With the incredibly sad news that Her Majesty The Queen has passed away, we are sending our formal condolences to the royal family and our thoughts are very much with them, and their loved ones, at this difficult time. The Queen has been an inspirational figurehead and moral leader and has given great comfort to those in need throughout the years of her reign. She will be sorely missed by so many around the world.

I know many staff and visitors alike will continue to share wonderful memories of a very special day in our zoo’s history when The Queen, along with The Duke of Edinburgh, kindly visited us in 2012 and officially opened our Jubilee Quarter, located at the main entrance area, giving it the royal seal of approval.

During the visit, The Queen showed great interest in our vital conservation work, particularly our efforts to prevent the extinction of critically endangered eastern black rhinos – both here at the zoo and with our partners at the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary in Tanzania, Africa.

The zoo will be closed on Monday 19 September as a mark of respect to Her Majesty The Queen.

Everyone at the zoo has the royal family in their thoughts at this time.

Jamie Christon
Chief Executive Officer