TV presenter and wildlife enthusiast Aneeshwar Kunchala unveiled ZooTown at London Zoo.
London's newest and wildest play space, ZooTown at London Zoo, was unveiled today by young wildlife documentary presenter Aneeshwar Kunchala, in his new role as Mayor of ZooTown.
The 10-year-old conservationist was joined by real-life Deputy Mayor of London for Children and Families, Joanne McCartney (as well as Ande the llama) for an official ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling ceremony, before exploring a mini zoo-within-a-zoo.
ZooTown features multiple themed role-play stations where children can try their hands at activities such as meal prep for animals in the Keeper Kitchen, fighting germs in the Science Lab or tracking wild animals in the Field Conservation Station.
Aneeshwar met Head Vet Amanda Guthrie in the Vet Hospital and the two of them performed an ultrasound scan on a model African wild dog. In the Keeper Kitchen, zookeeper Shannon Quinn discussed animal nutrition with Aneeshwar, before he got kitted out in a hard hat and high vis for a play in the Construction Zone.
The mini conservation zoo is designed to inspire and empower the next generation of conservationists. The space boasts 13 role-play experiences where children get to immerse themselves in the world of a ZSL conservationist – be that a horticulturalist, scientist, zookeeper or even barista. They can enjoy more than a thousand toys to play with including 300 zebra poo balls, 150 zoo post parcels and 63 cuddly toy veterinary patients.
ZooTown opens to the public on Saturday 18 October, and booking for the new experience opens today (Wednesday 15 October). Zoo Town is free for ZSL’s Gold Members, Fellows and Patrons, or costs just £1 per child for all other visitors, and zoo admission tickets must be booked separately.
