Check out these cute new arrivals at Lee Valley Park Farms. Two meerkats and 23 ex-battery hens are now settling into their new home on the farm.

The hens arrived from the British Hen Welfare Trust and are recovering with the help of warm knitted jumpers, made for them by members of the public.

Why not take a closer look at the new arrivals by visiting Lee Valley Park Farms this weekend?

Lee Valley Park Farms. Open daily, 10am-5pm until 31 Oct 2011

Take a look at this charming video of the Royal Parks in winter, featuring squirrels, deer, a snowy Regent’s Park, pelicans and snowball fights. Sure to make you long for a brisk winter walk in the park.

This tamandua at ZSL London Zoo looks pleased with the zoo’s Visit London Award. The attraction won Best Tourism Experience at last night’s awards ceremony.

How cute are these cheeky Christmas monkeys?

And today, you can win a festive day out at ZSL London Zoo this Christmas, for you and up to four friends!

Christmas Journeys at London Zoo is a brand new experience for 2010. As well as hearing Christmas stories, you get to meet the animals, sing Christmas songs, enjoy a cup of mulled wine (for the adults) and even see Santa on this festive tour of the Zoo!

What are you waiting for? Enter this competition today, and you and four friends could be cuddling up to donkeys and sheep in the wonderful setting of London Zoo in December.

Enter Day 8:  Tickets to London Zoo’s Christmas Journey here

We love cute animal pictures at VL so we just couldn’t resist this video of “dancing” animals at London Zoo.

If you fancy seeing what the animals get up to at night, don’t miss the Zoo Lates programme when the zoo will be extending its opening hours every Friday night in August. See what we got up to at last year’s Zoo Lates.

This Friday’s event is already sold out, so book your tickets sharpish for the remaining Zoo Lates.

Look away if you’ve maxed out on cute animal pictures over Easter! We spotted these adorable lambs and their mum at Borough Market last Thursday. We weren’t sure about them being positioned opposite the lamb curry stall, but hope they were having a nice day out regardless.

Last night I had the opportunity to view the new Rainforest Life exhibit at ZSL London Zoo.  

The enclosure is climate-controlled and contains a large central mock rainforest filled with various monkeys, birds, sloths (exceedingly popular with the crowd – possibly because they don’t move very fast so you can get a good close-up look) and at least one anteater (my personal favourite). 

The rainforest is viewed from a platform and is entirely open, so the monkeys can be zipping around your feet while you’re looking at the other animals, including iguanas and bird-eating spiders.  There is also a nocturnal zone where you can view bats, fish, rats and the famously ugly, blind naked mole rat.

Rainforest Life is a fantastic, immersive experience suitable for all ages.

Rainforest Life at ZSL London Zoo opens on 27 March.

Even the most dedicated of emailers could be persuaded revert to paper and ink missives with these supercute new stamps from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The new stamps feature 10 former residents who have now been successfully rehomed.

Royal Mail commissioned the stamps to help celebrate Battersea Dogs and Cats Home’s 150th birthday this year.

The charity started as a home for lost and starving dogs in 1860. Then, in 1883, it began taking in cats as well, and remains true to its original aim to “never to turn away a dog or cat in need of help.”

Take a look at the video below to hear the stories of the 10 celebrity pets and their new owners:

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home takes in 12,000 animals every year, so if there’s room in your life for a furry friend, why not consider rehoming one? Or if you have a less than sympathetic landlord, there are lots of other ways to help the charity.

The stamps are available at all Post Offices and online at www.royalmail.com/stamps.