Transcript Pre-visit information for secondary school teachers Thank you for booking your visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo This resource is designed to give you.

Pre-visit information for
secondary school teachers
Thank you for booking your visit to
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
This resource is designed to give you all the information you need for your
visit and is structured into the following sections:
1.
Before your visit – a checklist to ensure you are prepared for your day
2.
How to get to the Zoo – arriving by coach
3.
On the day of your visit
4.
Information to help prepare your students
5.
After your visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
1. Before your visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Have you:
Received your confirmation letter from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo? Print this to
bring with you on the day
• Used the visitors’ map to plan your route around the Zoo?
static.zsl.org/images/originals/whipsnade-zoo-spring-2013-map-withhullabazoo-13311.jpg
• Planned which free talks and shows to attend on the day?
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/planning-your-visit/daily-events/
• Printed free self-guided activity sheets you could use with your class?
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/schools/resources-by-age,1884,AR.html
Checked out the information for your risk assessment?
www.zsl.org/education/risk-assessment,82,AR.html
2. Getting to the Zoo – arriving by coach
Only 20 minutes from the M25 (junction 21), ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is signposted
from the M1 (junction 9 and junction 12) and all major roads - just follow the
elephant on the above map.
Coach parking
Coach parking is free for schools during termtime.
Coach entry
Coaches are not able to enter ZSL
Whipsnade Zoo, however a free Safari Bus
provides transport once visitors are inside the
Park.
Coach driver benefits
Coach drivers accompanying a group to ZSL
Whipsnade Zoo are eligible for free entry into
the Zoo and a meal voucher.
3. On the day of your visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
• Enter the Zoo through the Main Entrance and show your confirmation
letter to the gate staff.
• If you need to be invoiced – the gate staff will organise this for you
• You are welcome to bring packed lunches with you, or there are various
catering outlets throughout the Zoo where you can buy lunch
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/visitor-information/food-and-drink
• The first aid and lost child point is the Estates Office near the Discovery
Centre. If anyone goes missing, please alert a staff member or call our
reception on 01582 871500. It may be helpful to have the Zoo phone
number in your adult helpers’ mobile phones during the visit.
• Supervision ratios - It is Zoo policy that all children under 16 must be
accompanied by an adult, therefore all school groups must be supervised
throughout their trip. If any group is unsupervised, teachers will be
contacted and asked to re-join their group.
4. Helping your students prepare for their visit
This section is designed to help your students prepare for their visit.
It covers:
A. When you arrive at the Zoo
B. Places to see in the Zoo
C. A session with a Discovery & Learning Officer
D. Free talks and shows to see
E. Some extra information
F. When you leave the Zoo
If you choose to display this pdf in viewing mode in a presentation to
your students, please refer to the pages that are relevant to your
visit.
A. When you arrive at the Zoo
You will enter ZSL Whipsnade Zoo through the Main Entrance
B. Places around the Zoo
ZSL stands for the Zoological Society of London – the conservation
charity which runs our Zoo. At ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, we have over
200 different kinds of animal for you to see!
Cheetah Rock
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/cheetah-rock/
Meet Dubai and her 5 cubs at Cheetah
Rock.
The Cheetah doesn’t not roar like other
big cats, lions and tigers. Instead it
gently purrs and even makes sounds
similar to chirping to communicate to
others.
Cheetah conservation has been a major
focus for ZSL since 1991. In Tanzania
we have been carrying out the longest
running in depth study of a wild cheetah
population.
Rhinos of Nepal
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/rhinos-of-nepal/rhinos-of-nepal,58,PS.html
Come face to face with Jamil our
baby rhino (born in December
2012), his mum Behan and dad
Hugo.
There are only 2500 greater onehorned rhino left in the wild. ZSL is
working with people in Nepal to
keep this number increasing.
In with the Lemurs
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/in-with-the-lemurs/
Did you know a group of
lemurs is called a troop?
We have two troops at
Whipsnade: altogether we
have 11 boys and 6 girls.
Can you count them all on
your walk through?
Asian Elephants
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/elephants/
Our baby elephant Max was born in
October 2013 to mum Karishma. He
weighed in at 129.5kg and stood at
three feet tall.
ZSL and the Elephant Conservation
Network (ECN) have been working in
western Thailand tackling humanelephant conflict, restoring the forest
ecosystem, and helping local villagers
to develop jobs that do not harm the
forest.
Amur Tigers
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/tigers/
Wild Wild Whipsnade
http://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/www/
From moose to honey badgers, wolves to bears, there are some amazing animals to
see at Wild Wild Whipsnade
Lions of the Serengeti
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/lions-of-the-serengeti/
We have seven lions in our Whipsnade
pride. The lion with the mane is called
Spike. We have cubs called Max, Kia,
Kato and Tato who are now seven
years old.
