We also had a trip to Drusilla's Zoo with Nan's class. It is practically on our doorstep, in nearby Alfriston, and well worth a visit. It is lovely to take the young ones on these excursions; some children just don't get to visit such places unless it is with school, as the cost of a family outing can be prohibitive, while school can negotiate discounts for groups. Even with the wonderful tv and online sources of information, some children come from homes where Nintendo and Corrie are the preferred uses of their small electricals.
Some people are against zoos, I know, but there is a growing awareness of the need for sensitive housing and how many ecologists and naturalists been inspired to do great work by visits to such places, I wonder? Part of the work of zoos seems, more and more, to include breeding and rehabilitation programmes.
It was a joy to show these children flamingos and penguins, meerkats and roaches, even to let them into the scream-booth to compare their vocal range with that of elephants and grillas!
