Animals and the zoo (16+)

This area of study is a great introduction to zookeeping. Learn about topics such as conservation, animal welfare, animal nutrition and enrichment, and what it takes to work in a zoo. Programmes can be adjusted to your needs.

Animal enrichment making
Create enrichment for our animals to make sure that they are well fed, interested and cared for. Encourage their natural behaviours such as digging and jumping.

Animal tour
Connect with nature while learning about native wildlife on this guided tour.

Animal training for welfare
Learn what kind of training we do to keep our animals safe and participate in their own healthcare.

Animal welfare
Learn more about how we provide excellent standards of welfare to our resident animals.

Beaver walk
A walk along the river to spot signs of the beavers.

Conservation at Wildwood
Learn more about our breeding programmes and projects for our native wildlife living on site - we are home to over 200 native British animals.

Enclosure design
Take a look at how our enclosures are designed with the animals' natural behaviours and needs in mind and design your own.

Health and safety
Learn the considerations and measures zoos have in place to ensure the safety of its animals, staff and visitors.

Kick sampling
A method used to collect invertebrates from the bottom of rivers to assess water quality and indicate the health of the river. Can be linked to food chains & habitats.

Monitoring footprint tunnels
Monitor our footprint tunnels – identify the footprints of small mammals to find out what wildlife we have around the park.

Nutrition and enrichment
Learn what it takes to keep our animals healthy and well fed.

Owl pellet dissection
Dissect an owl pellet to identify what they have eaten based on bones and fur.

Small mammal trapping
Learn how to survey and identify our smallest mammals using live, humane traps.

So, you want to work in a zoo?
Learn more about the different roles and responsibilities of staff at zoos.