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Get To Know Animals - Indoor Petting Zoo In Chingform London

FAQ

FAQ

Animal handling is not included in the admission fee. All animal handling can only be booked on the day at the reception. You can view the information here: https://gtka.co.uk/animal-handling-experiences
Yes, we have a limited number of parking spaces that are marked for our customers. In the event that parking is full, you can park in our overflow parking which is situated at Miller and Carter, 100M from the zoo.
There is no minimum number, our smallest gathering was for only 2 people! We can cater for a maximum of 25, however, please note, that the more kids there are, the less time they will each get to spend with the animals as we like to ensure that everyone gets to hold all the animals and bigger groups take longer to get around. We find that 8-15 is a perfect number of kids!
Yes, we do! we have public liability insurance for up to £5m and employers liability insurance. Documents can be provided upon request.
We travel from our base in Epping CM16 for up to 30 minutes. Any time over this will be subject to additional travel fees. Please contact us at bookings@gtka.co.uk or 0208 923 3456 to obtain a quote.
We visit schools, nurseries, residential care homes, hospices and hospitals. You just need to check with the venue that they allow animals on site. We can also come to most outdoor spaces providing the weather is ok.
We bring a large selection of all sorts of animals to all of our experiences, including birds, cute fluffies, reptiles, insects, exotics, amphibians and more! You can certainly let us know your favourite animals when booking, but we cannot guarantee the attendance of any animal as it really does depend on the animal’s mood/ health on the day! Sometimes they just don’t want to come out to play and as their welfare is our absolute top priority, we never force them to do anything they don’t want to or that may be detrimental to their health. Many people have phobias and request that we do not bring certain animals with us, however we would urge you to trust us on this one! We work very often with people that suffer animal phobias and we find with a gentle approach, in a safe and controlled environment, with our expert guidance, we can help to alleviate any fears you may have! We also like to encourage people not to pass their own fears on to other members of the party, especially children who are not born with fears, they are developed! SO come on, get your biggest bravest boots on and let us show you that there really is NOTHING to be scared of!
Well, we need to kindly ask you to ensure the following please:
  • A suitable place to set up and perform
  • A place to stop and unload or load up outside the venue, with easy access to enter or exit
  • Access to some sort of table (small or large is fine, we can make do with either!)
  • All music is turned off, toys or balloons put away, no other major distractions around
  • Quiet please!! We love everyone to get involved or spectate, however we do ask that you
please remain quiet during the show. Especially at kids parties, Adults stood at the back talking is incredibly distracting and can ruin the whole experience!
Yes absolutely, as long as they can be kept in another room whilst we are there.
Depending on the size of the event, there will be at least 2 Rangers attending.
We do many outdoor events; however, it completely depends on our glorious British weather on the day! If it is a nice sunny day, we will require some shaded area but if it is cold or raining we will need to be inside or have cover/ heating provided. If you are booking an outside event, we always require that you have an indoor plan B, just in case the weather changes at the time of the party. When we arrive, the Ranger on duty will assess the area and conditions and advise on the best place to set up. Unfortunately, due to our strict policies on caring for our animals wellbeing, if the temperatures drop too low or too high, we may have to reschedule the event as extreme weather conditions can be fatal for our beautiful creatures. We know this can be very frustrating if it happens, however we need to to understand that the animals must come first in every scenario!
We just need enough room for every one to be able to sit comfortably, and somewhere for us to place the animals carries and present. Most kitchens/ front rooms are big enough. If you have any concerns, please feel free to discuss this with us prior to your booking.
We will start off with a few ground rules, explaining how to handle/ stroke the animals and an explanation of what we are going to do. We then bring all the animals out one by one, bringing them round to every member of the party for them to pet/ hold, in a really fun and fully interactive way! We also include a few little songs and dances with certain animals to keep everyone in the party mood!
No, unfortunately not! We ask that you provide food either before or after we have been. This is for a few different reasons, including health and hygiene and also to minimise distraction for both the party participants and the animals! If you have had food prior to our visit, it is vital to ensure everyone washes their hands thoroughly before they meet the animals to get rid of any smells/ tastes, as we don’t want any animals mistaking fingers for party nibbles!! With regards to toys/ balloons etc, we ask that these are all put away during our show. This is so as not to distract anyone from this incredible experience and also for the safety of the party goers and of course our animals, who can get freaked out!
To confirm your booking, we require the full balance upfront. This can be paid via cash, bank transfer or credit/ debit card either online or over the phone. Bookings are non refundable, however, we are more than happy to change the date or issue a credit note if your event is postponed for any reason.
We will aim to arrive around 10-15 minutes before most parties to set up. For larger events/ fairs etc we may need arrive up to an hour before hand.
Yes, absolutely! We will need you to ensure we have a place to park outside the venue. We have a lot of animals/ equipment to bring in/out and we need to be able to do this quickly and safely please! Please note, if there is not adequate space for us to park and unload, we will unfortunately not be able to continue with the event. Please note: If any parking charges or fines are incurred, this cost will need to be covered by the customer.
Our animals are extremely well socialised with people and other animals and are used to be handled frequently on a daily basis. Of course any creature CAN bite if it feels endangered or threatened, just as we would try to defend ourselves in the same situation, however, as long as we treat them kindly and with respect and follow our guidelines, there should not be any chance of this as all of our animals are incredibly docile and extremely loving and friendly! Please note, the management accepts no responsibility for any injuries caused by our animals. Please only handle at your own risk.
This is a 99% yes answer! Making sure that we are the most hands on, interactive animal experience around is our main focus! We aim to make sure that every single person gets to at least stroke or touch every single animal! In most instances we even try and do at least one guest feeding experience with at least one of our animals…although this depends on if the animal is hungry at the time! Of course on occasion, if one of the animals decides that they are suddenly not in the mood to be petted, we must respect this and then we will just show them only.
Our set price experiences usually last for approximately 1 hour. If you require a longer time, then please contact us for a bespoke quote.
All our experiences are priced at a set cost of £350 for a 1 hour (approx.) experience. We try and keep our prices as low and fair as possible. We have more animals than most other animal party companies and they all need housing, quality feeding, cleaning, regular health checks, etc, which is quite costly and we also need specialist equipment. In regards to timing, it takes us around an hour to safely put all the animals in to their transport boxes, then we have the journey and loading/unloading time and costs, and then we have to do the same all over again in reverse, so although we are only with you for an hour, it is roughly 3-4 hour work for us! For any parties/ events that require us to attend for longer, or to discuss a public/ educational/ corporate event or fayre, please Contact us to discuss a pricing arrangement.
Our Indoor Petting Zoo is open to the public to come in, enjoy the ambience and spend time watching the animals. There are some low pens that you are able to reach in to and pet if you should wish. If you would like to sit and hold and animal, we have various animal handling experiences available, which we are happy to go through with you when you arrive, if this is something you would like to do. Please click here for opening times and prices.
There is no time limit for visitors to enjoy our haven - some people spend 20 minutes and some spend 4 hours! It is entirely up to you how long you would like to visit us for!
Yes. As our packages offer exclusive access, it is important to book in advance. Our booking system will allow you to book no later than 24 hours in advance - if you want to book nearer to the time please call us on 020 8923 3456.
We offer a number of packages that are bookable on the day. For all prices and opening times, please click here
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