Koalas at Longleat Safari Park have been enjoying their very own bedtime stories courtesy of one of their keepers.  

Keeper Jon Ovens was filmed reading the children's tale 'Welcome to Longleat Dennis!' from inside the Wiltshire wildlife attraction's Koala Creek feature, which is home to the real-life Dennis.

The video featured shots of Dennis and the other koalas as well as additional footage of some of the Safari Park's other animal residents, and was broadcast live on social media.

“We thought it was a great way to give younger fans the chance to see the koalas for real and keep them entertained with a fun tale of Dennis' adventures with the other animals here,” said Longleat's James Bailey.

The bedtime story is the latest in a series of online activities which Longleat has produced during lockdown. A previous virtual safari park tour was viewed more than half-a-million times in just three days.

“The team here are always looking at novel way to keep in contact with the public even though we're closed to visitors. I think we were all astonished at the level of interest and we hope these online events will help keep people amused and entertained,” added James. 

• To watch the video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBeWt0vBJ6o&t=18s

Issued by Longleat. For more information and to arrange interviews please contact James Bailey on 07936 337 326 or email james.bailey@longleat.co.uk  .

Longleat is a member of the British and Irish Association of zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). BIAZA represents its member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.