Trust no one! Sussex zoo animals get a taste for treachery this Halloween

Forget the pumpkins! This spooky season, Drusillas Park has taken inspiration from the nation’s favourite game of deception, The Traitors, for its Halloween animal enrichment. But all is not quite as it seems…

With the UK gripped by the drama of this year’s Celebrity Traitors, the devious gameplay and dastardly plotting have inspired the team at Sussex attraction Drusillas Park to create some mischievous fun for its animal residents.

Inspired by the hooded figures lurking in the turret of the Scottish castle, the zoo in Alfriston has swapped traditional pumpkin-themed enrichment for a game of secrets and tasty treats, with one all-important question: are you a Traitor or a Faithful?

‘Claudia Winkle-zoo’ donned her iconic red leather gloves and dramatic cape before selecting three ‘Traitors’ from the zoo’s 800 residents. She then put some of the animals to the test, giving them the chance to pledge their allegiance to either the Faithfuls or the Traitors by choosing between two buckets of food. The orange bucket represented the Faithfuls, while the white bucket signalled the Traitors. But in a game built on deception, can we really trust their choices?!

Zoo Section Leader, Jacinta Dawe said, “We’re all absolutely obsessed with the Traitors so we thought it would be a fun spin on our usual enrichment to see if the animals would prefer to be Faithfuls or Traitors. And the results were really quite surprising!”

“Some animals were quick to declare themselves Faithfuls”, she continued. “For example, Squash the capybara made a beeline for the orange bucket without so much as a sniff in the direction of the Traitors one! Armadillo Eddie was equally convincing, she had absolutely no interest whatsoever in the Traitor bucket. But if you watch the show, you’ll know that part of the game is clever double bluffs, so we’ll leave it up to our visitors to work out who the traitors really are!”

Camel Lofty also declared himself a Faithful, but his partner Roxy appeared more comfortable with the idea of life in the turret. Embracing her Traitor status with such enthusiasm she even gave the white bucket a chomp! A bold declaration of guilt, or a cunning attempt to throw everyone off the scent?

There was never any doubt that sweet-natured white-faced saki monkey Twiggy would be anything but a Faithful. She confirmed her innocence by choosing the orange bucket. Her partner Pires, however, appeared to channel his inner Richard E. Grant, dramatically swiping at the Traitor bucket. But is he really guilty, or simply playing a very clever game?

Over in the squirrel monkey enclosure, there appeared to be strength in numbers as the troop made an almost unanimous decision to remain Faithful, launching themselves at the orange bucket. But could they actually be Traitors hiding in plain sight?

Meanwhile, the lemurs and meerkats both seemed determined to keep everyone guessing. Both groups descended chaotically on the buckets and helped themselves to treats from both sides. A classic case of sitting on the fence, or are these easily swayed Faithfuls ripe for recruitment? Either way, their behaviour would certainly raise a few eyebrows at the Round Table.

Animal enrichment is an important part of life at Drusillas, encouraging natural behaviours such as foraging, problem-solving and exploration. Seasonal activities like these provide the animals with stimulating new experiences, while giving visitors a fascinating glimpse into their individual personalities.

But, just like the hit TV show, not everything is as straightforward as it first appears. Choosing to be a Faithful doesn’t necessarily make you one, and declaring yourself a Traitor doesn’t mean you’re guilty. So which animals are telling the truth?

The suspense will continue until Halloween itself, when Drusillas will reveal the animals’ true identities across its social media channels.

For those keen to investigate the suspects for themselves, why not head to Drusillas this October half term and come face to face with the animals? Visitors can decide for themselves who’s a loyal Faithful and who might be hiding a dark secret!

And with Drusillas’ fangtastic Kids for £1 half-term offer, a wild family day out is easier on the wallet, too. For visits between 17th October and 1st November, each full-paying visitor can bring one child aged 2–15 for just £1 when booking online in advance. It’s the perfect excuse for a spooktacular day out.

Just remember… the game is afoot, trust no one!

Find out more and book online at: https://www.drusillas.co.uk/kids-for-1-october.