Website last updated February 2025
If you would like to get in touch to arrange a booking please contact me.
LATEST NEWS
Adults, you can keep in touch with JJR news either by ‘liking’ my Facebook page or following me on Instagram via the links below:
Recent Instagram Posts

Today has been the 18th anniversary of my first ever school visit! Thanks to absolutely everyone who has been involved in booking any of my visits during the last 18 years - I continue to have the best job in the world and have now completed (if you include private party bookings) well over 3000 separate visits! 🐍🦎🦗🕷🦂

In recent weeks I've had lots of nymphs hatch of one of my very favourite stick insect species. This is Eurycantha horrida from Papua New Guinea, sometimes known as the thorny devil stick insect. They start off in life so tiny and cute, then within a few months they are absolutely huge. They're covered in spines and the males in particular have enormous rear legs with huge spines to defend themselves from predators. A very impressive species indeed!

Anyone who has met me on a visit in the last year will know that I absolutely love my giant hooded katydids aka Siliquofera grandis - they're a species I've only been keeping for one year of the 18 since I set up JJR, but they have probably become my favourite insect species in my entire collection! That's why I'm delighted to report that this week I've started having quite a few nymphs (babies) hatch - they're SO tiny compared to the enormous size they reach as adults!! Nymphs weigh less than 0.1g at hatching, whereas adult females can weigh well over 30g - the most amazing part being that they grow to this adult size (more than 300x their hatching weight) in just three months! That's roughly the equivalent of a human baby born at 3kg (7lbs approx.) weighing as much as an adult male polar bear in the same three-month period! It blows my mind and they are truly amazing creatures. 🥰

I would like to say thank you to everyone who suggested a name for my new Kenyan sand boa - there were so many brilliant ideas and I am delighted to confirm that he will henceforth be known as Kamba! Congratulations to Becky Wing-King of my home town of Swindon, who has won a half-price visit from the animals & I to an event of her choice. Kamba is the name of the fifth largest tribe in Kenya and the traditional dress of Kamba women looks quite similar to the colours of this beautiful snake, so it was a great name suggestion. Thanks again to everyone who took part in the competition - there will no doubt be another posted here before too long!
Welcome to Jonathan’s Jungle Roadshow!





I specialise in providing professional animal encounter sessions which are designed to be educational, interactive and fun for all involved.
I am a former Primary school teacher based in Swindon, Wiltshire but now travel across central & southern England and south Wales to provide as many people as possible with the service I am able to offer! I maintain a large and varied private collection of truly amazing invertebrates and reptiles, all of which can be viewed by clicking here.
I am able to provide presentations, workshops and hands-on sessions to suit any situation and age group (children or adults) and these are just a few examples of the visits I commonly undertake:
- Schools / Pre-schools /Colleges (Foundation Stage through to Key Stage 4 and beyond
- Private birthday parties / Media and Special events
- Public events (large and small) / Fetes and Fayres
- Corporate Events (for both larger & smaller organisations)
Whatever your needs I can provide groups of children or adults the opportunity to gain first hand experience of some absolutely amazing animals up close and personally, and an experience definitely not to be forgotten!

In December 2013 I was very fortunate to experience the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica with TV presenter Nick Baker.
If you would like to see lots more pictures of amazing rainforest animals please click HERE!






I have been fortunate to work with the BBC on many occasions since I started my business in 2007! Two of my lovely crested geckos & I appeared on live TV on Saturday 27th July 2013 when we joined Naomi Wilkinson, Tim Warwood and Radzi Chinyanganya for the final live show of CBBC’s fantastic series WILD in Leeds! It was a fantastic experience and here is the video sequence as it appeared on the TV as well as some photographs taken during the live filming!


As well as appearing on the CBBC show I also had the opportunity to present live on stage with the WILD presenting team, to talk to the crowds about some of my animals as part of the wider CBBC Live in Leeds event. Here are some photos of the two live stage shows, great fun!



It was an absolute privilege to be involved in the CBBC Live in Leeds event and of course to appear on the final show of WILD series 1.

I have enjoyed many other experiences working with the BBC in recent years and the first time was during Autumn 2011 when I was invited to join the BBC Live ‘n’ Deadly team, when I entertained thousands of members of the public (young & old) with some of my animals at their ‘Deadly Days Out‘. These were a series of public events featuring Steve Backshall from CBBC’s ‘Deadly 60‘ and ‘Live ‘n’ Deadly‘ as well as his lovely Live ‘n’ Deadly co-host (and now presenter of Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature and WILD) Naomi Wilkinson, both pictured with myself below:

It was an absolute privilege to be asked to be involved in these superb events and to meet and work alongside so many great people, from Steve & Naomi to the fantastic BBC senior production team to the stewards & the rest of the roaming animal team, an amazing experience!
In the spring of 2012 I was invited back to work with the BBC when I attended the CBBC & CBeebies 10th birthday celebrations at the BBC’s new headquarters – MediaCityUK in Salford. I had the privilege of presenting some of my animals alongside the lovely and very talented Michelle Ackerley (below left) from CBBC’s brilliant Deadly Art – a fantastic day!


Photos above courtesy of Nicola Stead Photography
In the summer of 2012 myself and some of my animals appeared live on BBC Radio 1 with Scott Mills (and in-vision via the Radio 1 website) in a ‘show & tell’-style feature! It was great fun and was heard by millions of people! Below is a picture of myself with Scott Mills & Chris Stark from Scott’s show (and the gorgeous Goldie) as well as a picture of King Julien & I with the lovely Rhianna Dhillon, who at the time of my visit was Radio 1’s resident film critic. Another truly fabulous BBC experience!!


Please navigate the website using the menu buttons at the top of the screen. Thanks for visiting, please don’t hesitate to call or email if you have any questions and I will look forward to hearing from you! I have full Public Liability Insurance and CRB clearance for your peace of mind.

For just a few examples of feedback comments that people have made following their experience of Jonathan’s Jungle Roadshow please click here!