Visit London Blog - Enjoy the very best of London

Posts Tagged "animals"

11 Sep

Autumn at Kew Gardens in London

Posted by Jenny in Attractions, Open Spaces 2 Comments

I tend to think of Kew Gardens as a place best visited in spring when hundreds of daffodils and crocuses fill the lawns.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I visited on a distinctly autumnal day – windy, a little on the cold side, and cloudy skies (though the sun did manage to break through a few times).

Although many of the flowers aren’t in bloom at this time of year, there’s still plenty of colour on the trees, as their leaves turn red, gold and orange. The ground was littered with acorns and it seemed the resident squirrels couldn’t believe their luck as they scampered about collecting them.

There was no shortage of wildlife as we saw several flocks of Canadian Geese wandering around the park, plus swans and their signets on the lake, and a few ducks too.

Up on the impressive Xstrasa Treetop Walkway, we came close to some pretty decent looking conkers – the kind that I could never quite reach as a child. In all honesty, I was still too short to get them, but a taller person might just manage!

Check out our Tips for Autumn

Tags: , , , , ,
This article has 2 comments. Why not add yours?
17 Aug

Visit London Asks: What’s Your Favourite London Animal?

Posted by Zoe J. Griffiths in London 6 Comments

The new lion cubs at ZSL London Zoo. Image by the Zoological Society of London.

We’ve been getting excited about our four legged friends over the last few weeks at Visit London.

As well as the new lion cubs at London Zoo, there’s been those pesky dinosaurs at The O2, and a very helpful 3D seagull installed at the London Eye. And let’s not forget the bees in Covent Garden.

So this week’s burning question is: what’s your favourite London animal?

Perhaps you’re a fan of the flamingos at Kensington Roof Gardens? Or you’re happy knowing the Ravens are still guarding the Tower after all these years, or that those dragons are still looking after the City of London.

Maybe you like the anatomically incorrect dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park; the walrus in the Horniman Museum; the Savoy Hotel’s wooden cat, Kaspar, who rounds up potentially unlucky dinner parties of 13; or those highly cultured bees who live in a hive on top of the Southbank Centre.

Some of London’s animals are very socially minded; you can keep up with one of the lions on Trafalgar Square on twitter. Other great London animals in the twitterverse are the horse on Marble Arch and, naturally, a pigeon from Trafalgar Square.

Let us know what your favourite London animal is and why…

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
This article has 6 comments. Why not add yours?
10 Aug

Zoo Nights at ZSL London Zoo

Posted by Jenny in Attractions, Kids, Special Events 2 Comments

A lion is less than impressed by visitors at Zoo Nights

Following in the footsteps of several other London attractions that offer late night opening, ZSL London Zoo is now open after hours on selected Friday nights for its Zoo Nights events.

It’s a visit to the zoo with a twist; last Friday night they added a bar, a jazz band and lots of animal feedings and displays to keep nocturnal visitors entertained.

Last time I went to London Zoo was on a school trip, and armed with a glass of Pimms this time, instead of a stack of worksheets, I was eager to explore.

Zoo Nights certainly attracted a different crowd to the daytime staple of families and school trips. Couples and groups of people in their twenties and thirties made up the majority of evening visitors. That’s not to say there weren’t any families or kids about (there were lots), but you have a much better chance of getting near new kids’ exhibit Animal Adventure. It may be designed for children, but us adults managed to fit into the underground tunnels too!

Red Panda

So what did the animals make of all the noise and activity going on after their bedtime? Well, the giraffes seemed more than happy with their late night feed, the nocturnal lemurs were excitedly running around in their enclosure, and the lions simply viewed us with disdain!

Zoo Nights was certainly a different way to spend a Friday night. My top tip would be to make sure you see your favourite animals first, as you don’t have the luxury of a whole day to explore, and the indoor animal houses close at 9pm.

Zoo Nights itself closes at 10pm but with Camden just around the corner, you can easily continue your Friday night out.

Tags: , , , ,
This article has 2 comments. Why not add yours?
4 Jul

Sheep Potter In Potters Field

Posted by Lettice in Open Spaces 1 Comment

Sheep from Surrey Docks Farm

Hungry sheep, snuggly rabbits, thoughtful donkeys and a dopey ferret visited Potters Field Park yesterday.

The animals were from Surrey Docks Farm. The farm runs a mobile farm – a big green van which takes the animals out to make new friends. Children from schools near Tower Bridge were invited to meet the animals. Passing tourists and office workers were equally enthralled.

If you didn’t get to make a new furry friend in Potter’s Field yesterday, the mobile farm will be at Surrey Quays shopping centre on the 24th July. Can’t wait till then? Meet the whole family at Surrey Docks Farm every Tuesday to Sunday.

London has 10 city farms. Which one is your favourite?

Tags: , ,
This article has 1 comment. Why not add yours?
30 Jun

London’s Robot Zoo

Posted by Lettice in Attractions, Kids 2 Comments

Grasshopper at The Robot Zoo. Photo by Steve Pugh

The Robot Zoo at The Horniman Museum is a fun way to discover how animals and insects work.

All the robot animals are huge and they move using hydraulics, make noises and the big chameleon even changes colour.

The exhibition has lots of things you can play with – you can camouflage yourself, race squid and see how long you can hang like a bat. If you like to look silly, you can strap a shell on your back, get down on your hands and knees and have a tortoise race!

The Robot Zoo is brilliant for kids and for those of us who dream about creating a scary army of giant mechanical monsters from the rubbish in the shed.

There’s a small charge for the exhibition, but the rest of the museum is free, so after you’ve learned how bees see, head up to the Nature Base room and meet real bees. There’s also a new aquarium at The Horniman Museum. We saw seahorses, toads, a celebrity (an actor who used to be in The Bill. Not in a tank, just visiting) and tropical fish.

Read more about The Robot Zoo

Tags: , , ,
This article has 2 comments. Why not add yours?