Discover @ Zoo Negara Part1

Our fnal zoo trip for the year.
A programme created just for us by Edwina, the zoo education officer.

There were 3 stations set up in the Education Centre.
Station 1 : Treasure Hunt
Each child was given a questionnaire and a pack of animal skulls and footprints cutouts to paste. Hints to the questions were pasted on the wall

Station 2: Pinata
The children had to blow up balloons, secure the balloon onto a string and paste newspapaer all over it.

Station 3: Nasi Lemak

Grab a handful of rice and fruit mixture and place onto a piece of banana leaf

The rice mixture is then wrapped in the banana leaf and secured with a natural string cut out from the midrib of the banana leaf

Sliced papaya and banana

Rice

Packets of 'nasi lemak' ready for the elephants

Papier Mache activity

Dipping torn bits of newspaper into a gluey paste made from flour and hot water

Edwina discussing treasure hunt questions with Han and Ean.
3 years old Ean could correctly identify the giraffe's skull

Ean's completed worksheet.
We were supposed to run around the zoo looking for the answers but the boys decided to complete it in the comfort of an air-conditioned eatery over lunch.

Fai completing his balloon.

Teamwork.

The kids received lots of help from the Zoo Negara volunteers and staff

Ean proudly showing off his packet of nasi lemak for the elephants

In 2 hours, we had a box and a bag full of elephant treats.

Pinatas in a row
Once dried, they will be filled with seeds and nuts and given to the primates.

Discovery @ Zoo Negara - Part2

Ean: Where is this from? Did the elephant die?
Edwina: This elephant was goring the other elephants in the enclosure, so his tusks were sawn off. However, it eventually grew back.
JY: So poachers don't have to kill elephants to get their tusks?
Edwina: Well they do it because it is easier than sedating the animal

Ean (giving the zookeeper accusing looks) : Why did they kill them?

Zookeeper (smiling): We didn't kill them. They died naturally

Orang Utan's fur

Antlers

Beautiful feathers

Facts, feather and egg of the ostrich.

This feather's taller than me!

Ean was introduced to blue Macaws in the animated movie Rio.
He ran around the room going "Blu"

Han examining the 2m long cobra skeleton

The orang utan is this big!

Board game

Animal footprints.
There was a basket of animal paw prints casted in plaster as well

We then proceeded to the elephants for the final part of the programme - feeding the elephants with packets of nasi lemak we prepared earlier

The elephants were ushered into the pool before the education officers were allowed to wander around the enclosure

hiding the nasi lemak

Splash!

The moment the curators left the enclosure, the elephants trooped out of the pool in search of their nasi lemak treat

Here's one!

There ought to be another one of those in here somewhere...

I smell one up here!

Munch, munch...

Spot 2 green paddy frogs
As always we ended our day at the zoo by the frog pool

My favourite spot at the zoo to unwind after spending hours walking around.

Letting the little fishes nibble their fingers

Malaysian Endangered Journey - Tiger and Sunbear @Zoo Negara

Tram ride from the elephant enclosure to the tigers

Meat for the tiger

Chunks of raw meat was placed on a hook and reeled in into the enclosure.
The tiger caught whiff of the meat and leaped at it

An ice block filled with pieces of raw chicken was thrown by the edge of the pool for the tigers to claw and grab

The tiger enjoying an icy chicken treat

Looking at a photo that compared the size of a polar bear compared to an adult human

Han wanting a closer look at cruel animal traps

Getting snared in a metal hoop is very painful as this volunteer found out

In the Education Centre, we untwined gunny rope. The thinner fragments of the rope was used to make props for the tigers.
Raffia string can not be used as it will cut into the animal's skin

Preparing paste out of corn flour for the tiger's prop

Using the paste to stick on toilet roll tubes onto a box.

The kids were asked what animal they wanted to tiger to hunt. The kids said "Tiger!"

So the box was to resemble a tiger and raw meat will be placed within for the tiger to maul at.

Bamboo logs
The sunbear has claws like Wolverine of X-Men and uses it to claw out food from deep within the bamboo

Holes bored into the bamboo log

Stuffing sunflower seeds and raisins into the bamboo logs. These were for the sunbears

The boys trying their hand at boring holes using a hand drill

Concentrating hard at fitting the seeds into the holes

Bread is lathered with honey and stuffed into the bamboo logs. Each slice of bread is separated by a piece of banana leaf.

Parents were ready to take over when the kids lost interest and wandered off