Forest Animals

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Red Panda at Wingham Wildlife Park, Kent
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Male (5)
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DSC00797 (2) Red Panda at Wingham Wildlife Park, Kent DSC09972 (3) Male (5) DSC05388

Learn about forests and their inhabitants at this top Kent education provider.

History & Geography
Forests worldwide
  • Use maps available on many of the enclosures to explore where our forest species exist in the world and learn about their different habitats. We are home to forest species from around the world including those from South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and Australasia.
  • Identify countries and continents on maps to gain knowledge about different habitats and use this to understand how animals adapt to their surroundings.
  • Understand that tropical and temperate forests are located in different parts of the world by reading about our animals natural habitats.
  • Identify which habitats species live in by investigating our enclosures and the animals adaptations first hand.
Ecosystems
  • During the summer students can visit our Butterfly House to witness these forest pollinators in action. This is a great example of how plants have adapted to utilise herbivores for their mutual benefit.
  • Visit large herbivores such as our tapirs who, eat a lot of fruit in the wild and therefore disperse large quantities of seeds, helping to structure the habitats in which they live.
  • Birds are also crucial for seed dispersal, distributing them considerable distances as they fly. Our Tropical House is home to a wide range of free flying birds, not to mention our communal long flight enclosures and the variety of wild birds which inhabit our park.
  • Explore the effect humans can have on ecosystems in our Rainforest S.O.S exhibits. Children can learn about deforestation and consider the impact on food webs when food sources and habitats become unavailable.
  • There is also information available about forests which have come back from the brink to show that humans can also have a positive impact on the natural world.
  • Learn that each forest is unique and home to its own unique species by visiting endemic species such as lemurs.
Layers of the forest
  • Learn that some animals like to make their homes high and others prefer to stay near to the ground. Watching forest species such as our tapirs, caimans, jaguars and macaws will help them to form a reasoning and to decide where they think our animals might live in the wild and why.
  • Develop their understanding of forest layers and learn about the conditions experienced by creatures living there.
Deforestation
  • Experience our realistic habitats for themselves including vegetation and wildlife. We also have enclosures with realistic felled trees so that visitors can see and understand the impact of deforestation too.
  • Gain an understanding of the global response to the preservation of forests with help from signs and recordings in our Rainforest SOS area.
Science
Physiology
  • Make observations of our animals to explain why they have evolved with the adaptations they have.
  • Students can learn that forest animals have different physiologies and are adapted to suit their environment and the layers that they live in in different ways and that these are what enable them to survive in their biomes.
The food chain
  • Children can witness and discuss the different foods our animals eat to help them understand that animals get their nutrition from their food and that different animals require different amounts and types of nutrition. Understanding that this is only possible if the forest is healthy.
English
  • Use past present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future by discussing forests and the implications of the challenges they face as they learn about their history, current situation and predictions for their future.
  • Use signs and phonic knowledge to spell animal names and hear initial sounds.
Statutory key stage 1 & 2 words
  • Read key stage 1 and key stage 2 words from the statutory word lists on display in the Dinosaur Zoo and Bug Garden with a short explanation of their meaning. The reading word is used in the example given to develop children’s understanding of the word itself and ability to correctly spell/read it.
PD (H&SC)
Human responsibility
  • Develop an understanding that humans have a responsibility to care about our impact on the natural world.

Teaching outcomes lead to being able to…

  • Understand what a habitat is
  • Learn about forest animals.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of a forest biome and how this differs from other environments.
  • Begin to understand how animals have adapted to their environment.

How to best use our zoo and other exhibits during a school visit:

This self-guided tour is one of a series of itineraries we have prepared for schools. The Forest animals adaptation highlights the following exhibits and species.

  1. Red Panda
  2. Macaws
  3. Tropical House
  4. Deer
  5. Jaguar
  6. Tapir
  7. Little Himalaya
  8. Rainforest SOS
  9. Lemurs
  10. Chimpanzees

One of the forest species you may want to visit is our endangered red panda couple. They are housed close to the entrance so it’s a great place to start your tour and their enclosure has information about the threats they face, one of the biggest being deforestation.

