"I am a zookeeper" at Zoo Negara 18 January 2011

Tuesday 9am

While browsing through Zoo Negara Educational Package for Junior Biologist, I found the birdnest topic was the only attraction. Unfortunately, it was taken off the shelf when I enquired about it. So, I asked for 'behind the scenes program' and was offered "I am a zookeeper" trip.

One of the instructions received, was to prepare name tags for the children. So, I handed the task to En. She was also in-charge of delivering the stickers to the children.

Left - our group of 14 adults and 21 children, aged from infant to 9 years old. 

Right - ice breaking session. It was fun seeing Hui moving to the beat. En who didn't like it, left the circle. 

Left - boarding the tram.

 Right- Edwina, the zoo educator told us to construct a goat with papers, boxes and glue where we put the meat inside and serve it to the hyena.

Hui didn't know what to do with the goat and found colouring the porcupine more interesting.

I overheard, a staff told Hui to colour the whole picture, and  Hui replied ' I'll colour it tomorrow" :))

Kids prepared food for porcupines by stuffing them into the bamboo with holes in it. 

 The meat was wrapped with leaves and put into the goat that we made.

Left - porcupine's sharp spines. Right -  Only two listeners - Hui and Ishra. !!! LOL

Porcupines gnawing into the bamboo !

The crafted goat was laid into the hyena 's enclosure.

It walked around and sniffed at it. It left shortly after. I thought, the hyena won't be fooled by the fake goat but I was wrong. After observing it from afar, it came back and sniffed some more before pulling the yellow paper horn and tore it apart.  

Hyena tore another piece of the goat.

Finally, the hyena pulled out the leaf that wrapped the meat.

yay!!!

This fake goat will stimulate the hunting senses of the hyena instead of the usual direct feeding. So, this is the reason why we were asked to make the goat.

Multi-animal show at 11am.

A souvenir from Edwina, which is now pasted on our wall.

I am a zookeper field trip fees,  RM25 for adult (a maximun of 5 adults is entitled to RM10 per person),  RM20 for children aged 4 and above, RM15 for 3 year old with hands-on activity and RM10 without hands-on. Amount stated does not include any souvenir. There is also an option with souvenir.

Email Edwina at  education@zoonegaramalaysia.my or call 03-4108 2219.