A trip to the theme park for the half term holidays
MAY half term. Whitsun. School holidays. No matter what you call it, you can still enjoy time with the whole family at Drayton Manor Park by joining in with this year’s Love Your Zoo Week celebrations from Saturday, May 26, to Sunday, June 3, and learn about over 100 species from across the globe.
You can also say hello to our baby BlackHeaded Spider Monkey this half term, who is the latest addition to the park’s 15-acre Zoo. Drayton Manor Zoo welcomed the baby Black-Headed Spider Monkey on 20th March to her parents, Snarfy and Lizzy. Her birth is being celebrated by the Zoo’s primate keepers as this breed is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Drayton Manor Park will soon be sharing further details about how you can get involved in an exciting competition to help name this new addition. Keep your eyes peeled for more information and start getting your thinking caps on now, as the new name will need to begin with an ‘L’.
There’s also a whole host of exciting activities at Drayton Manor Park to celebrate BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ annual Love Your Zoo Week. Take part in the Love Your Zoo trail for the chance to win a return ticket for a family of four. Then make your way to the Conservation Cart to discover the weird and wonderful world of the animal kingdom and learn more about the Zoo’s brilliant conservation work and the animal charities it raises money for.
There’s also a Love Your Zoo Central stand where you can put yourself to the test and see if you can leap as high as a Tiger or flap faster than a Hummingbird. Make sure you also keep an eye out for Drayton Manor’s friendly mascot, Rory the Lion, who will be out and about in the Zoo as well.
Chris Mitchell, head of zoo operations at Drayton Manor Park, said: “We always enjoy Love Your Zoo week here and being able to continue to share our values with the park’s
visitors.
“In recent news the world was left devastated by the loss of the last male Northern White Rhino, Sudan. It’s with that in mind that we remember the pivotal role that zoos play in helping to protect animals that are currently struggling to survive in the wild. That’s why the birth of our young Black-Headed Spider Monkey is such a celebration and a really proud moment for the keepers that know and love her as much as her parents do.”
In addition to all the extra Love Your Zoo activities, don’t forget to explore the theme park rides themselves including Accelerator, the action-packed rollercoaster adventure and the stomach-churning, head-turning gyro swing called Maelstrom. There’s also Europe’s only Thomas Land, which is cele- brating its 10th anniversary this year, where there are more than 25 rides and attractions to discover. Here, your little engine can enjoy favourites such as Flynn’s Fire Rescue, Rockin’ Bulstrode, Cranky Crane and James and the Red Balloon.
Take advantage of Drayton Manor Park’s ‘4 for £80’ ticket too by booking your tickets in advance and don’t forget May half herm includes the spring bank holiday on Monday, May 28.
For more information about the park, visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1950.
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