Budding conservationists are invited to get hands-on at London Zoo’s Vets in Action this February half-term. The immersive experience offers a glimpse into the 200-year-old charity’s world-leading veterinary care through a mix of free play, self-led discovery and guided activities.
From Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February, children visiting the London Zoo will take on the role of ZSL’s conservationists working in the field and at the Zoo, in a specially designed field hospital where they’ll act as vet nurses and help perform vital health checks on toy animals.
The aspiring young vets can then join a major rescue mission to save precious Darwin’s frogs and bring them back to the safety of the London Zoo, helping the species avoid extinction.
Weighing less than a 1p coin and under 4cm long, Darwin’s frogs – the only amphibians where males brood infants in their vocal sacs – are found in the forests of Chile and Argentina. In 2023, a ZSL-led survey of Tantauco Parque in Chile revealed the population there had plummeted following the introduction of a terrible fungus, and ZSL, along with local organisations, launched a rescue mission to save them.
Inspired by the real events that led to ZSL’s rescue of 53 frogs, Vets in Action activities will give budding conservationists a taste of the London Zoo’s boundary-pushing conservation work.
Once ‘back’ at the Zoo, children will step into the shoes of a ZSL zoo vet, taking part in a hands-on training session to learn how to health-check a sloth, checking its vital signs and scoring its body conditioning. There are two sloths at the London Zoo, Marilyn and Leander, who can be spotted in their home, Rainforest Life, over half-term.
This February half-term, families can enjoy 30% off a day out with their loved ones when visiting London Zoo by booking with the code LOVE30, active from Monday 26 January, for any visit during the half-term week from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 Feb 2026.
With over 8,000 animals to see, Vets In Action and all extra activities included in the reduced zoo entry fee, families will make wonderful memories at London Zoo this holiday.
Book tickets online with the code LOVE30 from Monday 26 January at www.londonzoo.org.
