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| Monkey For this week's mammal day, we studied the squirrel monkeys and spider monkeys in Safari World. First, one of the education staff members led us in making enrichments for the monkeys. Then, we met a primate keeper at the squirrel monkey exhibit, who had an enrichment waiting for us! So that we could understand how monkeys look for special treats in their enrichment boxes, the keepers had a huge cardboard box with holes cut in - large enough for our hands to slip inside. The box was filled with hay, but plastic eggs with candy treats had been hidden inside the hay. We had to feel until we found an egg, and then we kept the candy. The keeper then gave our enrichments to the monkeys, so we watched them interact with our enrichments. We played a monkey game and made a monkey craft later in the day. |
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We met one of the keepers out on the preserve, who brought the ostriches right up to our van! The keeper told
us all about these animals, which are the tallest living birds. They don't fly, but they can run very fast. And we held an ostrich egg (which is the size of 2 dozen chicken eggs). We made a special ostrich craft this day, too. And we visited the petting zoo, where we candled the eggs and held the baby chicks, too.
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An Education staff member brought out Clymer, the Solomon Island prehensile-tailed skink, and some of us were even able to hold herfor a photo! We learned all about this largest of skink species and came away with a greater appreciation for reptiles. We also made skinks in craft and played a game about reptiles.
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| Bird Keeper An education staff member led us in making enrichments for the parrots. Then we met a bird keeper, who showed us the parrots' night house. Then, the keeper taught us about positive reinforcement and how the parrots are being trained to do certain behaviors such as showing a foot or opening their wings. We even gave Casper the cockatoo the command to open her wings and lift up her crest. We made a special bird-related craft at craft time, too. |
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We met an education staff member at the Animal Theatre, where we learned
about two rainforest animals. We learned how important this biome is, for housing a diversity of plants and animals. Some of us even had our photo taken with one of the rainforest animals. And we made a rainforest-related craft at craft time.