Monkeys and mystery at Twycross Zoo half-term Halloween events

By Luke Williamson

Twycross Zoo is getting ready for nine days of terror with two events celebrating Halloween this October half-term.

Boo at the Zoo and Horrors of the Wild are running through the October Half Term from Saturday(OCT23) until Sunday, October 31.

Adam Kay, the Zoo’s Events, PR and Content Co-Ordinator, said: “We hope that we will see a lot of support from visitors over the half-term and Halloween activities.

“As a large outdoor attraction, we’re a great place for meeting friends and family at this current time, even more so with all of our fun spooky activities.”

Boo at the Zoo is a family friendly event, taking place daily through half-term where guests will be greeted at the front of the zoo by a wicked witch and families can take part in Broomstick Training to learn how to fly around Twycross’ 100-acre park safely.

It isn’t all about the fun, though, as the zoo’s discovery and learning rangers will be teaching guests about the real dangers that are faced by the more than 500 animals housed at the zoo in the wild.

Adam added: “The pandemic forced us to close for a prolonged period of time throughout 2020 and 2021 as well as opening with very limited visitor numbers and restrictions.

“For the zoo this meant we lost our biggest source of income and did not receive government funding.

“By providing fun activities that also highlight our mission and purpose, we hope this will encourage people to visit the zoo, support us and learn more about why the work the zoo completes is so important.”

Horrors of the Wild – which was nominated for the Best New Scare Attraction 2020 by Scare Con – is back with a new route and new scares to terrify the visitors.

The evening event takes place between Friday, October 29, and Sunday, October 31, starting at 6pm each night where guests can again learn about the real dangers facing animals in the wild including poaching and deforestation.

Visitors need to take their own torch to see in the pitch-black zoo with a variety of surprises hidden in the darkness.

“We have been warmed by the support we have received from the public during the pandemic and we hope that this support will continue into the future allowing us to keep working towards our goals and purpose and provide great days out for families,” Adam added.