Coronavirus and your visit to Banham Zoo

Both Africa Alive & Banham Zoo temporarily closed their doors on 1 January 2021, shortly before the government announcement of the national lockdown. After 3 months of closure, we are delighted to announce we will be aiming to reopen from Monday 12th April*

As the government has outlined that the roadmap will follow a “data, not dates” principle, *our reopening date may be subject to change depending on future government guidelines. For this reason, we have only listed tickets starting from the 1st May 2021. Once we have full confirmation from the government we can reopen from the 12th, tickets from 12th – 30th April will be put live.

Our priority is the safety of our visitors, our animals and our staff. And as before, we will continue to have lots of Covid safety measures in place to make sure everyone has a safe, fun and relaxed day out with their families. These measures include:

On arrival:

• Advanced booking only online system and using timed entrance slots.
• Wi-fi in carparks and QR code signs for those who have not bought tickets before they arrive, reducing entrance time from 5 minutes per family to 4 seconds.
• Entry for each family bay barcode so it scans to enter and tracks all ages and customer numbers for track and trace.
• Handwashing and sanitizing on entry.

Inside the zoo:

• Over 30 points of hand washing and hand sanitiser points throughout the zoos.
• Toilet facilities unisex for one family at a time with enhanced cleaning and traffic light systems going in out.

Preventing pinch points:

• Road markings in place all around the zoo with blocked off areas especially around key enclosures to prevent crowding.
• Barriers in place to prevent touching screens.

• One-way systems at pinch points through the zoos.
• Separate entrances and exits in shops.
• Safe distance signs and floor markings to help people social distance at all times.
• Outside eating only at restaurants with tables spaced 3 metres apart and an order and collection system at two different points safely spaced and further outdoor kiosks .
• Cashless payments only throughout the zoos and at new pop up food outlets.
• Safety screens, masks and face shields for staff at entrance gates, restaurants and shops
• Minimising entry to  maximum of 250 people per hour.
• Maximising entrance per day of 2000 people

Thank you to everyone who has supported us by donating, fundraising, sponsoring, joining as a member and much, much more – you are helping to care for our animals and protect endangered species around the world.

See you soon!

FAQs

I’m an annual pass holder, what will happen to my pass?

Any member with a valid annual pass on 1st January 2021 will receive a 3-month extension to their pass; this will be added onto your account automatically. To say thank you for your continued support each member will also receive an additional 5% on top of the current 10% discount at gift shops and main restaurants at both ZSEA Zoos (for a total of 15% off) from 12th April – 1st July 2021.

I have booked a date during your period of closure, what will happen to my tickets?

Those who pre-purchased tickets for the dates of 1st January 2021 – 12th April 2021, can redeem their visit on any day from when we reopen until 30 June 2021. No need to rebook, just quote the original booking number at the kiosk.

How do I contact someone with a query regarding this?

Any customer service queries must be emailed as zoo administration staff will be working remotely for their safety. All enquiries should be emailed to guestservices@banhamzoo.co.uk  irrespective of whether for Banham Zoo or Africa Alive and someone will respond within 48 hours