Just In: Exotic Animals Roaming Edinburgh City Centre

There have been some highly unusual sightings reported across Edinburgh in recent weeks. Visitors to Princes Street Gardens have been startled by the bright blue flashes of poison arrow frogs, while alfresco diners in St Andrew Square claimed to have been momentarily joined by a Giant Panda chewing on bamboo. Penguins have been spotted parading along Princes Street and visitors to Edinburgh Castle said they saw chimpanzees moving quickly through the streets below.

But there’s no need to panic. Edinburgh Zoo is fully aware of the situation, and infact, helped organise it. No, the zoo hasn’t flung open its wrought iron gates, it's actually launched a range of new graphics in collaboration with Lothian buses. Some of the zoo's most popular inhabitants have had their image emblazoned on a fleet of route 26 buses, which transport visitors to the zoo from the city centre and beyond. However, this isn't the first time Edinburgh Zoo has let a few of its occupants leave its confines and take a wander through the historic streets of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Zoo’s Penguin Parades have become world-famous, with many TripAdvisor reviewers stating it was the highlight of their visit. It began in the 1950s when a zoo keeper left the enclosure open by accident and realised that he was being followed by a line of penguins. This led to the spectacle becoming a daily feature, with the birds wandering around the entire zoo, and even along Corstorphine Road during the 1960s. More surprising yet is footage of them venturing further into the city centre with a horseback police escort! Nowadays, the Penguin Parade continues to delight visitors, with approximately two thirds of the penguin population taking a stroll around a 200 metre route inside the zoo at 14:15 every day.

Penguins weren't the only animals that were allowed to wander outside the zoo back in the 1960s. Zoo Director Gilbert Fisher used to walk ‘Scrappy’ the cheetah on a leash around the zoo and along Corstorphine Road! Though it received a lot of attention, this display of showmanship was quickly put to an end when a back firing motorbike led to the cheetah taking off quickly, giving Fisher a fright.

Though bus graphics are the closest you’ll get to seeing exotic animals in the city centre now, hop onto route 26 and you’ll soon be face-to-face with some of the world’s most beautiful and impressive animals, fish and birds. Edinburgh Zoo is only a 16 minute bus ride away from Princes Street, located just a 4 minute walk from The Scotsman Hotel and there are also many unique experiences and events on offer, including the Penguin Parade, to ensure a p-p-p-perfect day out for the whole family.