World Animal Day: 04 Oct 2011

On Tuesday, 4th October 2011 wildlife conservation organizations and many others around the world including the Welsh Mountain Zoo – National Zoo of Wales, will celebrate the eighth-annual World Animal Day (WAD). World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered [...]

Posted in: Events
Posted on 29th Sep 2011

World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world.

October 4th was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. World Animal Day is intended as a day of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals.

Launched in the UK on 4th October 2003, organisations, groups, animal shelters, places of worship, schools, clubs and individuals participated in what was to become an annual event.

At the Zoo we will be showing our support by holding a number of exciting activities for visitors to get involved in. At 1:30pm the Education Officer will be holding a talk at the Chimpanzee Auditorium on the theme of conservation, and the many conservation projects that we are involved in. At 2pm there will be an opportunity for visitors to hear some interesting facts and learn more about our Seal Rehabilitation Centre, during a ‘meet the Keeper’ talk. As well as this, craft activities will be available in the media centre and a famous animals quiz will run, whereby visitors will be given the opportunity to win their very own amazing book of animals.

Education Officer Sue Coleman said,
“World Animal Day is a great opportunity to celebrate animals and all that they mean to us. They have provided us with companionship and are an endless source of wonder in the world that we share together.”