Year 5 Zoo Excursion

On the 23rd of July, all of the Year 5s went on an exciting excursion to Melbourne Zoo, seeing different mammals, reptiles and bugs! We journeyed past animals not only to see them but to understand how near or far they are from extinction. My personal favourite part of the excursion was when a crow stole a piece of foil containing the lunch of my peer. The reason is that we were able to see the crow in action because normally zookeepers would only show the good things animals do instead of their downsides. People in my class also really liked the part where our tour guide, Alicia, taught us about the gadgets they use to track, research and protect animals. She then gave us a box containing animal facts and some gadgets. We were told that we had to design or upgrade one of the gadgets to help our chosen animal. I think it was more fun than hard because I had a team of supportive and contributive kids because, as you know, "Teamwork makes the dream work."

Then, when we were due to head back to school, we stopped at a few more enclosures with animals like lions, snakes, white tigers and a hippo! The bus we took back to Good Shepherd School was really interesting as it had really nice curtains, a table like on a plane and a toilet, although we were not allowed to use it.

This excursion not only taught us about the beauty of animals, but also that small things like littering, or big things like air pollution and poaching, can really have an effect on our native animals as well as introduced animals.

Ysolde

5SZ

On the 23rd of July, Year 5 travelled on an exciting excursion by bus to Melbourne Zoo. On this excursion, we learnt about how zookeepers track animals and what techniques animals use to save themselves from predators or sneak up on their prey. The drive took around one hour. We sang songs so time could go faster.

When we reached the zoo, we were kindly welcomed by a zookeeper. She told us what we were going to do that day and what we were going to learn about. The first animal we saw was the red panda. We learnt that it survives using camouflage and its speed. It was from Nepal, and in the dense, thick trees, it would be very hard to find because of its size and colour.

Then we met the ring-tailed lemurs. In total, there were 13 ring-tailed lemurs. We happened to see exactly 13. Next, we saw the black and white gibbons. They were playing around the obstacle course, swinging with long leaps. The white gibbon is the female and the black gibbon is the male.

Next, we went to the butterfly house. Surprisingly, it was warm there compared to outside. There were many butterflies, and some landed on our clothes. Then we went to see the gorillas, but there were none that we could see. Instead, we saw the tigers. They were moving, and their stripes helped them camouflage.

We then sat down in a classroom where we discussed how animals are tracked. We learnt about collar trackers. Then we were put into groups to find clues on how to track the animals. One of the clues was to spot the satellite and find the animal to track it.

After snack, we got lost and went back to the lemurs. But then we found a map and went to the lions. Then we followed a trail that had a lot of animals that I had never heard of.

After that, we ate lunch. Then we saw six giraffes. There was a newborn that was born in February this year. There was another giraffe that you have probably heard of, Tambi.

After that, we saw a huge hippo in the water. Then we caught a glimpse of the snow leopards, but they were all sleeping. The snow leopard had three cubs that were new members of Melbourne Zoo.

Then we went to the orangutan section. We were amazed by how fast and far these animals could swing. It was clear how these animals use camouflage because their fur is much the same colour as the tree branches.

After that, we saw the longest python in the Underworld exhibit. It can stretch up to 6.5 metres! Alongside it, there was an underwater snake and a green frog.

Then we had to leave. On this excursion, we learnt how zookeepers protect animals, how they track them, and how animals camouflage. It was an unforgettable experience.

Ryan

5SZ