The children’s Zoo creates experiences for the whole family!
At the western gate of the Zoo, in the northern wing of the environmental education center, is a children’s Zoo. Here, quite a few children – and sometimes even adults – get their first experience with an animal, the first horn bump or beak nudge, the softness of the fur, a feeling of a damp nose or small paws in the palm of their hand. Domestic and pet animals live in the children’s Zoo: Kihnu native sheep, miniature goats, alpacas, rabbits, and many different rodents and birds. Right next door, in the wildlife class of the nature school, there are turtles and snakes, frogs and fish, crustaceans and snails, and centipedes and insects. Behind the glass wall of the kitchen of the children’s Zoo live marsupials and sugar gliders.
We are open all year round!
In summer, the animals are mainly in outdoor pens; in winter, they are in the barn. In case of bad or cold weather, the goat yard of the children’s Zoo is closed to visitors. There is a sanitary day on the last Monday of each month: a major cleaning is carried out in the children’s zoo barn, so on that day, the animals can only be seen in the yard.
| Opening hours | Barn (closed on the last Monday of every month for sanitary day) | Goat pen |
|---|---|---|
| May-August | 10-19 | goat pen open according to the possibilities 10-18 |
| March-April | 10-18 | goat pen open according to the possibilities |
| September-October | 10-18 | goat pen open according to the possibilities |
| November-Februrary | 10-17 | goat pen open according to the possibilities |
How to visit the Children’s Zoo?
Petting and brushing goats in a goat pen is one of the most exciting attractions in the Children’s Zoo. Here, visitors can have direct contact with the animals and pet them. Sometimes, however, such activities can be quite stressful for goats. To make both the animals and the visitors feel safe, please follow these simple rules:
- Be calm and watch your feet, don’t run.
- Goats are not lap animals, so do not pick them up. Picking up other animals is also not permitted without the permission and guidance of the keeper.
- Feeding animals is prohibited – overeating can give them bad stomach pain or life-threatening poisoning.
- It is not allowed to enter with your food – a goat can jump on you when it sees something edible in your hand or smell it.
- It is not allowed to enter with a pram or cart – a goat can jump in it.
- Don’t stick your finger through the grid – every animal protects its home and may bite when it feels threatened.
- Preschool children are allowed to be at the children’s Zoo only with an adult companion.
- The staff of the children’s Zoo is always ready to assist and advise with the communication with the animals. If you have any questions, feel free to contact them.
