Over 3,500 people visit Edinburgh Zoo on opening weekend of Giant Lanterns Lost World exhibition

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The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland welcomed over 3,500 people through the doors of Edinburgh Zoo this weekend as Giant Lanterns Lost Worlds opened to the public.

Having spent two months installing hundreds of lanterns inspired by prehistoric creatures, the wildlife conservation charity launched the 47-night extravaganza on Friday 15 November.

Lyndy Donaldson, events and experiences manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said “We are thrilled to bring Giant Lanterns back to the zoo this winter and delighted to see our visitors are just as excited about our new Lost Worlds theme as we are.

Over 3,500 people visit Edinburgh Zoo on opening weekend of Giant Lanterns Lost World exhibition

“This year we have brought 570 million years of incredible wildlife to light, revealing some of the amazing creatures that once lived on our planet and raising awareness of the very real threat of extinction faced today by endangered species around the world.

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“Highlights include a tyrannosaurus rex, a 32-foot-tall volcano, a gigantic 65-foot-long snake and new interactive elements along the trail. As Scotland’s only Chinese lantern festival, it’s a fantastic experience for all the family.”

Recently, Edinburgh Zoo teamed up with the Evening News to ask the public to pick the names of three little lion cubs born in the city.The two male cubs will be called Keshari (lion, saffron) and Kushanu (fire), which the girl cub will be named Mitaali (graceful or beautiful).Tickets for Giant Lanterns Lost Worlds start at £8.50 for children and £17 for adults and are available at www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/lanterns. Visitors are encouraged to book online in advance to secure their preferred date and time.

The Giant Lanterns of China run in partnership with the VYA Creative Lantern Company and DDM Entertainment and Events Inc., and is sponsored by The Confucius Institute for Scotland.