London Zoo drops alcohol-fuelled over-18s parties for family-friendly affair
by Tom Anstey | 09 Jun 2015
The over-18s events reportedly caused distress to the zoo’s inhabitants
London Zoo has called time on its ‘Zoo Lates’ parties, replacing the controversial events with a more family-friendly version.
The zoo came under fire last year after party animals caused distress to the zoo’s inhabitants, with reports of guests throwing glasses at animals, pouring beer on tigers and even trying to climb into the penguin enclosure.
The new format, rebranded ‘Sunset Safaris’, started on 5 June. The event is now being marketed towards friends, couples, and families, with talks from the zoo’s conservationists one of the main attractions. Previously the zoo targeted a young party crowd, urging them to “release your wild side.” Alcohol, which was the root of the problem at the over-18s version of the event, is still being served to guests.
Westminster city council, which licenses London Zoo, investigated the parties but said it found “no evidence of any animal welfare implications as a result of the Zoo Lates events”.
“The fact that animals in zoos have no way of escaping their day-to-day confinement is bad enough, but allowing visitors in the zoo outside normal business hours interrupts the animals’ usual sleep schedule and can cause them fear, distress and even physical harm,” said a statement from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which spoke out against the event last year.
“Whether they call them Zoo Lates or Sunset Safaris, London Zoo has made it perfectly clear that it doesn’t give a monkey’s about the individuals in its ‘care’.”
The parties generated £800,000 (US$1.2m, €1.1m) for the zoo in 2014, which went towards conservation work.
London Zoo has called time on its ‘Zoo Lates’ parties, replacing the controversial events with a more family-friendly version. The zoo came under fire last year after party animals caused distress to the zoo’s inhabitants, with reports of guests throwing glasses at animals, pouring beer on tigers and even trying to climb into the penguin enclosure. The new format, rebranded ‘Sunset Safaris’, started on 5 June. The event is now
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