A trip to the zoo

Our 3rd Wednesday of the month outing took place on Wednesday 21st May 2025 when we visited the Ponderosa Zoo in Heckmondwike. It has been a number of years since we visited the zoo which our service users who attended found it to have been enhanced over the last few years.

This trip was funded out of the money we raise throughout the year especially at our main fund raising event of the year our summer ball. Thanks to the generosity of those attending the ball and sponsoring the event this enables us to prevent social isolation which is so often suffered by those after a brain injury and their families and carers.

We were blessed by perfect weather on the day out to the Ponderosa Zoo. Ponderosa Zoo, originally named Ponderosa Rural Therapeutic Centre, was created by Maureen Cook in 1991. The centre aimed to 'bridge the gap' between disabled and able-bodied people by using the care of animals as a form of therapy. Whilst previously, the centre was home to a variety of domestic animals including pigs, goats and cattle, they now look after over 100 animals from lemurs and reindeers to tortoises and snakes. Although Ponderosa Zoo has grown over the years, their'Bridge the Gap' vision remains one of their key priorities by ensuring the zoo is accessible to all.

For some reason we spent some time watching the meerkats (they were so waiting for lunch and sent the leader of the pack to the top of the hill) after being introduced to the pygmy goats. The nocturnal house, with it's low lighting and strong smells, saw us spending some time peering through the darkness to see the range of animals who usually get around at night time. The marmosets and brown tailed lemurs were definitely an interesting array of tree dwellers. Another attraction that saw us spend some time was in the lemur walk through. We hope the female raccoon makes a full recovery after receiving veterinary treatment and we were blessed with the appearance of a reindeer from the wooded enclosure.

Overall a grand day out in our group with an ice cream to end the visit after being suitably educated in the care and support provided to endangered species.

Sponsorship of our outings is available - if you are interested please contact us