Animal investigations at Chessington Zoo

The girls gained an insight into conservation and the part that the zoo plays in this important work.

From the Skyway they gained an excellent viewpoint of the animals below. They then headed to the penguin enclosure to visit the Humboldt Penguins which the class has adopted for a year.

The girls learnt a great deal about the penguins and discovered the biggest threats to these endangered species.

At the petting zoo the girls saw a variety of small animals including two hand-reared pigs, donkeys, guinea fowl and goats.

The girls learnt a great deal when they took part in an ‘Animal CSI’ workshop, finding clues from a range of evidence to discover who had eaten the Scimitar Horned Oryx’s vegetables - a species which is extinct in the wild.

After a picnic lunch, the girls headed to Zufari where they boarded an off-road vehicle for a ‘ride into Africa’. Much fun and laughter was heard as the vehicle careered up and down the mud banks and they managed to spot giraffe, rhino, oryx and zebra.

En route to the exit, they visited Wanyama Village and Nature Reserve and enjoyed the hilarious antics of the marvellous meerkats.

All intrepid adventurers returned to the bus exhausted but agreeing that a fantastic day was had by all. In fact, many girls were heard to say ‘best school trip ever!’

Report and pictures contributed by Farlington School.