Old elephant house to be turned into sleepout

The old elephant house at Auckland Zoo could soon to be turned into a night camp for schoolchildren and a function centre.

The stalls will be used as a sleepout for up to 50 youngsters and for functions such as weddings.

The plan is to preserve the architectural features of the 1922 building, which has fallen into disrepair since the elephants Kashin and Burma were moved to a new enclosure in 1995.

The $242,000 cost of the development will be financed by an interest-free loan from the Auckland Zoological Park Charitable Trust for $200,000 repayable over 10 years, and $42,000 from sponsorship. The proposal is expected to be approved by the Zoo Enterprise Board tomorrow.

Wellington Zoo, Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World offer night camps for children.

It is proposed to have an overnight charge of $25 at Auckland Zoo, compared to $20 at Wellington Zoo and $27 at Kelly Tarlton's.

Work on the development could start early in the New Year.