Hainault Forest Website

Written, Designed and with Photographs by © Brian Ecott

   Children's Zoo

Welcome to the Children's Zoo

Much hard work has taken place during the winter months with the replacement and repair of enclosures. Additional features have been added to give a more natural habitat for the animals on display. There is some new stock but our old favourites are still to be seen including our popular donkeys Herbie and Zephyr pictured below. Our Meercats are a joy to see in the under 8 play area and are particularly playful in the warm sunshine.

  Zoo Opening Times   9 am daily

Closing at 5 pm (1st April - 30th September)

or at 3 pm (1st October - 31st March)

Alpacas  Photos ©  Michael Rumble

At present in Winter quarters.

Meercat  Photo ©  Sean Warsap

Meercats playing 

Meercats on sentry duty

 Meercats. Photos © Sean Warsap

Above and top left: Hybrid Chinese Geese

Left: Hybrid Goose.  Photo © Sean Warsap

Above and left: Guinea Fowls.  Photos Michael Rumble

Guinea Fowl.  Photo ©  Sean Warsap

Light Sussex hen.  Photo ©  Sean Warsap

Peacock displaying  Photo © Laura Morley,

Rear view of displaying peacock showing tail feathers raised and brown wings. Photo ©  Michael Rumble,

Sexual dimorphism in birds is shown here in the case of Peafowl. In the breeding season the male peacock develops a magnificent plumage and a huge tail which it can raise and shake to attract the female peahen. The number of eye spots on the tail is something that the peahen will notice. Unfortunately this breeding plumage can come at a cost making it difficult for the Peacock to fly up in a tree to escape from danger.    Photos © Michael Rumble.

Above and left:

The Mangalitza Hairy Pigs must have welcomed their thick coats.

This rare breed originates from Hungary and Austria.

Photo © Michael Rumble

 Brown sheep are SOAYS, brown spotted sheep are JACOBS and black socks are NORFOLK sheep.

Nubian goat

Toggenberg goat

Bella, the Shetland Pony

 Crested parakeets  Photo ©  Sean Warsap

 Lovebirds