Colchester Zoo Australian Rainbows exhibit currently closed

The Maldon Road attraction has said its Australian Rainbows exhibit is currently closed.

When on the website, a pop-up arrives stating the enclosure is shut for “essential maintenance work”.

Australian Rainbows is a ‘free flying’ bird enclosure at the zoo which has been opened for nearly ten years.

It was officially opened on the July, 24 2014 during a private event by the then-mayor of Colchester.

Rainbow Lorikeets being counted by a Colchester Zoo keeper (Image: N/A)

Work to transform the Wild About Animals Theatre into the aviary started in January 2014.

The theatre stage and seating were removed and the roof replaced to give the correct ‘tropical rainforest’ atmosphere.

Inside, the rock work for the waterfall and large pond were added, complete with water for the rainbow fish which also inhabit the enclosure.

The interactive exhibit allows guests to enjoy a tropical journey through this exotic aviary of lorikeets, offering the chance to get up close with these colourful birds, whilst feeding them a pot of golden nectar.

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The latest closure is not the first time this enclosure has been shut to the public, with it previously being forced to close due to bird flu concerns.

In November last year, the zoo announced it was closing a series of its bird-related exhibits due to concerns over Aviation Influenza.

These included the Chilean flamingos and crowned cranes.

The zoo’s ostriches were temporarily moved inside with limited viewing available and the Australian Rainbows walkthrough was fully closed.

It is currently unknown when the maintenance work on the Australian Rainbows enclosure will be complete.