NEWS RELEASE                                                                                             26 October 2001

ANIMAL PLAYGROUND OPENS CLOSE TO CAPE TOWN

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to hug a little potbelly pig, stroke a slithery snake, or rub noses with a rare alpaca (a sort of aristocratic tall intelligent sheep with lovely woolly coat) from South America, then the all-new AnimalZone just outside Cape Town has opened its doors and is waiting for you.

AnimalZone is the perfect place to take the whole family for a day’s fun in the sun while you look and learn a whole lot about some of the world’s more interesting creatures.

The brainchild of veterinarian and bird expert Dr Deon de Beer and dental surgeon Dr Gavin Lindhorst, AnimalZone houses a rich collection of unusual and very accessible creatures at a landscaped farm in Klapmuts, only just over half and hour’s drive from the City Bowl.

Gavin imports and breeds the alpacas and thinks that the creatures - and he ’s got quite a few at AnimalZone - is the best fun young people can have, since the invention of the bicycle.

His alpacas share AnimalZone with not only the potbelly pigs, but also miniature goats, donkeys, a whole lot of snakes, ponds stocked with all sorts of exotic fish and water fowl, a variety of seldom-seen bird species, including parrots for Africa.

Kids are also encouraged to ride a horse or Jacobs the donkey, while their parents picnic on the extensive lawns nearby.

One of the other interesting things that happen in this magic place is that people get to learn a lot about animal care. It’s stuff that they can leave with and apply to their own pets at home

“Keeping any form of creature as a ‘pet’ is a tremendous privilege,” says Deon de Beer. “At AnimalZone, we place a great deal of emphasis on encouraging especially children to examine these creatures up close and learn about proper pet care, including such things as animal health, correct feeding and housing, perhaps even a little animal behavioural psychology and of course tough issues like sterilisation.”

In fact, AnimalZone also has a facility for the selection and purchase of a new pet from amongst the snakes, parrots and even alpacas on sale.

“This is just the sort of place to bring a class from school or a bunch of friends, to spend an afternoon or even the whole day in the heart of the animal kingdom,” says Gavin Lindhorst.

Entrance is free until 8th November. Thereafter, R20 for adults and R10 for kids.

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