Keeper kids 2022 is a series of 90 min workshops running from 1:30-3:00pm that can be booked individually or as a group to suit the interests and time restraints of families.

There will be a total of six sessions with three themes split between two age groups. The Tuesday sessions will be catered to 8-10 year olds and cover the basics of animal care with a strong emphasis on practical work with the animals where appropriate and safe. The Thursday sessions for 11-13 year olds will delve deeper into zookeeping, providing a taster of working with the animals at the park.

Each session will be limited to five participants to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be involved and the group can access smaller staff areas without splitting up.

Costs:

£15 per session when booked individually, £40 to book one child on all three sessions.

The sessions will be themed as follows.

Animal Husbandry, Week one, Tuesday 9^th August 8-10y/o, Thursday 11^th August 11-13y/o

This session will focus on the basics of keeping the wide range of animals at the zoo in high health. We will discuss enclosures, habitats and a range of animal’s specific needs. Practical elements will include feeding and servicing a variety of species.

Native Animals, Week two, Tuesday 16^th August 8-10y/o, Thursday 18^th August 11-13y/o

In this session we will venture into the woods of Williamsons Park exploring the habitats within. This will include observing native aquatic life as well as possible mammal trapping to survey small rodents and creating feeders for our birds and possibly your gardens at home!

Animal Health and Enrichment, Week three, Tuesday 23^rd August 8-10y/o, Thursday 25^th August 11-13y/o

How do you tell if a snake is poorly? Following on from week one we will dive further in to the health of our animals with a focus on health checks and weighing our animals. We will discuss possible diseases and health issues along with their causes and treatment. We will also create some fun enrichment for a range of species.