Once you are finished here head towards our Macaws. In the wild these bright characters tend to make their homes in the canopy and emergent layers.

Next, make your way to the Tropical House just opposite to visit a variety of birds which would call the forest home. This includes the Edward’s pheasant, which is critically endangered and may even be extinct in the wild due to the loss of its forest habitat. The Tropical House is also home to our Butterfly House which in the Summer is a beautiful area to visit and offers a good opportunity to discuss the importance of pollinators in forests.

From here make your way around the corner to see our deer. We are home to many wonderful forest species in the UK including a number of deer including fallow and red deer like our boy, Reggie.

If you continue around this path you will soon reach our big cats. Our jaguars offer a good opportunity to discuss their camouflage, strength and other adaptations as well as the layers of the rainforest and where children think these animals would be best suited to live.

By following this path around the lake you will discover our lowland tapirs. This South American species is considered a keystone species in their habitat. From here it’s easy to reach our Little Himalaya area which is home to several forest species found around the Himalayan foothills including Lynx, Asian Short-clawed Otters. Clouded leopards and Moon Bears.

Next head to Rainforest SOS to discover our Bornean Orangutans and other primate species including howler monkeys. These primates are all dependant on the forests and there is a lot of information about deforestation, palm oil, various rainforests and extinction to discover here- all the enclosures in Rainforest SOS are dedicated to educating visitors about the different forms of deforestation.

Once you are finished here head towards our Macaws. In the wild these bright characters tend to make their homes in the canopy and emergent layers. Here at the park they have access to the surrounding trees and can often been seen at the very tops if you look closely. This is a great way to visualise them in the wild and to understand their natural behaviours.

From here it is easy to reach our walk-through lemur enclosure. Not only can you get up close to these animals to get a better appreciation of them but you can also ask our staff all about the challenges they are facing in the wild while watching just how comfortable they are climbing and jumping just as they would in forests in the wild.

Finally, it’s time to make your way to our Chimpanzee House. Western chimpanzees are greatly challenged by deforestation and are now classified as a critically endangered species. They are also our closest relatives, sharing up to 99% of their DNA with us. Here at the park we have been involved in conservation projects protecting them in Uganda. So this is a good opportunity to learn more about these intelligent animals. Plus upstairs is home to a number of other forest species including marmosets, sloth, bush babies and tamandua.

Along this route you will see additional forest species including pheasants, warty pigs and mandrills. You may also be interested in the following talks which offer an opportunity to learn more about the threats these animals and their habitats face in the wild. Talks also present the opportunity for you and the students ask our keepers any questions.

  • Chimpanzee Talk 12.00pm
  • Red Panda Talk 13.15pm
  • Big Cat Talk 14.00pm
  • Tiger Talk and Feed 14.30pm
  • Ring-tailed Lemur Talk 14.45pm

To help children to learn more about this subject we also recommend pairing this itinerary with one of the following education talks,

  • Jungles and their Inhabitants
  • Forests and their Inhabitants
  • Rainforest SOS

Some interesting facts and learning points:

  • Keystone species (like our tapirs) are animals or plants that play a crucial role in the way their ecosystem functions. Without them their ecosystems would be drastically different and possibly even cease to exist at all.
  • The Eurasian Lynx was once native to the UK but were hunted to extinction here (probably for their fur) around 600AD.
  • Orangutans really know how to get the most out of their habitat feeding on as many as 400 different food items in the wild which can include fruits, seeds, bird eggs, leaves, honey, nectar, flowers and insects.
  • Red Pandas are perfectly adapted to the cold and their thick bushy tail can be wrapped around them (much like a scarf) to protect them but it also helps them to balance in the trees.
  • In our Tropical House you can see the Edwards’s pheasants. These pretty birds are so critically endangered that not one has been seen in the wild since 2000. We collect donations for the World Land Trust to help protect their natural forest habitat in Vietnam.

