What's Happening

3rd Aug

Big Cat Weekend

Big Cat Weekend 3rd August & 4th...

10th Aug

Summer Late Nights

Summer Lates 10th August & 24th August...

24th Aug

Summer Late Nights

Summer Lates 10th August & 24th August...

31st Aug

Primate Weekend

Primate Weekend 31st August & 1st September...

20th Jul

Summer Holidays

20th July – 1st September 2024 Colchester...

11th Sep

Wednesday Wonders – with Baby Sensory & Toddler Sense

Wednesday 11th September 2024 We have teamed...

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Summer at the Zoo

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Summer at the Zoo

Introducing Colchester Zoological Society

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Introducing Colchester Zoological Society

NEW Dinosaur Realm

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NEW Dinosaur Realm

Accessibility Information

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Accessibility Information

Zoo Pass

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Zoo Pass

Animal Experiences

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Animal Experiences

Beautiful, Unusual & Rare Species Of The Animal Kingdom

Colchester Zoo is home to over 155 species set in 60 acres of parkland and lakes!

As you navigate your way around Colchester Zoo you’ll visit many different habitats and see animals from around the world, from the humid habitat of our Komodo dragons to our very own Africa plain, home to White rhino, giraffes, ostrich, zebra and kudu!

The Latest Zoo News

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Developments at the Zoo

Developments at the Zoo

July 26, 2024

Developments at the Zoo Here at Colchester Zoo, we...

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Enclosures & Development

Colchester Zoo welcomes new sponsorship partner, County Broadband!

Colchester Zoo welcomes new sponsorship partner, County Broadband!

July 24, 2024

Colchester Zoo welcomes new sponsorship partner, County Broadband! We...

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Corporate Sponsors

Exciting Pre-Application Plans for New Lion Habitat

Exciting Pre-Application Plans for New Lion Habitat

July 24, 2024

Exciting Pre-Application Plans for New Lion Habitat Since we...

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Enclosures & Development

Renovating our Capuchins Residence

Renovating our Capuchins Residence

July 18, 2024

Renovating our Capuchins Residence We are excited to share...

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News

#colchesterzoo

Follow us on Instagram and make sure you add our hastag to your zoo pictures!

Test your skills at different locations around the

Test your skills at different locations around the Zoo this summer and see how you measure up to the amazing athletes found in the animal kingdom with our Zoolympics Challenge Trail! 🏅

Find out more at www.colchesterzoo.org

Early Bird HOT Summer Savings!☀️ Purchase tic

Early Bird HOT Summer Savings!☀️

Purchase tickets up until 11th August and SAVE over £14 on admission! Enjoy a wild family day out for LESS filled with sizzling activities suitable for all ages!

Book tickets TODAY and receive up to 15% OFF your visit!

*Ts & Cs apply.

Take a break from your adventure and pick up a ref

Take a break from your adventure and pick up a refreshing Tropical Vibe Slush whilst you enjoy the Wild Vibe Club Tropicana party on the Main Stage at 12pm and 3:30pm!🍍

*Available at selected outlets while stocks last.

We are delighted to welcome our new sponsorship pa

We are delighted to welcome our new sponsorship partner, @countybroadband, as a sponsor of our African habitat, Kingdom of the Wild, home to reticulated giraffes and other African species including southern white rhino and maneless zebra.

Founded in 2003, County Broadband helps to provide rural communities within the East of England, with full fibre broadband.

Read full story at www.colchesterzoo.org

Since we released our future vision plan as part o

Since 2014, UmPhafa Nature Reserve has been respon

Since 2014, UmPhafa Nature Reserve has been responsible for looking after and bonding individual wild dogs into new packs ready for their new lives across Africa.

On 6th May, the newest males and females were observed mating for the first time which was great news. On 4th July, the wild dogs began their journey to their new home at the Makalali Reserve.

Read full story at www.umphafa.org

Happy birthday to our male orangutan, Tiga, who tu

Happy birthday to our male orangutan, Tiga, who turns 23 years old today! 🎈

We are excited to share that work is now underway

We are excited to share that work is now underway to start renovating one of the oldest habitats within the Zoo!

Our buff-headed capuchin habitat will receive an upgrade over the next few months and will provide our animals with an improved living space.

