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Love giraffes this Valentines day
28 January 2010
By adopting an animal in the zoo before Valentines Day, you can enter yourself and your partner in with the chance to feed the giraffes on Sunday 14th February.
Our latest love story!
11 February 2010
The zoo has welcomed its newest couple, a pair of pygmy goats, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The male and female are in the farm area of the zoo, and are visibly very fond of each other.
Meerkats move over
18 January 2010
Belfast Zoo’s two new baby meerkats said ‘move over’ to the established group of eight, as they emerged from their cosy home in the ground last week.
A cold count
6 January 2010
In the cold weather, spare a thought for the zookeepers of Belfast Zoo, when they will be undertaking a complete head count of every animal in the zoo as part of the zoo’s licensing regulations.
Zoo sets record visitor figures
5 January 2010
Turning 75 last year hasn’t stopped us breaking all previously held records for visitor numbers. In 2009, over 302,000 people visited the zoo during its 75th birthday year. This is the highest recorded level since the zoo opened in 1934.
Zoo on Cbeebies
7 December 2009
Five shows of the programme Green Balloon Club were filmed at the zoo during September, and were aired from Monday 14 to Friday 18 December at 3.30pm each day. You can watch us now on BBC iplayer.
Move over Rudolph!
3 December 2009
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer may be busy preparing for his global journey with Santa but Belfast Zoo’s red kangaroo, Randalph, is busy this Christmas with two new family additions, Dancer and Prancer.
Kabus meets his public
27 October 2009
Rare Sumatran tiger, Kabus, has emerged to explore his outdoor enclosure.
Tiger debut on Tuesday
23 October 2009
Come and see Kabus, our new Sumatran tiger . He will make his first public appearance on Tuesday 27th October at 10.30am.
Snap happy in the zoo
19 October 2009
Judging has taken place for the 26th Annual Photographic competition at Belfast Zoological Gardens.
Retirement is an elephant pleasure
9 October 2009
Unusual day and night-time activities are available for Belfast Zoo`s four retired non-breeding Asian elephants.
Rare Sumatran tiger bound for Belfast
7 October 2009
A rare Sumatran tiger is bound for Belfast Zoo as part of a European breeding programme between zoos.
Final call to get snap happy
18 September 2009
If you are a budding photographer, this is the final call for entries for the 26th annual photographic competition at Belfast Zoological Gardens. It closes on Friday 25 September.
World`s smallest deer gives birth
3 September 2009
The world`s smallest deer, a Southern pudu, has given birth in Belfast Zoo. Baby Caju is 3 weeks old and is the first Chilean pudu birth for Belfast Zoo and the first captive birth in Ireland.
NICMA has broken the world record
20 August 5pm
NICMA the Childminding Association is celebrating the fact that it has unofficially broken the current Guinness World Record for the worlds largest finger painting.
Update on NICMA record bid
20 August 2009
2,400 canvas squares have now been painted as the Northern Ireland Child Minding Association tries to break the current world record for finger painting.
Rare baby gibbon dies
13 August 2009
Belfast Zoo’s baby Moloch gibbon has died. Baby Haja was of incredible significance to the zoo, and the species as a whole.
Lily leaves Belfast Zoo
5 August 2009
Lily the lion has left Belfast Zoo on her 2 day journey to Hodonin Zoo, Czech Republic.
Three baby meerkats
10 August 2009
The baby boom at the zoo continues with three meerkat babies. The new additions join three adult females and two adult male meerkats.
Lily the lion to leave Belfast next week
31 July 2009
This weekend is the last chance to see Lily the lion as she will leave Belfast Zoo for the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
Megan the miniature donkey
31 July 2009
A baby miniature donkey has been born at Belfast Zoo. The young female is called Megan, and is the daughter of Miss Ellie and Dylan.
Rare silver gibbon born at the zoo
17 July 2009
A rare baby Moloch gibbon called Haja has been born in Belfast Zoo. The fragile and hairless baby can be seen nestling in the arms of her mother.