What schools think of an educational day out in Kent with Wingham Wildlife Park

  • After every school visit we ask a teacher from the group to fill in a short email form about their day with us.  We are always looking to improve the experience for the kids as well as the teachers and helpers, so please do take the time to fill one of these in if you decide to join us for a day with your class.  Here is what some of our past teachers have said about a school visit to Wingham Wildlife Park!

Key Stage 1

We had a great day and the children all were very excited to talk about what they had learnt when they got home.

Key Stage 1

Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-07T09:35:46+01:00

Key Stage 1

We had a great day and the children all were very excited to talk about what they had learnt when they got home.

Key Stage 1

I regularly visit Wingham as it is close to home and my own son enjoys it. The children in my class all loved the visit and all went home to tell their parents to visit as well.

Key Stage 1

Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-07T09:37:30+01:00

Key Stage 1

I regularly visit Wingham as it is close to home and my own son enjoys it. The children in my class all loved the visit and all went home to tell their parents to visit as well.

Key Stage 2

I would certainly recommend a visit. Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and gained so much from the experience. Thank you.

Key Stage 2

Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-07T09:38:36+01:00

Key Stage 2

I would certainly recommend a visit. Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and gained so much from the experience. Thank you.

Key Stage 2

Fab visit. We will definitely be back again. Super staff, excellent venue and goody bags a treat for the teachers too!!

Key Stage 2

Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-07T09:40:27+01:00

Key Stage 2

Fab visit. We will definitely be back again. Super staff, excellent venue and goody bags a treat for the teachers too!!

Key Stage 1

We had a wonderful day. Thankyou so much for making a school trip as pain free and enjoyable as possible.
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:17:29+01:00
We had a wonderful day. Thankyou so much for making a school trip as pain free and enjoyable as possible.

Key Stage 2

I have been coming to Wingham for approximately 10 years and I love visiting Wingham. I am impressed with the way it has developed over the years. Better enclosures, signage etc.
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:18:42+01:00
I have been coming to Wingham for approximately 10 years and I love visiting Wingham. I am impressed with the way it has developed over the years. Better enclosures, signage etc.

Key Stage 3

What a fab day out!! it was easy to book when phoned the staff were helpful, they were great when we arrived and the whole day was really good. Brilliant disabled access throughout which was really great and the disabled toileting area with hoist for our group was a real help. Thank you for a fab day we will definitely be back!
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:19:15+01:00
What a fab day out!! it was easy to book when phoned the staff were helpful, they were great when we arrived and the whole day was really good. Brilliant disabled access throughout which was really great and the disabled toileting area with hoist for our group was a real help. Thank you for a fab day we will definitely be back!

Key Stage 1

Very well organised when we arrived, even though there were lots of school groups arriving at the same time.
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:19:54+01:00
Very well organised when we arrived, even though there were lots of school groups arriving at the same time.

Key Stage 2

We thought the staff were helpful and well informed. They were very kind and helped when one child fell and needed some first aid. There were plenty of seats for lunch, and overall the children were very happy to have enjoyed the day. Thank you.
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:21:02+01:00
We thought the staff were helpful and well informed. They were very kind and helped when one child fell and needed some first aid. There were plenty of seats for lunch, and overall the children were very happy to have enjoyed the day. Thank you.

Key Stage 1

Great communication, visited a few times but still found risk assessment very useful/ clear.
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:21:36+01:00
Great communication, visited a few times but still found risk assessment very useful/ clear.

Key Stage 3

A really nice and friendly park. our group is Autistic and it is our second year of visiting. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the park and we will be coming again!
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent
5
2019-06-10T16:22:29+01:00
A really nice and friendly park. our group is Autistic and it is our second year of visiting. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the park and we will be coming again!
5
11
Animal Experiences At Wingham Wildlife Park In Kent

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