are split up before entering the shop itself. Please note that children aged below 14 should be accompanied by an adult at all times during any visit(s) to these outlets.
• We do our utmost to ensure that the zoo provides a safe and enjoyable experience for all of our visitors and instances of disruptive behaviour will be immediately reported to our Security Team so they can take the appropriate action.
In extreme circumstances, this could involve the whole school being asked to leave the zoo’s premises and the Headteacher informed by letter. Additionally the zoo reserves the right to refuse future admission to schools who have behaved in a disruptive manner during a visit.
General
• All our animals are on carefully prepared and balanced diets. We would request that students do not attempt to feed any of our animals, as in some instances, it can lead to them becoming ill.
• Please bear in mind that at quieter times of the year some of the zoo’s services may be reduced, however, our main shops and cafes are always open.
• Ball games are not permitted within the zoo and we would request that all schools adhere to this policy.
• Whilst you are at the zoo we may collect information on your reaction to our exhibits. The information obtained by a designated person helps us to make improvements for the benefit of our animals and our visitors. The zoo operates within a strict ethical framework.