Learn about forests and their inhabitants at this top Kent education provider.
History & Geography
Jungles worldwide
- Use maps available on many of the enclosures to explore where our jungle species exist in the world and learn about their different habitats. We are home to jungle species from around the world including those from South America, Asia and Africa.
- Identify countries and continents on maps around our park to gain knowledge about different habitats and use this to understand how animals adapt to their surroundings.
- Understand that jungles are located near the equator unlike temperate forests.
- 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 jungle 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 jungle 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 jungles which have come back from the brink to show that humans can also have a positive impact on the natural world.
- Learn that each jungle is unique and home to its own unique species by visiting endemic species.
Layers of the jungle
- Learn that some animals like to make their homes high and others prefer to stay near to the ground. Watching jungle 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 jungle 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 pupils 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 jungle 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 jungle 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 jungles 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 jungle animals.
- Describe and understand key aspects of a jungle 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 Jungle Animals adaptation highlights the following exhibits and species.
- Tropical House
- Macaws
- Visayan Warty Pigs
- Jaguar
- Tapir
- Clouded Leopard
- Orangutan
- Howler Monkey
- Chimpanzees
- Sloth
We would recommend starting your self-guided tour in our Tropical House to see a variety of tropical birds and discuss their adaptations and the importance of the seed dispersal they provide. 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.
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.
The next jungle species you may want to visit is our critically endangered Visayan Warty Pigs. Hunting and deforestation are the two biggest threats facing this species making it a good opportunity to discuss the impact humans have on jungles.
Next, follow this path round and 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 jungle 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 our Clouded leopards.
Next please head to Rainforest SOS to discover our Bornean Orangutans and other primate species including howler monkeys. These primates are all dependant on the jungle 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.
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 jungle species including marmosets, sloth and bush babies.
Along this route you will see additional jungle species including pheasants 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Clouded leopards are perfectly adapted for the jungle. Their pattern helps them to camouflage (so well that that they are rarely spotted in the wild). They are also fantastic climbers and able to climb down trees head first. Plus, they have a longer tail and longer canine teeth in proportion to body size than any other cat- perfect for a predatory life in the jungle.
- Edwards Pheasants 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!
Find out more & book
To find out more about booking one of our educational visits please check out our website, give us a call or simply fill in the form below:
