Celebrating Love Your Zoo Week❤️

As part of BIAZA's annual Love Your Zoo Week, our keepers got together and put on a mix of talks, training demonstrations and activities to celebrate. 

Elephant Talk and Training Demonstration

This talk and training demonstration gave our visitors an insight into the daily routines of our Elephants. Our team of Keepers worked with Shaka, the oldest bull in the herd, and showed the daily care and checks they do for all 4 elephants in the bull facility. 

The keepers showed their daily checks with Shaka as he presented his sides, his tusks and his mouth. He also presented his feet, and our keepers talked our visitors through the importance of elephant footcare. 

As Elephants grow to be incredibly large and heavy, their feet endure a great deal of wear and tear. During the demonstration, our keepers explained how they check for debris like stones, twigs or sticks that can get lodged in the pads, and how they regularly clean and inspect the feet.

Foot scrubs help keep the soles and toenails in good condition, and the keepers carry out careful filing to manage overgrown nails and calloused skin. This regular maintenance helps prevent injury and ensures the elephants remain comfortable on their feet.

Gibbon Training Demonstration

Another training demonstration our visitors learnt from was our Siamang Gibbon training. These checks are a vital part of our animal care programme and help ensure that the gibbons stay happy and healthy. They’re also about building trust. Our keepers work closely with the gibbons to train them to present different body parts, such as hands, feet or bellies. This allows keepers and vets to spot any signs of injury, irritation, or illness early on – such as cuts, bruises or changes in skin condition.

Writing Zoo Pledges - Meerkat Message Wall

Our Meerkats got in on the fun, and we let children go wild with sharing what they love about the zoo on their glass!

This interactive and fun pledge writing session with our Primates and Small Mammal keepers allowed children to ask the keepers questions, while sharing their favourite animals of the zoo!