One of Norfolk’s leading family attractions, Amazona Zoo in Cromer, Norfolk, will be celebrating its tenth anniversary on Saturday 23rd June 2018 where it will be hosting a fun-filled Teddy Bear’s Picnic event from 10am to 5pm.
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Personally I cannot believe it’s been ten years since it opened. I still refer to it as ‘the new zoo in Cromer’. We love a visit to Amazona and have been several times, so I’ve got the 23rd in my diary as a day to go and celebrate.
As a nod to Paddington Bear, who originates from deepest darkest Peru, children will be invited to bring their most loved teddy bears to join in the birthday fun, eat cake and marmalade sandwiches.
If you come down to the zoo that day you will experience a great day out where you will also explore and learn about a varied and fascinating selection of animals native to South America.
Home to over 200 tropical animals, including jaguars, pumas, ocelots, monkeys, snakes, caimans, flamingos, tapirs and Tic-Tac the toucan, the zoo is committed to helping visitors discover nature and providing education on conservation issues set within 15 acres on the north Norfolk coast.
As well as the wide variety of animals, the zoo also has a well-equipped indoor play area Jungle Tumbles, and an extensive outdoor area Rainforest Springs where children can play. There are also a number of exciting additions this year, which include, two large outdoor jumping pillows, a tarantula spider house and a cute South American guinea pig village.
A lakeside café, which is open from 10.30am, provides a wide range of hot and cold snacks, meals and drinks. The well-stocked gift shop sells a variety of toys, games, stationery, jewellery, confectionary and books, so you can treat your dad to a nice lunch and some gifts!
What Animals and Birds can you see?
There are at least four ‘feed the animal’ events a day, with jaguar and pumas on alternate days.
- Four species of tarantulas in their Spider House
- South American guinea pigs in the Guinea Pig Village
- A Toucan called Tic-Tac
- Feline Forest – Pumas, Jaguar and Ocelot
- Tropical House: Entering from the Capuchin walkway, visitors will encounter the Currasow and the Piping Guan. After the bridge, see the Spectacled Caiman and spot the Red-tailed Catfish or the Black Pacu. Follow the path into the shadows to find the Iguanas, the Anaconda and the Boa Constrictors.
Look at the Ocelot - South American Wildfowl: See native migratory species such as Greylag Geese and Mallard, as well as Chiloe Wigeon, Brazilian Teal, Coscoroba Swan and the iridescent Comb Duck.
- Chilean Flamingos
- Birds of Prey: Red-legged Seriema are South America’s nearest relation to birds, known in the rest of the world as cranes. Striated Caracara, also known as Johnny Rook, are found predominantly in the Falkland Islands and small islands off Tierra del Fuego. Once abundant in numbers there are approximately only 500 pairs left in the Falklands.
When you’ve got the option of sitting on a bench or riding a big cat! - Capybara: This is the world’s largest rodent. It is an excellent swimmer, with eyes, nostrils and ears set in alignment across the top of the head.
- Brazilian Tapir: One of the largest of three species to be found in South America, this one has the widest distribution. Its closest relatives are the rhinoceros
and the horse. - Amazon Parrots, Macaws and a Toucan
I loved seeing all the Maru - Squirrel Monkeys: This small monkey of Central and South America lives in troops of up to 30-40 animals from mangrove swamps to 3,000 feet above sea level.
- Geoffrey’s Spider Monkeys: This species is distributed throughout Central America, from Mexico to Panama.
- Ring-tailed Coati & American River Otters
- Marmosets Capuchin Monkeys
- Mara: the Patagonian Hare
- The Rhea: the greater Rhea is one of South America’s largest birds
- Collared Peccary: Also known as the Javelina or the Musk Hog, this is the smallest of the peccary species.
Amazona Zoo – Jaguar (Again, the zoo’s picture, not mine, I’, not that good)
For more information visit www.amazonazoo.co.uk, call 01263 510741 or follow @AmazonaZoo on twitter and AmazonaZoo on Facebook. #Amazona10Years
Disclosure – I have received no payment, I’m just sharing case it is of interest