Call of the Wild- Tuesday 4th July
On Tuesday 4th July, Year 2 left school at 9.00am to travel by coach to Call of the Wild Zoo. We were rather worried about the terrible weather forecast, but we were amazed that our entire day was rain free… and full of fun!
After arriving at 10 o’clock, Emily, a manager of the zoo came onto our coach and gave us a talk about keeping safe inside the zoo. She then led us to the Discovery Centre and told us about the activities we were going to enjoy during the day.
We had a talk about animal adaptation and the children listened attentively to the zoo keepers. They introduced us to different animals such as a guinea pig, a python, a tarantula and a hissing cockroach! The children were able to suggest how they were adapted to where they lived; including camouflage and having body parts which helped protect them from predators. We were given the opportunity to touch some of the animals, which was a new experience – even for some of the adults! The children were surprised that the snake’s skin felt smooth and dry and the noise the cockroach made when it hissed!
The children discovered lots of different animals from around the world as they toured the zoo. Children from 2S enjoyed a talk about the otters. They thought it was very funny when the otters were chasing the zookeeper around the enclosure because he had some fish for them. The children were given the opportunity to ask questions about the otters.
After lunch both classes enjoyed an amazing show which began in a spectacular way when an owl flew over our heads! The children were in awe as eagles and harriers showed off their flying skills across the show ground with their keepers. A surprise star was a hen who had learnt various tricks such as jumping for treats!
We concluded our day with a magical walk through the tropical rainforest house. Colourful birds flew over our heads and others just walked amongst the children. Some of the butterflies were quite well camouflaged, but our eagle-eyed children were able to spot them within the foliage. Some of us were lucky enough to watch a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis – what a fascinating sight!
The coach journey home was a much quieter one than our journey to the zoo. Lots of children fell asleep - it had been quite a day! Our children behaved very well, demonstrating very good manners to both the zoo staff and members of the general public. They were a real credit to our school. It was certainly a trip to remember. Well done Year 2!
