How Dublin Zoo Protects Animals at Risk, Leixlip Library

What to Expect

A Dublin Zoo conservation educator comes to Leixlip Library on Saturday 22 August 2026 for an hour of hands-on wildlife science aimed at children aged 8 and over. The session runs from 11.15am to 12.15pm and is free.

This is a tactile workshop rather than a talk with slides. Children get to examine super-strong skulls, tearing teeth and feline fur up close, and work through experiments that show how animals have adapted to survive in very different habitats, from open savanna to the floor of a forest. The framing is conservation: why certain species are at risk, and what a zoo actually does about it. It suits children who already like animals and want more than the picture-book version, and the age floor of 8 is there because the activities assume a bit of reading and reasoning. Kildare Library Service programmes a run of children’s science and heritage sessions across its branches through August, and this is one of the stronger ones for older primary school children.

Good to Know

• Date: Saturday 22 August 2026, 11.15am to 12.15pm
• Venue: Leixlip Library, Captains Hill, Leixlip, Co. Kildare, W23 WR96
• Price: Free
• Age range: 8 years and over
• Led by a Dublin Zoo conservation educator
• Book online, or by email to leixliplib@kildarecoco.ie, or phone 045 980 844
• Places are limited, so book rather than turn up on the day

Getting There

Leixlip Library is on Captains Hill, up from the Main Street in the older part of Leixlip. The town sits on the Dublin and Kildare border on the R148, with access from junction 5 or junction 6 of the M4. There is parking on and around Captains Hill and in the town centre, though the hill itself is narrow. Leixlip has two rail stations: Leixlip Louisa Bridge and Leixlip Confey, both on the Maynooth line from Dublin Connolly and Docklands, and both a short walk or a very short drive from the library. Dublin Bus routes also run through the town from the city centre and from Maynooth.