All of our encounters, experiences and tours are only available for pre booked slots. If you have a specific date in mind we recommend booking up to 6 weeks in advance. We can take some cash payments on the door only for our Family Zoo Open days however to ensure entry we always recommend booking in advance.
When booking online you are able to pay for your experiences by card however we have no card facilities onsite. As such if you are looking to pay for extra spectators on the day or wish to purchase any of our merchandise it will be cash only payments.
Children under the age of 3 qualify for free admission.
Unfortunately, due to the small group bookings we don’t have any catering facilities onsite. You are however welcome to bring food with you on the day to eat before or after your encounter. The exception to this is our Family Zoo Days where our café will be open for hot snacks and drinks.
To find out how long your encounter will last please check the web page for your specific encounter.
Unfortunately, once your encounter is over you aren’t able to stay in the Zoo. This is because we will have students working onsite and not all of the enclosures will be locked and so for student and visitor welfare you must be supervised.
We don’t offer birthday parties as such however we do offer a range of encounters that can be booked for larger groups. For more information contact us directly and we can provide more details on the options available.
The Zoo is a strictly non-smoking zone for the benefit of our animals and other guests, however we do have designated smoking areas just outside the Zoo you are welcome to use. Just ask a member of staff for directions.
We are unable to admit any animals into the Zoo as this can upset our animals and can cause the spread of disease. Unfortunately, this also applies to guide, service and therapy animals.
Anyone under the age of 16 needs to be accompanied by a responsible adult over the age of 16.
We do have several areas which are suitable for picnics with much of the College grounds being public access walkways. The main spot used is a patch of grass to the back of the Zoo where there is also a sheltered area with picnic benches.
If the weather is particularly bad, we may have space in one of classrooms for you to eat your picnic however this is subject to availability and depends on the other bookings on the day. If you would like to eat in one of our classrooms, please let us know in advance if possible and it is on the understanding that any mess will be tidied up before you leave.
None of our animals pose a significant risk to women who are pregnant. The exception to this is avoiding the livestock area during late spring/ summer time. Any other immediate risks will be highlighted upon your visit if applicable.
At the moment we don’t offer any animal adoptions but watch this space.
All of the zoo courtyard and exotics house is fully accessible for our Zoo Tours. By the nature of farms sometimes the paths in our livestock areas can be a bit muddy at certain times of the year. If you are looking at booking onto one of our animal encounters and have specific access needs, please email us at zoo@bca.ac.uk before booking.
As the BCA Zoo is part of a College we aren’t open Monday – Friday during term time as we have students onsite.
The Zoo is nestled in the BCA campus. If you input BCA Zoo to Google Maps it will direct you to the correct spot onsite. If you are using any other satnav or a paper map follow directions onto the College, then follow the signs to Main Reception until they tell you to turn left into the car park. At this point continue straight on for about 150m where you will see the Zoo on your left and a small car park on your right where you can park.
Once you arrive at BCA please follow the signs to Main Reception until they tell you to turn left into the car park. At this point continue straight on for about 150m where you will see the Zoo on your left and a small car park on your right where you can park. Please note if you are visiting for a Family Zoo Day parking is in the Main Reception car park with a short walk unless you are a blue badge holder. Visitors park at their own risk and BCA accepts no responsibility for vehicles parked onsite.
We admit one carer free with each full paying person with disabilities who needs one. If you need more than one carer please email us in advance and bring relevant proof of entitlement such as a blue badge, or a Personal Independence Payments letter (issued by the DWP benefit office).
We have over 100 different species of animals at the BCA Zoo. For more information on our animals check out our animal fact pages.
You are able to store anything you bring with you on the day in one of our classrooms. We are able to lock the classrooms however we do not take responsibility for any items left.
We are able to run any of our encounters in the rain as the animals aren’t usually affected by the weather. We recommend dressing for the weather in waterproofs and warm layers if needed. Please note we don’t offer refunds for encounters based on the weather unless we are unable to run the encounter. If the weather is extreme and we deem it to be unsafe to run the encounters we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and will offer to reschedule or refund your encounter.
We are only able to take volunteers and work experience students that are over 18 as they will be expected to work unsupervised. If you are over 18 and are interested in volunteering or doing work experience over a couple of weeks or on a more regular basis get in contact with us at zoo@bca.ac.uk and applications will be reviewed and responded to.
All of our current vacancies are advertised on the main college website as well as the BIAZA website. https://www.bca.ac.uk/ https://biaza.org.uk/jobs
