Young Wrexham

Zoos and Safari Parks

Zoos

• The most famous zoos in the UK are London Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo, but there are many smaller zoos around the country that you can visit
• You will have to pay to go into a zoo, which usually costs between £5 and £20
• Animals in zoos are kept in specifically created areas that mimic their natural habitat, so you can see how they might behave in the wild
• You can often find out what different animals eat if you go to a zoo at feeding time
• The different animals you can usually find at a zoo range from exotic creatures, such as crocodiles and alligators, to penguins
• Zoos must obtain a special license to keep animals. They must undergo regular inspections to ensure animals are being treated with care and kept in conditions where they can express the normal behaviour they would in the wild
• Opposition to zoos does exist. Some people think humans should never take animals out of their natural homes and that it is highly cruel to keep animals in confined spaces
• However zoos do contribute to some conservation projects, and breeding animals in captivity can protect them from extinction

Safari Parks

• Safari parks are usually found in countryside areas where there is lots of land. Animals are left to roam, and have more space than they would in a zoo
• You can usually drive through safari parks in a car, and look at the animals as they wander the land
• Safari parks tend to have larger animals than zoos, as there is more room for them to roam. These include giraffes, lions and elephants
• Safari parks often have other activities such as grand homes to look around or adventure activities