Prairie dog explosion
14 July 2009
Belfast Zoo have recently welcomed the arrival of baby black-tailed prairie dogs.
As smooth as an elephants bum
10 July 2009
Belfast Zoo is applying moisturising cream to their elephants to improve dry skin conditions.
Zoo welcomes two emperor tamarins
14 July 2009
Belfast Zoos baby boom continues with the arrival of Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) twins.
Name that tapir
3 July 2009
A Malayan tapir is born in Belfast Zoo and you have the opportunity to name and meet the long nosed and endangered species.
Zebra Ember stripes into action
1 July 2009
The baby boom at Belfast Zoo continues with the birth of a baby zebra.
Fire destroys mountain tea house
23 June 2009
A fire has destroyed the Mountain Tea House in Belfast Zoo, North Belfast.
Three in a row
11 June 2009
Three sea lion pups have been born at the zoo within one week of each other.
Dreams come true at zoo’s charity event
5 June 2009
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Naomi Long, and UTV’s Julian Simmons greeted guests at Belfast Zoo’s special charity event for children.
Travelling to the zoo on Monday 4 May
1 May 2009
The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon 2009 will pass close to the zoo on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May.
This may affect your travel arrangements if you plan to visit the zoo.
New visitor centre opens
22 April 2009
Our new £600,0000 visitor centre has been officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tom Hartley, and Alan Clarke, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
It includes a Zoovenir Shop, info kiosks and a first-aid room.
What’s new at the zoo for Easter
7 April 2009
As well as face painting and traditional Cavehill egg rolling, this Easter at the zoo you can see a giant anteater and a capybara.
Elephants arrive from Germany
6 April 2009
Two new Asian elephants, Jenny and Dhunja, have arrived from Hannover Zoo, Germany.
‘Elephant angel’ found
26 March 2009
The woman who looked after a baby elephant from the zoo in her back garden during World War II has been identified.
Search for the ‘elephant angel’
20 March 2009
To mark our 75th birthday, we are looking for our ‘elephant angel’, a mystery woman who looked after one of our baby elephants during World War II.
Yhetto the elephant arrives from Germany
16 March 2009
The grand old lady of the zoo, Tina the elephant, has a new companion.
32-year-old Yhetto arrived from Krefeld Zoo, Germany in February.
Lily the lion to appear on Animal Planet
9 February 2009
Lily the lion will appear on the channel Animal Planet on Thursday 12 February at 7am and 2pm on a programme called Baby Planet.
Zoo to house non-breeding elephants
28 January 2009
The elephant husbandry techniques of Belfast Zoo are changing. The grand old lady of the zoo, 44 year old Tina the elephant, will be joined by other non-breeding female elephants in the future.
Our annual stock take begins
5 January 2009
Our zoo keepers are starting the biggest job of the zoo calendar - counting each and every animal in their collection for the New Year stock take.
Elephants unwind to classical music
17 November 2008
Researchers from Queen’s University, Belfast have discovered that elephants find listening to classical music relaxing.
Bozo the eastern bongo
1 November 2008
Bozo is the latest arrival at Belfast Zoo.
His birth means there are now eight eastern bongos in the zoo.
McCallister mucks in at elephant enclosure
17 September 2009
John McCallister, MLA for South Down, paid a recent visit to our elephant and giraffe enclosure where he picked up a few unusual animal husbandry techniques.
Rainforest House
26 June 2008
Belfast Zoo’s latest attraction, the Rainforest House, is now open.
It contains lots of different species, including several birds and a two-toed sloth.
Arthur the baby sifaka
15 March 2008
Arthur is the first baby Verreaux’s sifaka to be born in the British Isles.
His birth brings the number of sifaka living in Belfast Zoo to five.
Boris and Charlie
January 2008
Barbary lions Boris and Charlie were born in November 2007.
They are currently on show in the lions’ paddock.
Lily the lion
Lily was born in June 2007 and was rejected by her mother.
She was hand-reared by one of our keepers and is now on show in her own paddock.
