Budapest Zoo invites visitors to enjoy special behind-the-scenes experiences on its exclusive fortnightly evening walks, whose season began in mid-May.
Until the end of September, evening programmes are held twice a month, primarily for those who would like a glimpse into the zoo’s behind-the-scenes world and the fascinating work of the keepers.
The Evening Walks start after the zoo’s regular opening hours, usually from 18:30, and participants are guided in smaller groups to the behind-the-scenes sights by experts who know the zoo well and have decades of experience.
At each stop and animal house, the keepers who work there act as hosts, helping visitors get to know the animals in their care and the secrets of working with them.
This also means that on these occasions visitors can get closer to the animals than on a regular zoo visit – at least to the friendlier ones. One of the special features of the programme is that on these occasions the animals are introduced by the keepers who work with them day in, day out.
Behind-the-scenes visits are organised to a dozen different locations and animal houses within the zoo, of which three are visited as the main programme on each Evening Walk. The selection always changes, so there will always be something new to see and experience, even for guests who return to the event several times.
The locations visited during the programmes include, for example, the zoo’s veterinary clinic, the feed kitchen, the back-of-house gardens, the keepers’ area of the Shark School (Cápasuli), the Venom House, the rhinoceros and elephant enclosures, the Wildlife Rescue Centre and the Australia House. In the giraffe loft participants can meet the giraffes at head height, while in the Palm House they can get up close to sloths and armadillos, among others.
The organisers provide visitors to the evening programme with refreshments, snacks and a gift during the walk. Tickets can be purchased through the zoo’s online ticketing platform, and the detailed programme of each Evening Walk can be checked in advance on the zoo’s website.
Source: MTI, zoobudapest.com