Night to remember for Bonnie and Clyde as new Nocturnal House opens at Lotherton

They may be named after one of history’s most notoriously theatrical criminal couples.

But unlike their namesakes, rare nocturnal cloud rats Bonnie and Clyde will be settling down for a quiet life after joining their fellow creatures of the night in Lotherton Wildlife World’s brand new Nocturnal House.

The pair are among a host of night-loving newcomers which have become part of the exciting new purpose-built habitat, specially designed for the nocturnal additions.

Native to the Philippines, the elusive tree-dwellers are one of only two breeding pairs in the UK and have joined Lotherton as part of the European breeding programme to help protect the species for future generations.

Clyde arrived from Cologne Zoological Garden, with Bonnie coming to the UK from Frankfurt Zoo, both in Germany.

Joining them in the Nocturnal House is another unique new addition, Pablo the kinkajou. Pablo arrived from Amazon World on the Isle of Wight and is one of only a handful of kinkajous in zoos across the UK. He is joined in his enclosure by a three banded armadillo named Gaston.

Tropical World’s collection of Egyptian fruit bats and Seba’s short-tailed bats have also made the short move across the city to Wildlife World as part of the Roundhay attraction’s longer term collection development. Both zoos will continue closely working together on conservation to help protect the bats and various other species.

The new additions are looking forward to meeting visitors when the Nocturnal House enclosure opens later this week. Tickets can be booked at https://lotherton.leeds.gov.uk. 

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and active lifestyles said:

“It’s always exciting to welcome new additions to Wildlife World and I know visitors will really enjoy meeting the nocturnal animals and learning more about their lives, habitats and the threats they face in the wild.

“It’s also fantastic to see both our zoos in the city, Wildlife World and Tropical World, working together to rehome animals and ensure conservation efforts are continued to help the various species in our collection.

“We’re very proud of the work we’re doing to conserve some of our planet’s vulnerable species and give them a safe and sustainable future. Hopefully our work can continue to inspire people in Leeds to do their bit to protect the environment and the natural habitats and wildlife in our local area for future generations to enjoy.”

For more information on Lotherton Wildlife World, please visit: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/lotherton/things-to-see-and-do/wildlife-world/

Schools are welcome to make bookings and give pupils the chance to find out more about the animal kingdom though the learning offer at Wildlife World.

For more information on Tropical World, please visit: www.tropicalworldleeds.co.uk

ENDS

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Leeds City Council communications and marketing

Tel: 0113 378 6007

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