Animal Encounters

Animal Encounters

What is it? 

Interactions with animals can vary immensely; they can range from big establishments with no animal contact such as zoos, small animals at a farm park. 

What does it involve?

The basis of all encounters with animals is to interact with them! Sometimes it may be from a distance to ensure safety on both sides, but you can often get up close; you can train and even ride some animals.

Why do it and what are the benefits?

Spending time with animals has been proven to be beneficial in many aspects of life and development - it can teach things such as compassion, responsibility, and discipline for both yourself and others. 

What equipment do we need?

Depending on what sort of animal encounter it is, the equipment involved will vary. For example, riding a horse requires a lot more specialist equipment than stroking a cat! Make sure to check with your destination to see if you need to bring anything. 

Who is it suitable for?

Animal encounters are suitable for pretty much anyone - always be careful with smaller children though, as they may not understand how to handle them properly. 

Costs?

Can vary from free to reasonably expensive. Grounds that are open to the public and free to enter can often have wildlife roaming around to admire, but more extravagant establishments such as zoos with many more animals will undoubtedly cost more!

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

Be aware of allergies when it comes to animal encounters; although mild allergies are much more common, the risk of a student having a severe reaction means you should exercise caution if there is going to be physical contact with an animal. 

How do we include?

It will depend entirely on the type of animal encounter, but in general these kinds of activities will be great to include all students in, as everyone can interact with an animal in some manner. 

Doing it abroad?

The variety of animals abroad will often vary greatly from our own, and encountering them can be a once in a lifetime opportunity! Foreign nature and safari parks can be great places to visit, so make sure to check out your destination thoroughly to see if there's one you can take a trip to.  

Main website: 

Check out individual websites for specific information on what's available for you to do!

 

See the list below for venues and providers who deliver this activity:

Folly Farm Centre

Pride of Pembrokeshire
Venue Type: 
Farms
Overall Rating: 
0

Amazing adventures, penguin parties, toddler takeovers, cwtch corners, and zoo keeper experiences are all ways to describe Folly Farm today. This theme park has come a long way since its roots as a humble dairy farm to become one of the most exciting places to visit in Wales!

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Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Enlighten and Inspire, Educate and Energise
Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
Overall Rating: 
0

Come and see our variety of exotic animals.

We invite you to use our park as a living classroom, a place to educate and inspire, to increase understanding and respect for animals and the environment.

Free Daily Keeper Talks:

  • 12pm Elephants

  • 12:30pm Giraffe

  • 2pm Tigers

  • 14:30 Rhino

  • 15:30 Penguins

  • 4pm Meerkats

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Blue Planet Aquarium

Venue Type: 
Maritime / Sea Life
Overall Rating: 
0

Be sure to check out one of our daily Aquatheatre shows and get up close to our divers as they feed the fish in our huge underwater viewing window – all in front of the sharks.
Blue Planet Aquarium is famous for its Shark collection – one of the largest in Europe!

There’s always a range of different feeds at Blue Planet Aquarium every single day! Check out the timetable located in our foyer when you arrive.

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Calderglen Children's Zoo

Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
Overall Rating: 
0

Calderglen children's zoo opened in 1982 and is home to over 50 different species, some of which are critically endangered. Being about an acre in size, the zoo specialises in small creatures and amongst the ornamental gardens and Conservatory you'll discover meerkats, families of monkeys, noisy Kookaburras, cheeky Ring-tailed Coati, and Burrowing Owls.

Come and meet the smallest tortoise and the rarest bird and find out how Calderglen is helping to conserve these endangered animals and about our work with the British and Irish Associations of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA).

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Camperdown WIldlife Centre

Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
Overall Rating: 
0

The aim of Camperdown Wildlife Centre's education programme is to supply the highest standard of zoological education to visitors using every possible resource that is available to education staff. The programmes available reflect the current zoological conservation and preservation aims as guided by British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Education lessons will in most cases be guided by the outlines of the current national curriculum and attainment levels required for each student age group.

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Chester Zoo

Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
Overall Rating: 
0

We have a whopping 12,000 animals at the zoo from 400 different species.

About half those species are on the threatened list. We’re one of the world’s leading centres for conservation, working in the UK and worldwide to help protect animals and plants from extinction.

We’re devoted to caring for own animals too, and are always looking for ways to make their lives even better. Our Animal Health Centre, for example, is decked out with the best possible facilities for the veterinary team.

Education

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Lakeland Wildlife Oasis

The Little Zoo With Lots To Do
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

Lakeland Wildlife Oasis is a unique and exciting blend of exotic wildlife and interactive hands-on displays, which take you through 3,000 million years of evolution and follows the development of life on Earth - from magic molecules to mischievous monkeys.

Exhibits range from curassow to computers, from fossils to fossas and include some of the world's most threatened species which are kept here as part of international breeding programmes.

Schools

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Banham Zoo

Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
Overall Rating: 
0

Animals are fascinating whatever their size, shape or behaviour and at Banham Zoo you can get a unique opportunity to see some incredible animals naturally demonstrating just how amazing they are!

The Amazing Animals presentation takes place throughout the year and features fantastic animals and birds such as serval, European genet, Swainson's lorikeets, armadillo, kookaburras and blue & gold macaws.

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Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park

Conservation through education
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park set in 27 acres of mixed woodland, is the wild animal conservation centre of southern Scotland.

A varied collection of nearly 150 animals from all over the world can be seen within the peaceful and natural settings where the woodland has been tailored to provide large and imaginative enclosures.

Schools & Groups

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Pitmedden Garden

Venue Type: 
Parks and Gardens
Overall Rating: 
0

The heart of the property is the formal walled garden originally laid out in 1675 by Sir Alexander Seton. In the 1950s, the Trust set about re-creating the gardens following designs dating from the 17th century.

The grounds provide school groups with the opportunity to cover many different topics in the one day. Bug hunts and pond dipping in the surrounding estate link in with the insect life visiting the many coloured flowers in the formal garden, where children can learn about the natural history and life-cycles.

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