London Zoo Ends Boozy Party Series After Guests Prove They Shouldn't Be Drunk Near Wild Animals

The London Zoo has decided to put an end to its Zoo Lates party series, a regular Friday night event that offered guests the chance to drink at the zoo. Instead, the animal sanctuary will begin offering more family-friendly events.

The end of Zoo Lates follows a report from The Guardian which revealed that a number of rowdy guests had behaved inappropriately in the presence of the animals during these events, including a woman who is rumored to have tried to enter the lion's enclosure, and a man who removed his clothes and attempted to swim with the penguins. Another man poured his beer over a tiger, and was quickly removed from the property.

The events, which reportedly generate £800,000 (approximately $1.2 million USD) in annual revenue for the animal sanctuary, attracted criticism from conservationists and other members of the public, who cited the effect these events had on the animals' stress levels.

"We would ban alcohol if we thought it was necessary, but at the moment we see no need to do so," a zoo representative told The Guardian in 2014.

Although Zoo Lates will no longer take place, the organization will continue to host Sunset Safaris, for "friends, couples, and families alike invited to experience the magic of the zoo after-hours," where food and alcohol will still be available.