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Belfast Zoo gets set to reopen on 30 April

Date: 23 April 2021

Tickets are now on sale ahead of our reopening when we will be welcoming back visitors from Friday 30 April.

The staff and keepers have been getting excited about the reopening as the zoo has been closed to the public since the end of December and we can’t wait to see you all again.

Alyn Cairns, manager of the zoo, said:

We’re delighted to be able to welcome back members of the public on site in just over a week. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that visitors can return for a fun day out.

All of our previous safety measures, including pre-booked online tickets only, timed entry slots, reduced visitor numbers, a one-way system and hand sanitising stations throughout the 55 acre site, remain in place to protect our staff, animals and the public. We have also recently acquired the “We’re Good to Go” industry standard which means that we have followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, we have a Risk Assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

Meanwhile, the keeping team have also been busy looking after more than 600 animals throughout the pandemic and there are several new arrivals at the zoo for visitors to discover. Waiting to meet visitors for the first time is a critically endangered baby bongo. Named Pasaka, which is Easter in Swahili, the young male calf was born the day before Easter Sunday and joins big sisters Nollaig and Jumapili in the paddock.

A splash of colour has also been added to the Bird Park with the arrival of Jinxy and Paul, the blue-throated macaws, who arrived from zoos in France and Germany, earlier in the year. It is hoped that the stunning new arrivals will prove to be vital additions to the European breeding programme, which is in place to prevent the extinction of these colourful but critically endangered birds.

To book your ticket, visit our Prices and tickets page. Members do not have to pre-book and can gain admission at the zoo when they arrive. Please remember to bring your membership ID. For further information, please visit our Coronavirus update page, which lists some important Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).