Easter chicks at London Zoo

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Easter chicks at London Zoo

Date: Thursday, 20 April 2000
Time: 10.30am
Venue: London Zoo (entry via East Service Gate)

London Zoo has two Easter chicks with a difference. Billa and Bong are 4-week old emu chicks who have just arrived at London Zoo. The stripy cream and brown youngsters, which came from London Zoo’s sister zoo, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, are being hand-reared by the keepers. The chicks are being kept behind the scenes until they grow a little stronger, however they do have daily outings to explore their paddock.

With their long thin necks and thick coat of down, the chicks are very fond of following their keepers around the paddock and are very inquisitive, investigating everything with a sharp peck of their beak.

As emus are southern hemisphere birds, they breed during our winter and due to the recent cold spell the chicks had to be taken from the nest and hand reared in order for them to thrive.

For further details:
Please contact The Zoological Society of London’s PR Office:

Debbie Curtis: 020 7449 6363
Peter Beatty: 020 7449 6361
Joe Laing: 020 7449 6236

or

RPPR
Susan Wilks: 020 7460 7000

Background facts:

The chicks are currently about the size of a duck.
Adults are 150 - 190cm tall, weigh 40-45kg and can run at 48km per hour.