New for 2010, the Isle of Wight Zoo is please to introduce
Zoo at Home. This indoor handling zone allows visitors to have direct contact with some of our more friendly inhabitants, from Guinea pigs to bearded dragons.
Founded in partnership with
Pets At Home, the zone is devoted to responsible pet ownership. Whether animals live in zoos or homes, caring for them is a privilege and it's important to make sure we look after them as well as we can. They can bring us a lot of happiness, whether they are furry or scaly, well behaved or a little bit mischievous.
Zoo At Home is staffed throughout the day, so you don't have to wait for a presentation time to get close to the animals. Just come along and see who you can meet.You can also ask advice about pet care and how to go about choosing a pet that's right for you... You never know, you might just fall in love with an entirely unexpected animal!
Animal of the Month
This month's star animal is Nibbles the guinea pig. Nibbles arrived at the zoo in February and was an immediate hit, thanks to his lovely nature and scruffy appearance.
As you may have guessed from his name, Nibbles does like to chew on things. He's still a young guinea pig and he hasn't quite worked out what's good to eat, what's good to gnaw and what he shouldn't touch! However he is a very gentle animal and as as long as you keep your fingers away from his mouth he is lovely to cuddle - just be prepared for your clothes to get a tiny bit chewed.
Top Tip!
All guinea pigs need things to chew on, because their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives and need to be worn down. At the zoo we make sure our guinea pigs have things like wooden toys and bits of cardboard in their enclosures at all times.