TheAnimalExperience

PACKAGES

This page talks about ways in which we can bring the Animal Experience to you for a truly unique experience in your own home, school or other venue. All of our sessions can be fully tailor-made to your requirements -- the animals we bring, the format, the length ... the choice is yours! For inspiration though, see below for some of the standard packages that we offer.

Alternatively you can enjoy an experience with the animals in their home at our Stretham zoo.

REPTILES & MINI-BEASTS

A sure hit with both children and adults alike, our Reptiles and Mini-Beasts package introduces you to an amazing selection of unusual animals. The opportunity to get up close and personal and even hold many of these rare creatures is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Depending on your requirements, this package can be as light-hearted or as educational as you want it to be!

Our animals include ...

• Snakes -- ranging from Milksnakes to Boa Constrictors
• Bearded Dragons and Blue Tongued Skinks -- from Australia
• Crested Gecko -- can climb up most surfaces, even glass
• Tortoise -- has both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton
• Giant Land Snail -- one of the largest snails in the world
• Curly Haired Tarantula -- known for their friendly, placid nature
• Emperor Scorpion -- a regular Hollywood star
• African giant millipedes

Please note: this list may vary slightly if for example animals are carrying young.

Suitable for ages 5 years and up. Prices for an hour-long event start at £250, depending on travelling distance.

FUR & FEATHERS MIX

Why not combine a few friendly reptiles with some of our fur and feathered friends.

You can expect animals to include ...

• Meerkat - Timon our gorgeous baby Meerkat born in Sept 25 is enjoying coming out to meet and greet people. Meerkats are social mammals that live in groups called "mobs" in the deserts of southern Africa. They have excellent eyesight, with dark patches around their eyes like sunglasses to help them spot predators. They work together to find food, babysit the young, and have a system of sentries who stand guard to watch for danger and warn the others with a call.
• Tenrec -- despite looking like a hedgehog they are related to elephants. This similarity to hedgehogs comes from convergent evolution, which means that two animals have evolved with the same features although they belong to two different species
• Chinchilla -- meet 'Pippin' or 'Lola', their dense soft fur helps them stay warm in the Andes mountains living at altitudes above 12,000 feet
• Barn Owl -- 'Dobby' or 'Diamond' our beautiful owls will be happy to sit on your gloved hand for a wonderful photo, feel how amazingly soft their feathers are which help them fly silently
• Bearded dragon, blue tongue skink, tortoise, gecko and a python if desired

Please note: this list may vary slightly if for example animals are carrying young.

Suitable for ages 8 years and up. Prices for an hour-long event start at £260, depending on travelling distance).

PETTING ZOO

If you are thinking of a longer visit than the more usual one hour party then let the zoo come to you!

Whatever your event -- a private party, a fete, a fair or even a wedding -- our petting zoo is guaranteed to be a unique experience. You provide a room or marquee, and we will turn it into a zoo with a difference -- normally at a zoo, you are restricted to viewing animals in cages or through glass, but with our petting zoo your guests can get truly up close and personal with the creatures, interacting with and handling many of them. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, and something that will make your event really stand out and live long in the memory.

We will recommend an appropriate selection for your function or you can choose from any animals in our Reptile & Mini-beasts and Fur & Feathers packages listed above.

For more information, and the full range of creatures available see our animals.

We will provide fully qualified handlers for the day, and as with all of our events the format and structure can be tailored to your requirements: we can just be there so that guests can come and go throughout the day, or we can also run informative sessions where we talk about individual animals (perhaps one talking about our reptiles and mini beasts, and one covering the mammals and birds).

Prices vary based on the number of animals we bring (and therefore the number of handlers required). Reptiles and mini beasts from £250 (+VAT), mammals and birds from £350 (+VAT) or the complete package from £550 (+VAT) (up to 4 hours). You will need to provide a suitable room or marquee for us to be based in. During the summer we can bring our own gazebo for an additional cost.

AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

Although this package can be adapted for any audience, it has been specifically designed with schools in mind and reflects the national curriculum's emphasis on Africa.

Our animals superbly demonstrate the vast and diverse range of wildlife found in Africa.

• Meerkat -- Timon our gorgeous baby Meerkat born in Sept 25 is enjoying coming out to schools and will help bring your African topic to life.
• Tenrec -- despite looking like a hedgehog they are related to elephants, an example of convergent evolution
• Royal Python -- from West Africa. They are called Royal as African tribal leaders would wear the snakes like jewelry
• Berber Skink -- from North Africa
• Fat Tailed Gecko -- from West Africa. These geckos can voluntarily lose their tails if they feel threatened
• Madagascar hissing cockroach
• African Giant Land Snail -- one of the largest snails in the world
• Tortoise -- has both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton

Please note: this list may vary slightly if for example animals are carrying young.

As with all of our school visits we will teach the children about the animals themselves, but also about their habitat,the unique adaptations they demonstrate, and the environmental issues that threaten to impact them. And of course the children will get to hold and interact with many of the animals -- ensuring that the visit is fun as well as educational!

Prices from £400 (+VAT) for a school day.