Year 1 braved the cold and wintry weather to see all the animals at Colchester Zoo. On the 23 January the class set off in a coach and started their day with a penguin workshop. Pupils saw a close-up of a spiky penguin tongue and examples of their waterproof feathers. Kehanique demonstrated all the special features a penguin possesses by putting examples on herself including flippers, webbed feet, goggles, a set of warm feathers and another set of waterproof ones. All she needed were some fish! Everyone was extremely impressed with these flightless birds who can swim underwater for twenty minutes whilst catching fish, flipping them round with their tongues and eating them, all under water. Later, pupils got the chance to view them up close, and also saw seals swimming all around them in the huge panoramic aquarium.
Next, a stop in the Kingdom of the Wild. A busy morning made everyone hungry but before eating it was time to feed the giraffes and elephants. They guzzled turnip, carrot, parsnip and cabbage! The day was packed with exotic animals including zebras, rhinos, ostriches and vultures. The children ate their lunch surrounded by a boa constrictor, tortoises and a few other creatures.
After lunch the children boarded the Lost Madagascan Express train. They spotted grey wolves and competed with them to see who made the best howls. The train provided a premium vantage point to observe leaping lemurs. Mrs Taylor made sure she got to see her favourites – three prowling tigers. They were splendid and drew gasps of admiration from all. This rounded off a perfect day, which is sure to be an absolute highlight of Year 1.
