Exotic creatures from Swansea’s very own jungle world – Plantasia – brought an authentic touch of the rainforest when the Quadrant Centre’s summer Snapper Jaxx kids clubs started last week.

The team from Plantasia brought something exotic and had an expert on hand at the Quadrant to answer questions for the Jungle Swing Thing on Monday, August 5, a free event for children of all ages.

Plantasia, in Parc Tawe, where Swansea meets the rainforest, is home to a host of exotic plants and animals, from cotton-topped tamarind monkeys to those terrifying predators of South American rivers, piranha fish.

This year the mini-zoo has taken delivery of a pair of very rare tortoises and Plantasia Manager Claire Riordan said: “They will be perfect for our arid zone and, like the tamarin monkeys, they are an endangered species too.

“We have a fantastic diversity of animals and we’re always growing and there is an incredible mix of plants here, we’re an Eden Project in miniature.”

Education Officer, Maria Bowen, was on hand answer children’s questions and give information about the plants and animals.

Claire added: “They include hissing cockroaches, stick insects, which are incredibly hard to spot, pythons, monkeys, tropical fish and birds and every year we have up to 12,000 children visit.”

The Snapper Jaxx Jungle Swing Thing had stories, games, play and craft for children of all ages, from 11am to 4pm, all led by energetic performers and parents who joined in with the themed craft sessions throughout each day.

Lindy Emms, Quadrant Centre Deputy Manager, said: “We are at the start of a long summer holidays. We wanted to find a way to keep entertaining our young shoppers not just as a one-off event but to stage a series of fun filled clubs which children can look forward to each week.

“School holidays can be expensive so it was important to us that our SnapperJaxx kids club are free. The Quadrant Centre is at the heart of Swansea and so we are the ideal location to stage such an activity.

“The aim is simply to give parents a free, fun and imaginative option to entertain their children while they make the most of the great range of shopping we have on offer here.

“We were very pleased to have such exotic creatures come to the centre to highlight the first upcoming club – Jungle Swing Thing.”