Ahoy there! The pi-rats of the Thames have docked at Battersea!

Intelligent, mischievous and always busy running up and down the deck of their ship, our rats have been aptly named after well known pirates! We would like to introduce: Captain Jack Sparrow, Long John Silver, Blackbeard, Hector Barbossa, Captain Hook and Davey Jones! On your next visit to the zoo be sure to head over to the animal barns on Barley Mow Farm to catch a glimpse of our furry voyagers!

In preparation for our new rodent arrivals our creative zookeepers designed and constructed a pirate ship themed exhibit – full of treasures, canons and even a mast! As rats are highly intelligent, it was very important for our team to create a home that provided them with plenty of space for climbing and exploring, whilst also giving them lots of secret areas for nesting down after a busy day of searching for treasures!

Our zookeepers set out on a mission to construct the 'Ratty Roger' entirely from up-cycled and disused items they found around the zoo. The team was lucky enough to receive donations of wooden wine boxes from Majestic Wine and Laithwaites, as well as from Notes Coffee Victoria for coffee sacks! All of these pirate props are sure to make our rats fearless explorers!

To keep up with all of the exciting new arrivals and events taking place at the zoo, follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts!

We hope to see you on your next visit to Battersea Park Children’s Zoo soon!