Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.
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!
Venues with this Activity
Kirkleatham Owl Centre is home to one of the U.K.'s largest collection of owls. Located in the historic and tranquil village of Kirkleatham in the grounds of Kirkleatham Old Hall (Grade 2 Listed Building).
Superb Tudor House and Landscape Deer Park
Charlecote has been home to the Lucy family since the 12th century. Their stories are told throughout the house with their portraits as well as through the objects they collected from around the world. See the design influence they had on the house and parkland. Step into the house today and you will see how Mary Elizabeth Lucy spared no expense furnishing it in Victorian times.
Today, Witley Court is a large and impressive ruin, but 100 years ago it was in spectacular condition.
The rich industrialist Sir Herbert Smith bought the house in 1920 and lived there for 17 years until a devastating fire broke out in September 1937 while he was away.
Opened in 1831, Dublin Zoo is one of the world's oldest and most popular zoos. It has been transformed in recent decades into a 28 hectare park of gardens, lakes and wonderful natural habitats for over 400 animals.
Many are rare species and their survival in the wild is under threat so many of our animals are part of international breeding programmes for endangered species.
The name Parliament Piece is believed to relate to Henry III's parliament, which met in Kenilworth in 1266. There is, however, no evidence that the site was actually used by the parliament. The pond and other depressions are probably the remains of old marl or clay pits.
Amazona Zoo is one of Norfolk’s most fun days out and provides a full day of action-packed adventure and discovery for the whole family.
Whatever the weather stroll through the wonderful world of an exotic rainforest: a lush landscape of tropical blossom surrounding splashing waterfalls and fish-filled pools.
Enjoy the unique pleasure of watching hundreds of the world's most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment.
Fota Wildlife Park is a joint project between the Zoological Society of Ireland and University College Cork (UCC), an idea originally conceived in the 1970s by former Director of Dublin Zoo, Dr. Terry Murphy.
Unspoilt, rolling hills – that’s what you will discover at Burton Dassett Hills. Whether you are walking, flying a kite or just sitting in your car, the magnificent views from these hills are breathtaking.
The site comprises a series of rugged hilltops affording spectacular views in all directions and Fox Covert, a small woodland with a surfaced footpath.
Home to a wide range of animals from across the world. These animals include many charismatic and exciting species like meerkats, lemurs and otters. The Centre has a wide collection of endangered reptiles.
Battersea Park Children's Zoo invites you to check on the monkeys, crawl down the tunnel to see the meerkats, talk to the parrots and mynah birds, on to the farm to say hello to the goats, donkeys, pigs, emus etc. Playground which includes climbing frames,large sandpit with water toys, swings and roundabouts etc.
The un-stately home and country estate
With peeling paintwork and overgrown courtyards, Calke Abbey tells the story of the dramatic decline of a country house estate. The house and stables are little restored, with many abandoned areas vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses did not survive to tell their story.
With 3,800 acres of parkland, gardens, woodlands and a lake, 20 miles of cycle routes and bike hire, plus a Discovery Centre, and a Woodland Play Park. Visit the Discovery Centre to see what children's activities they are offering during the holidays. This National Trust managed Estate offers lots to do.
Linton Zoo has evolved out of our family's love, interest and concern for the wildlife of the world.
A Falconry centre with over 70 beautiful birds of prey, and over 30 species, including American Kestrel, Snowy Owl, Saker Falcon, Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture and loads more! There are great opportunities to meet some of these birds at close quarters, and to take some great photos of the flying birds, without the barrier of cages or netting.
Amazon World Zoo Park has a huge range of unusual rare and exotic animals. At the last count it was somewhere in the region of 200 different species, spanning the entire animal kingdom!
We have mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, spiders, fish and amphibians. Botany is important too.
Education and Exploration
Pride of Pembrokeshire
Amazing adventures, penguin parties, toddler takeovers, cwtch corners, and zoo keeper experiences are all ways to d
Enlighten and Inspire, Educate and Energise
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:
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12pm Elephants
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12:30pm Giraffe
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2pm Tigers
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14:30 Rhino
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!
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.
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.
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.
The Little Zoo With Lots To Do
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.
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Featured Provider
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
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