Experience the sights and sounds of
Tanzania's Serengeti National Park on
your way to the lion enclosure.
Discovery Centre
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/discovery-centre/
Snakes, lizards, frogs and bugs are all waiting for you to find
in the Discovery Centre!
Chimpnasium
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/chimpnasium/
Our chimps like Elvis here eat fruit, nuts,
meat and specially-made pellets. Their
food is scattered in the grass to
encourage foraging behaviour. Vitamins
and minerals are given to them in drinks,
like a herbal tea!
ZSL researches forest conservation to
help protect chimpanzees in the wild.
Giraffes
http://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/giraffes/
Our giraffe exhibit has a special
tall platform, so you can finally
see these beautiful animals eyeto-eye!
Did you know, giraffes have the
same number of neck bones as
humans? We both have seven
bones in our necks – but theirs
are much bigger!
Grevy zebras
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/zebras/
Grevy’s zebras like Henna here have much
narrower stripes that the other two zebras
species, and can live on grasses which are too
tough for cattle to eat.
We breed Grevy’s zebras at ZSL Whipsnade
Zoo as part of a European Endangered Species
Programme, and have successfully had 26
foals born over the years!
The Grevy's zebra is an EDGE species,
but what is EDGE?
www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_
info.php?id=82
Common & Pygmy Hippos
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/hippos/
Come and see our two hippo species. Can
you believe they are more closely related
to whales and dolphins that any other
mammals?!
Common Hippo
Pygmy Hippo
Red Panda
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/exhibits/red-panda/
The long, thick fur of red pandas
protects them from their rainy
habitat in the Himalayas and the
reddish brown colour helps them
blend in with the trees they
inhabit.
Don’t miss the family!
The red panda family, including
the cub born in 2010, mum Geri,
and father Peter, live in a large oak
tree in the middle of the zoo.
Jumbo Express
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/planning-your-visit/daily-events/thejumbo-express,268,EV.html
Take a ride on our steam engine through the
habitats of some of our animals!
The Jumbo Express has restricted running
hours during the year so please check the
website to make sure it is available on the day
of your visit
School groups of at least 40 pupils must preorder by phone.
Groups of less than 40 pupils must purchase
tickets from the ticket booth at the platform.
The train journey takes 10 – 15 minutes
C. A session with a Discovery &
Learning Officer
You may have the chance to meet one of our Discovery & Learning
staff for a workshop.
These are interactive and hands-on: you may get to touch real objects
from the natural world or even meet a live animal.
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/schools/education-sessions/
Your session will be delivered in a room like this
D. Free talks and events
www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/planning-your-visit/daily-events/
There are lots of talks and events happening around the Zoo you may wish to
see. Maybe you’ll go to see the Elephant talk, or the Birds of the World
display show.
E. Some extra information
Eating lunch
If it is sunny you can eat your lunch outside on the
grass.
If it is not so warm you can eat lunch in one of the
covered areas around the Zoo
Remember to put your litter
into a bin – or even better, a
recycling bin!
At the zoo we recycle
everything we can – only 1%
of our waste ends up as
landfill.
Dress for the day
At ZSL Whipsnade Zoo there can be a range of weather, even on one day.
Make sure you bring warm clothing, proper footwear and waterproof coats so
you can enjoy the zoo.
On hot days make sure you have sunscreen!
When you are visiting the animals
To see the animals behaving
naturally, it’s great when
visitors are very quiet so the
animals don’t feel scared.
Our animals are fed special,
balanced diets. Make sure
they don’t get any extra food
from visitors as it can harm
them.
In case of emergencies
Please stay with your adult during your visit. If you get
separated, or have an accident, go to the Estates Office near
the Discovery Centre where our staff can help.
If you have any problems, find one of the Zoo staff (wearing a
green uniform) who will be happy to help.
Estate Office for First
Aid & lost property
F. When you leave the Zoo
At the end of the day it’ll be time to go – take lots of photos to remember
what you saw, and come back soon!
4. After your visit to ZSL
Whipsnade Zoo
• We greatly appreciate any feedback from teachers, so please fill out
the online questionnaire at:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZSLWZEducation
• For your next visit, make sure you check out the ZSL What’s On
calendar www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/whats-on/
• If you need to get in touch, email us at [email protected]
• If you would like to keep up to date with learning news and events
at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, make sure you sign up to receive the ZSL
education e-news at www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/schools/signup-for-emails