Welcome and thank you for considering a visit to Colchester Zoological Society. We pride ourselves on welcoming all guests and making your visit as easy and as enjoyable as we can.
All the information detailed in our Accessibility Guide is to help you plan your visit. It is our attempt to let you know about the Zoo before you visit, providing as much information as we can, helping you to decide whether Colchester Zoological Society is right for you.
Colchester Zoological Society is situated in naturally hilly terrain, which we are understandably unable to level out. While we strive to make our site as accessible as possible, we are limited by the natural landscape and can only work with the existing terrain. To assist guests with limited mobility, we have identified and highlighted certain inclines to help you plan your route more easily.
We are continually reviewing and improving our accessibility measures, including creating smoother pathways, lowering viewing windows and ensuring that our facilities are accessible to all.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own mobility scooters and wheelchairs into CZS, however, we do kindly ask that all users ensure they are using the equipment safely and securely whilst also being considerate of other visitors. CZS is situated on a naturally hilly terrain and some areas of the park can be steeper than others, as highlighted in our map. Therefore some visitors may wish to use alternative routes around the park.
Note for those with mobility scooters, CZS is set over 60acres of land so we advise that you visit with a fully charged battery that can withstand 6hrs+ of use or longer if visiting on an extended opening event day.
Visitors who wish to bring in and use their own wheelchair/mobility scooter agree that they use it at their own risk and take full responsibility steering it. CZS is not liable for any damage or injury.
Animal Experiences
We want everyone to have the opportunity to take part in our fantastic Animal Experiences and we will do all we can to make that possible. However, we do need your understanding that in some situations, and depending upon the specific needs of the guest, the species of animal and the accessibility of the animal habitat it may not be possible to make reasonable adjustments. If we are unable to provide a safe and enjoyable experience with the species you would prefer, we may be able to suggest alternatives.
To ensure smooth and safe experiences we ask you to contact us BEFORE booking so we can plan with you. This is important because if you do not let us know your needs prior to booking and then arrive for the experience, we may have to decline your visit if we assess that it is unsafe for you, our staff or animals. We want to avoid that disappointment for everyone concerned, not least because experiences, once booked, cannot be refunded.
Please complete the form
If you, or someone you support has specific needs and their need for assistance can be verified, please complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch.
