AROUND TOWN
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EDINBURGH ZOO NIGHTS Late evening event focuses on the threat of extinction
Even though the name Zoo Nights sounds like it might be the title of a late-night Channel 4 shock doc with dubious morals, Edinburgh Zoo’s series of after-hours special events are all totally legit. Nothing dodgy going on at all, just good, clean, animal-centric fun, and maybe a drink or two. The fact that it’s strictly adults-only by no means implies that you’ll wake up the next morning with an elephantine hangover and the mobile numbers of several charming reptiles and an orangutan programmed into your iPhone, so don’t worry if that’s the kind of thing that happens to you a lot. In fact, the night will focus on animals you don’t see in a zoo these days. The theme is dinosaurs, who will attend in model-form in their own lost
world as part of the new exhibition opening at the zoo (Fri 3 Apr–Sun 1 Nov), highlighting the fact that many of today’s animal species also face extinction.
To really hammer that serious environmental point home, there’s also a silent disco, champagne, face painting, cupcakes and up-close animal encounters which give you the chance to experience some non-extinct animals getting all up in your grill, too. Just take it easy on the cocktails and remember, you can’t put a price on self-respect. Love will be in the air though: the zoo’s beloved pandas will not be on display that night, apparently, as they’ll be too busy getting busy. It’s alright for some. (Charlotte Runcie) ■ Edinburgh Zoo, Fri 29 May.
66 THE LIST 2 Apr–4 Jun 2015