If you're planning a jungle or safari themed event, whether that's a school book week, a nursery open day, a charity fun run or a summer fete, a mascot costume is one of the quickest ways to bring the theme to life. Children in particular respond to a big, friendly animal far more than they do to a banner or a table of leaflets, and a good costume gets remembered long after the event is over.

We've supplied jungle and safari costumes to schools, zoos, charities and event companies across the UK since 2004, from our base in Nottinghamshire, and the same questions come up again and again: which animal suits our event, how do we size it for the wearer, how much does it actually cost, and how do we look after it afterwards. This guide answers all of that, and links through to more detailed guides on specific animals if you want to go deeper.

Why a mascot costume works better than a banner or leaflets

Anyone who has run a school fete or a charity stand knows the problem: you can put up as many banners and leaflets as you like, and most people walk straight past them. A mascot costume solves this because it's interactive rather than passive. Children want to say hello, have a photo taken, get a high five, and that interaction is what makes an event memorable, and what makes parents pull their phones out to take a picture that ends up shared on the school's social media or in the local paper.

This is why jungle and safari animals in particular do so well for us. They're instantly recognisable even to very young children, they photograph well, and unlike a lot of novelty costumes, they suit a genuinely wide range of events rather than one specific occasion.

Which jungle or safari animal should you choose?

There's no single right answer here, it depends on what you're trying to achieve.

Big cats (lions and tigers) tend to work best when you want a costume with real presence, something for a stage entrance, a sports day mascot, or a brand character that needs to command attention. They photograph well and have an obvious "wow" factor for older primary school children. We've written a dedicated guide to choosing between a lion and a tiger costume if this is the route you're considering.

Giraffes, zebras and elephants suit a softer, more classic safari theme, the sort of thing you'd want for an early years setting, a wildlife charity event, or anywhere you want the animal to feel approachable rather than fierce. Our giraffe, zebra and elephant costume guide covers sizing and which of these tends to suit smaller performers best.

Monkeys and circus animals are the ones to reach for when the brief is fun and mischief rather than grandeur, school fetes, birthday parties, and any event where you want the costume to interact playfully with children rather than just pose for photos. Our monkey and circus costume guide goes into more detail on this.

You can browse the full range on our jungle and safari mascot costumes category page.

Who actually books these costumes

It's worth knowing you're in good company whichever animal you choose. Primary schools and nurseries are probably our biggest single group of customers, usually for book weeks, sports days, leavers' assemblies or open mornings. Charities are close behind, particularly conservation and wildlife charities, for whom a lion or giraffe costume is a natural fit at a fundraising stand or sponsored walk. Sports clubs come to us when the club badge already features an animal, a lion is a common one here, and want a matching mascot for match days. And we get a steady stream of small event companies and party planners who keep two or three of our jungle and safari costumes in regular rotation because they book out reliably.

Sizing and comfort

Every costume we sell is built around a wearer, not the other way round, so sizing matters more than people expect. As a rough guide, most of our jungle and safari costumes are designed for adult wearers between 5'2" and 6'2", with the head sitting on the shoulders rather than the top of the head, which keeps the weight distributed properly and gives the wearer a reasonable field of vision through mesh eye panels.

If the costume is going to be worn for a whole school day or a full outdoor event, breathability is worth asking about specifically. Our costumes use lightweight, breathable fabrics for exactly this reason, but a wearer doing an hour of continuous movement in summer will still want water breaks and a chance to remove the head periodically. It's worth briefing whoever is wearing the costume on this before the day, particularly if they haven't worn a mascot costume before, and building in a changeover if you've got more than one willing volunteer.

Custom vs stock costumes

Most schools, charities and small event organisers are well served by our stock designs, they're ready to go, properly tested, and considerably more affordable than a custom build. Custom costumes come into their own when you need a specific brand mascot, an exact match to an existing character, or an animal we don't currently stock in the design you want. That's a bigger project with its own lead times and costs, and it's covered in more detail on our custom made mascot costumes page. If you're not sure which route suits your budget and timeline, it's worth asking us directly, since the answer depends on your particular event.

Looking after your costume

Jungle and safari costumes are an investment, particularly if you're a school or charity buying one to use year after year. Store the costume somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight, since prolonged UV exposure fades fur and fabric faster than normal wear does. Spot clean the body suit rather than machine washing it, and let the head air out properly between uses rather than sealing it straight back into a bag, which helps avoid odour building up over time. If several different people are going to wear the costume across a school year, a simple rota and a note of when it was last cleaned saves a lot of back and forth later on.

Common questions

How much does a mascot costume cost? Stock designs like the ones covered in this guide are priced well below a custom build, and the exact figure depends on the animal and the level of detail in the design. Custom costumes cost more and take longer, since each one is built to order.

Can we hire a costume instead of buying one? Some customers do treat this as a one-off hire, particularly for a single event, though most of our schools and charities find that buying outright works out better value if they expect to use the costume more than once or twice a year.

Is one size fits all realistic? Broadly yes for adult wearers within the usual height range, but if you've got a much taller or shorter volunteer in mind, it's worth checking with us first rather than assuming.

Do you supply outside the UK? Our focus is UK schools, charities and events, so it's best to get in touch directly if you're ordering from further afield.

Getting started

Whether you've already got an animal in mind or you're still weighing up the options, our jungle and safari mascot costumes range is the best place to see what's available, including our most popular characters such as Leo the Lion, Georgina the Giraffe and Marvin the Monkey. If you'd like advice on which animal and size will work best for your event, our team is happy to help before you order rather than after.