Little ones have been getting up close and personal with some of the Zoo's biggest bugs and insects – not batting an eyelid or flinching as South Woodham Ferrers's finest creepy crawlies made their way across little palms and arms.
Reece Pounder from Maldon shrieked with delighted when a giant millipede wriggled up and down his arm, while Archie Jerome from Upminster got close enough to see what one of the Zoo's massive snails was hiding underneath his shell.
The Zoo's resident celebrity, Percy the Porcupine has also been inundated with visitors this week after his hunt for a girlfriend went county-wide. The spiky-coated bachelor is extremely fond of his keeper Chloe Roche but is sick of life on the shelf and is on the lookout for his soulmate.
Tropical Wings manager John Ray said: "It's certainly been a fun week at the Zoo, with all the little ones coming out to play in our Big Bug Encounter. The meerkats and coatis have been getting fussed over daily but the star attraction this week has definitely been Percy. He's something of a celebrity in the Zoo and the children keep asking if we've managed to find him a girlfriend yet.
"It's something we're definitely working on – hopefully by next Valentine's Day, Percy will be settled down with a family of his own on the way!"