Read full story at www.colchesterzoo.org

Our spotted hyena is enjoying a #SleepySunday in t

Our spotted hyena is enjoying a #SleepySunday in the sun…☀️

Did you know that bush dogs are also known as vine

Did you know that bush dogs are also known as vinegar dogs? The name comes from the scent they emit which is very similar to the tangy flavouring.

You can see our pack of bush dogs at our Lost Madagascar Train Station 🚂

Summer Zoo Pass Offer! ☀️ Receive an extra 2

Summer Zoo Pass Offer! ☀️

Receive an extra 2 months for free with an annual Zoo Pass purchase until 8th September 2024! There’s never been a better time to purchase a Zoo Pass with free entry to selected special events throughout the year including our ever-popular Shriek Week and Magic of Christmas!

*Ts and cs apply. Offer valid from 20th July to 8th September 2024.

Are you joining in with our summer celebrations th

Are you joining in with our summer celebrations this weekend? As we are expecting to experience hot weather, we would like to remind all of our visitors of a few advisories whilst you soak up the sun:

☀️Please ensure that you drink plenty of water and apply suncream throughout your visit.
🔥Some areas of our outdoor play areas may become hot to touch so please be careful when using the metal bars and slides.
⚠️Please avoid touching or climbing on our metal sculptures.
👕We are a family attraction so T-shirts must be worn at all times.
🚭Please remember that smoking is strictly prohibited inside the zoo grounds.

We have a variety of refreshments available to help keep you cool including ice creams, slushies and cold drinks!🍦

Each year we present our very own Santa Experience

Each year we present our very own Santa Experience as part of the festive celebrations. Our Santa Experience is one that requires a team of hard working elves to help the main man himself ensure each participating child receives a special gift.

A key part of this experience is Santa himself of course! We need an authentic Santa with a creative mind that can answer any of the children’s questions with a sprinkle of magic.

Find out more at www.colchesterzoo.org

UPDATE 11:30am: These issues have now been resolve

UPDATE 11:30am:
These issues have now been resolved! Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

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Due to a global third-party technical issue with card payments, we are currently unable to process card payments at our admission tills and within the Zoo. Please be aware of this before visiting and purchase admission tickets online where possible. We also recommend bringing cash with you if possible.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience and understanding whilst this issue is resolved.

Essex Mums Awards finalists! ✨ We are once agai

Essex Mums Awards finalists! ✨

We are once again pleased to announce that Colchester Zoo has been nominated as a finalist in the following categories of the Essex Mums Awards – Best Day Out (Outdoors), Best Event (Christmas) and Best Event (Halloween). A huge thank you to everyone who nominated us!

We still need your votes!
⭐Follow the link here: www.essexmums.com/awards/voting/
⭐Scroll down the page to the three different categories
⭐Select ‘Colchester Zoo’
⭐Click the purple ‘vote’ button

Voting closes on 31st August 2024!

We are delighted to announce that our two rock hyr

We are delighted to announce that our two rock hyrax, Cindy Lou and Ryan, have welcomed two little pups!

Read full story at www.colchesterzoo.org

Our summer celebrations begin on Saturday! 🏅Te

Our summer celebrations begin on Saturday!

🏅Test your skills with our Zoolympics Challenge Trail
🎵Party with the Wild Vibe Crew Club Tropicana
🦧Meet the Zoo Crew at locations around the Zoo
🔍Learn more at the Exploratorium with new summer boxes
🎨Transform into your favourite species at the Face Painting Station
🖍️Get hands on at the Discovery Den with our interactive sand table and Draw Alive wall
🦒Find out more from the Animal Care Team with our Animal Encounters

PLUS join us on the 10th and 24th August as we remain open until 9:00pm with additional live musical performances!

Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2024 winner

Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2024 winners! 🏆

We are delighted to announce that we have once again been recognised in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024. We would like to thank all of our dedicated visitors for their continued support. Without such loyal supporters, we wouldn’t be able to provide the much needed funds which help to care for wildlife and wild places.

It’s Guinea Pig Appreciation day and in celebrat

It’s Guinea Pig Appreciation day and in celebration, we are sharing some fun facts about these adorable little creatures!

Happy World Snake Day! 🐍 Did you know that we a

Happy World Snake Day! 🐍 Did you know that we are one of the only zoos in the UK to house the African rock python species?

The African rock python is the largest snake in African, reaching 6m in length and weighing up to 50kg. You can see our African rock python, Rosie, in her home at Kingdom of the Wild.

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