Joburg Zoo’s Halloween party ends on a sweet note

30 October 2017

 

Despite the unseasonably cold weather on Saturday night, hundreds of families defied the elements and filled up the Joburg Zoo to take part in the annual Halloween party.

 

Long snaking queues of cars lined up to drive into the newly opened parkade while dads could be seen lugging cooler bags and camp chairs. Mummies were clutching on picnic blankets and the little ones were ready to do some trick or treat before show kicked off at around 6pm.

Zoo officials ensured that the path leading to the rolling lawns were lined up with scary-characters and soon there were shrieks of shock from the little ones. Others held on tighter on their parents before being ushered into a Halloween-decorated photo booth.

Other activities included a ghost ride, a devil’s pit where witches will be at work cooking up their cauldron in a cemetery, a walk-about in the enchanted Animal of the Amazon with close encounters with snakes, exotic spiders, pirhana and other animals.

“My laaitie has been bugging me to bring him to the zoo. He had organised everything, his friends, sweets and treats to bring. I’m just tagging along,” said Simon Scheepers underneath a thick blanket to keep the cold away as he watched over eight-year-old Damon and his gang from Randburg.

Right on cue, one of the popular Nickelodeon series, Paw Patrol, started showing on a gigantic screen in the zoo lawns and the place was turned into a drive-in sans the cars and headlights. In between other shows, the best-dressed Halloween characters were chosen and given sweety treats for their scary efforts. Children were certainly in sweet heaven as they spread out on the lawns tricking or treating their way in between picnic blankets and camp chairs.