Terms & Conditions

September 2023

For your peace of mind we have public liability insurance, directors and employees are DBS checked, and staff are trained. We will ask for written confirmation prior to use of images on our website and social media. By uploading images to our Facebook page, we take that as consent for their use in our advertising.

1 RESERVATIONS, CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS

1.1  We require a £20 non-refundable deposit to secure your booking. The remainder will be invoiced approximately 2 weeks before the event date. If you book within 2 weeks of the event date you will be invoiced immediately for the full amount.

1.2 If full payment is not received by 6 pm the day before the event, we will consider the event cancelled.

1.3 If you would like reschedule once the deposit/fee has been paid, your payment can be put towards a new booking provided you give at least 48 hours notice and the new date is set immediately.

1.4  Please allow a 15-minute grace on our agreed start and finish time. If we are unavoidably delayed in traffic, break down, or have an emergency on our way to you and we think this will delay our start time, we will text or call with our new estimated time of arrival. You should have a back-up plan for your guests such as crafts, party food or games to accommodate unforeseen delays.

2 PAYMENT

2.1 Payment may only be made by bank transfer, details of which will be in our invoice.

3 WEATHER AND ACTS OF GOD

3.1 If for any reason weather or a catastrophe prevents us from getting to your location we will endeavour to provide you with as much notice as possible.

3.2 In this event, the booking can be rescheduled for the next available date of your choice, or you can have a full refund.

4 SETUP REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Arrival and Parking

4.1.1 We will arrive at the event 10 minutes to 1 hour prior to event start time to set up the animal enclosures depending on your package.

4.1.2 The arrival time reconfirmed in your confirmation email and invoice email.

4.1.3 There must be parking available within a short distance of the venue as we need to make several trips to and from our vehicle (max 60 seconds walk).

4.1.4 We will unload outside the venue. If any special permissions are required for the venue, it is your responsibility to arrange them beforehand.

4.1.5 If we need to park elsewhere you are responsible for finding a parking space for us and if relevant paying the car parking ticket. If we receive a parking ticket due to undue care from yourself then this will be added to the cost of the event.

4.2 Animal Care

4.2.1 We require access to fresh water for hand washing and animal water. We advise being situated near a bathroom or other hand washing facility such as a sink in a classroom. We always bring hand gel, but hand washing with clean soapy water is essential if people are going to eat after touching the animals.

4.2.2 Please ensure the area where we set up has not been treated with household cleaning products or pesticides prior to the event.

4.3 Space and Facilities

4.3.1 All events must have sufficient indoor space available.  In the case of an outdoor event, this is a backup for inclement weather so the animals can be kept safe.

4.3.2 Requirements for events in a house (i.e. children's party)

• sufficient floor space for the number of children

• a suitable table if you have booked a party package involving crafts

4.3.3 Requirements for large indoor events (i.e. venue, or over 15 people):

• 3 x tables each about 6ft long

• a chair for each person attending

• walkways free from obstructions such as shoes

• sufficient space for the event

  • Up to 15 children: 3m x 4m free from obstruction

  • Up to 30 children: 6m x 4m for the children to sit in a large semi-circle)

4.4 Miscellaneous

4.4.1 We are responsible for cleaning up all waste created by the animals during the event.

4.4.2 We are required by law to have an evacuation plan should a fire/flood etc occur. A member of staff will do a quick assessment on arrival at the venue.

5 CHOOSING THE ANIMALS

5.1 The animals you choose cannot be guaranteed. Every effort will be made to bring your preferred animals, but regulations require us to rotate the animals between bookings, or your selection may need to be adjusted on the day for welfare reasons.

5.2 If during the event an animal becomes unwell or stressed, or we believe the animal’s safety, or the audience's safety may be compromised, or environmental conditions become unsuitable, we reserve the right to withdraw any animal during the event, without penalty.

5.3 Animal rosters will be chosen as follows unless pre-agreed otherwise:

• 4 animals as 1 mammal, 1 reptile or amphibian, and 2 invertebrates

• 5 animals as 1 mammal, 2 reptiles/amphibians, and 2 invertebrates

• 7 animals as 1 mammal, 2 reptiles/amphibians, and 4 invertebrates

School events with a curriculum requirement can request all invertebrates, if preferred (e.g mini-beast sessions).
5.4 Animals will be handled one at a time.

5.5 During this time each person wishing to meet the animal can do so. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion and without penalty, to exclude participants if they do not follow correct handling instructions, or if they pose a risk to the animal’s well-being.

5.6 We have a 2-warning rule system in place, but any person who threatens to harm an animal will be immediately excluded from taking part in the entire encounter.

6 PARTICIPANT SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE

6.1 All persons participating are required to wash their hands with soap and water prior to the handling experience. 

6.2 Hand washing must be encouraged ASAP after the event to avoid consuming bacteria and/or animal hair. Hand gel is not a substitute for hand washing.

6.3 Participants must wash hands during the event if they leave the handling area to use the bathroom.

6.4 No one is permitted to eat during the session, but you are allowed to have a drink in a bottle behind you. Please do not use open cups as they spill.

6.5 Under no circumstances may individuals touch or tap on the animal tanks they are for viewing only.
6.6 Under no circumstances may individuals put their fingers or hands in animal cages, they are for viewing only.

6.7 Under no circumstances may individuals feed any animal unless prompted by a staff member.
6.6 Please keep loud noises and shouting to a minimum, also avoiding sudden movements which may startle some of the animals. Please dedicate a supervising adult to this role.

6.7 Please do not have balloons or poppers at parties. Foil balloons are acceptable. Please turn off bouncy castles or other loud machinery.
6.7 Please ensure household pets are kept safely in another room to prevent injury, stress and disease transmission.
6.8 The person who books the event is solely responsible for participants’ behaviour around the animals and must always supervise and aid the staff in managing behaviour.
6.9 The person who books the event is solely responsible for reading the documents attached to the emails and providing any required risk assessment and other relevant information to staff, parents, and event organisers.