"Lockdown zoo" finds home at Longleat Safari Park
The display features over 200 animals made from buttons and beads
A collection of 200 extraordinary animals, created by a woman in Worcestershire, is settling into a new home at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.
Dubbed the ‘Lockdown Zoo’, the collection is made entirely from buttons and beads and features everything from armadillos and anteaters to walruses and zebras.
It is the creation of graphic designer Julie Thomas from Malvern in Worcestershire and began life on the first day of lockdown after her grandsons, five-year-old Ralph and seven-year-old Seb, asked if she could make a giraffe for them.
Each day the pair posed a new animal challenge for Julie and the ‘Lockdown Zoo’ gradually evolved and now features an amazing range of animals including birds, insects, and even mythological creatures.
“It has been keeping me amused and making people smile,” said Julie.
“Before lockdown they were just a collection of buttons and beads. I had experimented with making things like charms to hang on trees, but I had never attempted to make an animal before,” she added.
After surprising her grandsons with each of the new beasts and sharing images of them online, Julie decided she would like to share them with a wider audience and got in touch with Longleat.
“As the first safari park to open outside of Africa back in 1966 we do have a lot of experience looking after exotic animals, but Julie’s menagerie is definitely something else,” said Darren Beasley, Head of Animal Operations.
“The time, effort and love that Julie has put into the collection deserves to be seen by as many people as possible and I am sure its new home at the entrance to our Jungle Kingdom will provide a lot of enjoyment for our visitors,” he added.