Blackpool Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Zoo logo
Date opened	6 July 1972
Location	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Land area	32 acres (13 ha)
Coordinates	53°48′56″N 3°0′46″W / 53.81556°N 3.01278°W / 53.81556; -3.01278
No. of animals	1,350
Memberships	BIAZA, EAZA
Major exhibits	Project Elephant Base Camp, Orangutan Outlook, Gorilla Mountain, Active Oceans, Lemur Wood, Wolf Ridge, Big Cats, Children's Farm, Giraffe Heights

A Pelican near the lemur area

Blackpool Zoo is a fun and exciting zoo located in Blackpool, England. It covers 32-acre (13 ha) of land and is home to over 1,350 amazing animals from all around the world. The zoo is owned by a company called Parques Reunidos.

History of Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Zoo first opened its doors in 1972. It was built on the site of an old airport called Stanley Park Aerodrome.

In 2005, the zoo added a cool new area called 'Dinosaur Safari'. Here, you can walk among 32 life-size dinosaur models! The next year, in 2006, "Amazonia" opened. This is a special walk-through area where you can see South American animals and birds, like squirrel monkeys.

Giraffes returned to the zoo in 2008 after being away for 14 years. The zoo spent over £500,000 to build a fantastic new home for them. In 2009, 20 Magellanic penguins arrived from Spain, and a new £1 million sea lion pool opened in 2010. A new Children's Farm was added in 2011, and the main restaurant got a big makeover.

A huge new home for elephants, called Project Elephant Base Camp, opened in 2018.

Animals and Their Homes

What Can You See at Orangutan Outlook?

Orangutan Outlook reopened in 2014 after a big £1 million upgrade. It's home to four Bornean orangutans: Ramon, Cherie, Summer, and Jingga. You can also spot Chinese water dragons and a Philippine sailfin lizard here.

Discover Project Elephant Base Camp

Project Elephant is the biggest project the zoo has ever done! It's a multi-million-pound area built on new land. It has a huge outdoor grass area, a sand paddock, a pool, and the largest indoor elephant house in the UK.

In 2017, Kate, the zoo's female Asian elephant, moved into her new home. Later, four more female elephants – Noor-Jahan, Esha, Tara, and Minbu – joined her from Twycross Zoo. Project Elephant Base Camp opened to visitors in March 2018. In October 2019, Emmett, a bull elephant, arrived from Whipsnade Zoo. He is the first male elephant in Blackpool Zoo's 47-year history!

The Old Elephant and Reptile House

After Project Elephant Base Camp opened, the old Elephant and Reptile House became home to many of the zoo's reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish. You can see animals like rhinoceros iguanas, reticulated pythons, red-footed tortoises, and even Madagascar hissing cockroaches! Yacare caimans live in the entrance area. The part of the house where elephants used to live now has a group of Bactrian camels. This area is being renovated.

Explore Gorilla Mountain

Gorilla Mountain opened in 2000. It's home to six western lowland gorillas. The group includes a silverback male named Bukavu, and females Miliki, Njema, and Meisie. Meisie was born in 2010. Moanda was born in 2012, and Makari was born in 2017.

Walk Through Lemur Wood

Lemur Wood opened in 1999 and was the zoo's first walk-through area. Here, you can walk among troops of ring-tailed lemurs, red-fronted lemurs, and red ruffed lemurs.

Dive into Active Oceans

The zoo's sea lion pool is the biggest in a British zoo! It was built in the 1970s and is home to California sea lions. There's a 250-seat arena where you can watch the sea lions perform with their trainers. Next to the sea lion pool is the penguin enclosure, which opened in 2009. It houses Magellanic penguins, and Blackpool Zoo is the only zoo in the UK that has this type of penguin!

Visit Giraffe Heights

Giraffe Heights opened in 2008. It's home to four female giraffes: O'Grady, Evie, Olympia, and Tiye. In the summer, two blesbok antelopes share the outdoor area with the giraffes. There's a special walkway where you can even book a chance to hand-feed the giraffes!

Meet the Big Cats

The zoo has an all-male group of African lions, including Wallace and his cub, Khari. You can also see an Amur tiger named Alyona.

See the Wolves at Wolf Ridge

Wolf Ridge opened in 2012. It's a special area built for three Iberian wolves.

Stroll Through Wallaby Walkabout

Opened in 2010, Wallaby Walkabout lets you see red-necked wallabies and both western grey and red kangaroos.

Small Primate House Highlights

This is one of the oldest animal houses at the zoo. It's a central spot for many primates like De Brazza's monkeys, pileated gibbons, L'Hoest's monkeys, and emperor tamarins. You might also spot Prevost's squirrels near the entrance.

Waders and Waddlers Aviary

This is the zoo's wetland bird aviary. It's home to many different birds, including grey crowned cranes, scarlet ibis, and black-crowned night herons.

Flamingo Lake

The zoo has a long lake divided into two parts. One part is for great white pelicans. The other side is for American flamingos and other waterfowl like red-breasted geese. There's even an island in the flamingo area for emperor tamarins!

Semi-Nocturnal House

This building used to be the nocturnal house. Now, it's mainly home to red titis. You can also see dwarf mongooses here.

Fun at the Children's Farm

Opened in May 2011, the Children's Farm is perfect for younger visitors. You can get up close with friendly farm animals like donkeys, pigs, rabbits, alpacas, and pygmy goats.

Other Amazing Animals

Blackpool Zoo is also home to many other cool animals! You can find red pandas, meerkats, South American tapirs, aardvarks, giant anteaters, mountain zebras, and red river hogs. Don't forget to look for great grey owls, rainbow lorikeets, and ostriches too!

Journey Through Dinosaur Safari

Dinosaur Safari is a walk-through area that opened in 2005. It features over thirty life-size models of extinct animals. You'll see famous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. The area was updated in July 2019 with new paint, gardens, and even animatronic dinosaurs! There's also a fossil dig and a working volcano with water.

Miniature Railway Fun

When the zoo first opened in 1972, a miniature railway was built. It's about 700 yards (640 m) long. You can ride it on zoo opening days, but there's a small extra charge.

Zoo Layout and Facilities

Blackpool Zoo is built on flat land, making it easy to get around. You can even hire wheelchairs and pushchairs from the reception.

The zoo has two main places to eat, plus other small kiosks. The main cafe, called Lakeview Cafe, serves hot food, salads, and drinks. There's also a coffee shop at the entrance that sells Starbucks drinks. A new Asian-themed eatery near the Dinosaur Safari offers noodles and rice. During summer, a BBQ Kiosk sells hot dogs and chips.

You'll find two main shops at the zoo. One is in the main entrance building, and a smaller one is near the Amazonia exhibit. The zoo also has rooms you can hire for private events.

The Playbarn

The zoo has a fun indoor soft play area called the Playbarn. It has multiple levels and a jungle theme. You can enter the Playbarn even if you don't visit the zoo, but there's an extra charge.