The girl who really, really, really loves dinosaurs (Natural History Museum) With its bright colours and simple observations, ‘The girl who really, really loves dinosaurs’ by artist John Hamilton was a hit with my eighteen-month-old, who not only loved spotting the dinosaurs in the book but also the other animals that appear along the way. […]
The Little Book of Safari Animal Sounds by Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham landed on our desks in the Discover Animals office recently and I took it home for my two children (5 and 1) to review! Through this fact-packed guide, readers can discover the unexpected call of the Plains Zebra, feel a chill when listening […]
As part of a recent holiday to the Cotswolds, Discover Animals’ Editorial Director Abbe Bates paid a visit to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Burford with her family. The 160-acre site is a mix of beautiful landscaped gardens and parkland, animal enclosures, aviaries, insect and reptile houses, farmyard, and adventure playgrounds. Its beginnings […]
Sarah Jeffery from the Discover Animals team recently spent a day exploring Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire with her daughter Caitlin. It had been a few years since the pair last visited, so they were excited to see what was new. ‘Marvellous Monsters’ is a new outdoor exhibition for 2017 and features 20 larger-than-life animatronic […]
On Saturday 28th January, NAUSICAA, the French National Sea Centre, opened its doors again in Boulogne after three busy weeks of annual maintenance carried out by the NAUSICAA team. As soon as the centre re-opened, the topic of sustainable tourism was highlighted in the Mangrove area, through a number of new animals. The latest arrivals […]
‘Safari’ is a Swahili word for ‘to travel’. And because of that etymology, the term is most closely associated with wildlife-spotting journeys in Africa. But it’s possible to head north, to the countries closest to the Arctic Circle, for a snow safari or ‘snowfari’. Explore the winter wildernesses of Scandinavia, Lapland, Iceland and Alaska by […]
A baby giraffe, which was born over Christmas, has ventured outside for the first time at Longleat. The male Rothschild’s giraffe, who has been named Evan in honour of a long-time keeper, was delivered inside the centrally-heated giraffery at the Wiltshire safari park in December. Since then the youngster – believed to be the 122nd […]
Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire is pleased to announce that it has commissioned landscape architect Dominic Cole, best-known for his designs at the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, to create a new vision for the zoo’s landscaping. Although animals are the star attraction for visitors to Twycross Zoo, planting also plays […]
A seal at Living Coasts in Devon has received crucial medical treatment from South Devon veterinary experts. South American fur seal Grace was first given slow-release implants in 2011 to control her immune system, which causes problems with her eyes. These implants were replaced in September 2014 – and now she has had the procedure again. […]
Ambitious plans to transform Lotherton Bird Garden into an exciting new wildlife attraction are set to get underway this month. The spectacular Lotherton Wildlife World will see a number of new animal additions joining the Lotherton family including tapirs, capybaras and a colony of Humboldt penguins. The impressive redevelopment of the historic attraction, which first […]
A family of gigantic pterosaurs have soared into the grounds of West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire and made it their new home. With a wing span averaging around 11 metres, quetzalcoatlus was the largest animal to have ever taken to the skies. It was so tall, it could have looked a giraffe in the […]
As the seasons change from winter to spring, everything begins to come to life and this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the UK’s wildlife at its best. With this in mind, TV presenter and ecologist Mike Dilger has partnered with Swarovski Optik, the leading luxury optic specialists, to offer a selection of top tips […]
Photography, music and wildlife experts have joined together their talents to create a breathtaking combination of eye-catching images, evocative music and knowledgeable insight in the form of a unique book entitled Harmony for Elephants. Harmony for Elephants is a newly-released book with an accompanying album of specially written music. This music, donated to the project […]
Blackpool Zoo is marking 45 years of really wild days out with 12 months of super celebrations, which will include the launch of its biggest ever investment – Project Elephant! The award winning attraction, which opened on 6th July 1972, will dedicate each month of the year to different celebrations, from the 100th birthday of […]
Sea Life Brighton has unveiled a packed events calendar for 2017 with adventures in store for visitors of all ages. Brand new for 2017, the aquarium will celebrate February half term with Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s The Snail and The Whale. From 11th February until 5th March, visitors will be able to put on […]
Registration for Kent Big Weekend opened on 9th February, where more than 22,000 FREE pairs of tickets for a host of attractions and fun-filled activities across the county are up for grabs. More than 100 Kent tourist attractions and related businesses will be opening their doors or offering special gifts to lucky ticket holders on 1st […]
Staff at West Midland Safari Park are celebrating and feeling extremely pleased, after handing over a significant amount of cash to a number of charities they fundraised for in 2016. Over £14,000 was raised by staff and guests onsite, through competitions, donations and VIP experiences. Some funds even came from supporters online, who donated to […]
Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire has many reasons to celebrate the start of 2017 as the visitor attraction looks back on a successful year. The past 12 months have seen an unprecedented number of important animal births, many new developments at the 88-acre site in rural Leicestershire and numerous awards, all crowned with a record number of visitors, […]
After five weeks of patrolling the Southern Ocean, Sea Shepherd has located Japanese whale poachers’ factory whaling vessel, Nisshin Maru, in the Australian Whale Sanctuary with a dead minke whale on its flensing deck, the first to be documented since the International Court of Justice ruled against their whaling operations in the Antarctic in 2014. The vessel […]
From 31st March to 29th October 2017, Longleat will play host to a swarm of colossal bugs, which will be exhibited amongst the spectacular grounds. The iconic Wiltshire estate will feature these anatomically correct animatronic critters, allowing guests to experience their bizarre and intriguing beauty up close and personal. Amongst back garden frequenters such as bees, […]
Stratford Butterfly Farm in Warwickshire will host a number of activities for younger visitors this half term. These will include ‘Meet the Mini-Beast’ handling sessions each day at 11:30am and 1:30pm so that children can get up close and handle insects such as a giant African millipede, African land snail and stick insects. Children of all […]
Visitors to Green Dragon Rare Breeds Farm & Eco Centre near Milton Keynes can now see the lambs that were born before Christmas, who are really thriving. And in February, the farm is expecting piglets – the first offspring of the Oxfordshire Sandy & Black sows. Lots of activities are planned for the half term holiday […]
A year ago, NAUSICAA, the French National Sea Centre in Boulogne-sur-Mer, joined forces with the MEGAPTERA Association to launch a crowdfunding project for the tagging of the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. The project was successful and one of NAUSICAA’s diver-handlers joined the MEGAPTERA teami n Djibouti just before Christmas where the tag was […]
The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, the charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, is planning for a cautious and controlled 2017. Executive Director Simon Tonge has outlined plans for the three zoological collections for the coming year: “The most important event of the year for us is likely […]
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is offering a special discounted group rate of £5 per person for all of April and May in 2017. As part of the visit, you can view the fabulous new tropical Butterfly House and the historic Double Walled Garden, as well as dine in the licensed Seasons Restaurant. Lord Foster’s stunning […]
Sea Life Brighton’s January sales are making a splash, with thrifty thrill-seekers given the chance to save up to £60 on a Merlin Annual Pass. These huge discounts mean that savvy shoppers can get 12 months of fun and a whole host of extra perks from just £109pp* in Merlin’s big New Year sale. A […]