Providing Valentine love nests!

Here at DZG we’re as passionate about our native species as we are about our exotic animals.

And this Valentine’s Day we’re making sure we’re providing ideal love nests for our feathered friends ready for the forthcoming breeding season, which typically starts around March-time.

To launch National Nest Box Week staff have installed a number of bird boxes around the 40-acre ancient wooded site, including new homes for kestrels and barn and tawny owls, which were purchased through funds raised from last August’s Raptor Day.

DZG Conservation Officer, Chris Leeson, said: “We’ve bought six specialist boxes, three tawny owl, one kestrel box and two barn owl boxes, which we’ve put up in areas where we’ve seen the birds, including off-show parts of the zoo site, around Harry Hatch’s cottage and the chairlift bank.

“We still have some funds left over, so we can either purchase little nest boxes for the site’s smaller birds or look at buying cameras which we can install in the raptor boxes.”

Visitors coming to DZG over half term can find out more about native birds big and small as Chris will be hosting bird food making sessions throughout the week.

Running 11am – 12.30pm and 2pm – 3.30pm in the Discovery Centre’s Rainforest Room, children can make bird feeders to take home and feed the birds in their gardens, as well as learning about the importance of providing correct nesting boxes.

There’ll also be bird themed colouring sheets in the farm barn, where guests can meet some of our smaller critters during daily Creature Feature sessions between 12 – 12.45pm and 2.15 – 4.30pm.

Forgotten to treat your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day?

If you’ve forgotten to get your sweetheart a Valentine’s Day gift, there’s still chance to snap up our limited edition double adoption package for loved-up Humboldt pair, Elliot and Scarlet.

Available from just £40, the package includes a photo of our pair, a mini penguin cuddly toy, factsheet and certificate.

CLICK HERE for the adoption details.