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| 4.30pm | Nov. - Feb. |
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Zoo News
The Zoo gives children a night to remember
7th June 2010 - Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland’s second most popular paid-for attraction,
opened its doors on Friday (4 June) night to over 1500 bereaved, long term, terminally ill and
special needs children and their carers, from Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, as part of a
free evening called Dreamnight designed to give kids a night to remember away from prying eyes.
The last Dreamnight took place in 2008 and this year, just like in previous occasions, staff at Edinburgh Zoo gave their time on purely voluntary basis. Staff tried to give every child a unique and enjoyable time at the Zoo, with many special activities and extras laid on for the night. Children got the chance to see some of the 1,000 animals on show and ask experts on hand as many questions as they liked. There was also the chance to enjoy special behind-the-scenes access and all sorts of other entertainment from bouncy castles to face-painting to animal talks and even a one-off evening penguin parade.
Darren McGarry, Animal Collections Manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said,
“This was a very special night for all those involved. What we try to do is to create a night
to remember so that the children can forget their problems and just be kids for the night.
For staff it is a chance to give their time to help these kids in a small way and for most, the
highlight of the night is seeing so many smiling faces. A big thank you goes to everyone, including
our many suppliers and supporters, for helping us to make this a night to remember.”
The idea of Dreamnight started at a zoo in Holland, where a zoo would open its doors to children who had special needs or were seriously ill, bereaved or were having to live with a debilitating illness. Now, over 500 zoos across the world take part in the event which takes place at on the same date, every year.
For further info
Clara Govier, Communications Officer Tel: 0131 314 0312 Email: cgovier@rzss.org.uk
Editor’s notes
Edinburgh Zoo is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a registered charity, charity no SC004064. For further information on all our conservation projects and events, please visit our website – www.edinburghzoo.org.uk
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