Edinburgh Zoo
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Built in 1913, Edinburgh Zoo, (owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland), receives over 600,000 visitors a year, which makes it Scotland's second most popular paid-for tourist attraction, after Edinburgh Castle. As well as a great day out for families - kids and adults too will love it! - the Zoo is renowned for its valuable academic research, breeding of endangered animals, studies of animal behaviour and global conservation programmes. The aim of Edinburgh Zoo is "to excite and inspire our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats.
Come and see 180 species of animals, birds, mammals and reptiles. Highlights include the penguin field station, a vast naturalistic “ice-flow” waterpark where dozens of King and Rockhopper penguins breed every Spring. You can see the grey fluffy baby penguins being kept warm by their mother while Dad fetches stones for the nest and food. The Zoo features the only koala bears and polar bear in Britain. There are Indian rhinos, jaguars, a breeding pair of rare Amur tigers, Asian lions, sealions, flamingos, pygmy hippos and baboons. A major new attraction is the Budongo Trail, a purpose built, state of the art, £ 5.65 million chimpanzee house. With an outdoor adventure playground and indoor living pods, the Trail has been designed on a model of the Budongo Forest in Uganda to recreate a natural conservation habitat for up to 40 chimps. Another new enclosure is Living Links, a primate research centre for different species of monkeys.
Representatives of Edinburgh Zoo have recently visited China for serious negotiation to arrange the loan of a pair of giant pandas in 2009. If successful, the Zoo would be involved in the specialist care of breeding captive giant pandas and also help to provide funding to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild.
Edinburgh Zoo offers an entertaining and educational day out for all ages, with good ramped access for all (including wheelchair users), and a Safari bus for those who cannot walk up the hill. There are several cafes and picnic areas for lunch and a popular shop selling all kinds of animal souvenirs.
Contact tel: +44 (0)131 334 9171, fax: +44 (0)131 314 0384, e-mail:
Cost adult ticket: £10 - £20 pp, child ticket: £5 - £10 pp
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Edinburgh Zoo
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