We take a maximum of 32 students for this module. Module duration: 1 hour The module takes place in the Education Centre - located beside the Meerkat Restaurant Your visit to Dublin Zoo includes: Information session with zoo facilitator. Visit to learning and discovery centre. You are free to tour the Zoo when the module is complete. A student activity trail sheet is available to reinforce concepts discussed. Essential items: Students must bring weatherproof clothing for visit to Zoo after module is complete. On Arrival On arrival make your way to the Education Centre to meet your teacher at the specified time on your booking form The Education Centre is located beside the Meerkat Restaurant, which you will see up the hill on your right hand-side as you enter Dublin Zoo. It is important that you be at the Education Centre at the specified time as an Other class may be booked after yours. Please allow 15 minutes for queuing time etc. at the Zoo entrance, as we cannot guarantee being able to take late arrivals. Cost: 10.00 per student. Teachers Free. Admission fee to be collected beforehand & paid in bulk by teacher/group leader. As you are responsible for the group we recommend a supervisory ratio of 1 adult to every 5 students, and with this in mind you can avail of 1 adult free with every 5 students. Transport: The 46A bus from O Connell Street, Dublin City Centre goes to the North Circular Road entrance to the Phoenix Park, a 5-minute walk to the Zoo entrance. Dublin Zoo is within walking distance of Heuston station. Transport can also be arranged via CIE, Dublin Bus or Private coach operators.
HISTORY OF DUBLIN ZOO: Dublin Zoo opened in 1831, making it the fourth oldest zoo in the world (only London, Paris and Vienna are older) on 5.5 acres and has grown over the years to the present 66-acre site. This includes additional land from the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin, provided by President Mary McAleese. This section is known as the African Plains and was formally opened by An Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, on 7 th May 2001. If you would like more information on the history of Dublin Zoo, please email education@dublinzoo.ie or phone 01 474 8932. ROLE OF DUBLIN ZOO: Formally a Victorian showcase displaying exotic animals, we now focus on conservation, participation in international breeding programmes, education and research. Breeding programmes: Zoos worldwide access breeding details recorded in a computerised system ( ISIS International Species Identification System). Dublin Zoo actively participates in many international breeding programmes. Animals involved in such breeding programmes include the Golden Lion Tamarin, Moluccan Cockatoo, Bornean Orang-utan, Western lowland Gorilla, Sumatran Tiger and Snow Leopard. Education: The Education Department at Dublin Zoo aims to awaken people s interest in their environment and to promote conservation awareness through exhibitions, student programmes, teacher courses, summer camps, outreach programmes, Learning & Discovery Centre, information sheets and education packs. Conservation: An increasing human population threatens fragile resources (i.e. tropical rainforests). Common factors influencing plants and animals approaching extinction include deforestation, farming and human population growth. The ultimate goal of captive breeding of animals threatened with extinction is the preservation of animals that can be reintroduced into their habitat in the wild at a future date.
Research: We are constantly engaging our animals using a method called behavioural enrichment - This means that the keepers use objects and activities that engage an animal physically and/or mentally e.g., popcorn in straw or feeding tubes attached to an enclosure, puzzle feeders, scent marking, scatter feeding etc. Many such strategies are employed at the zoo for the welfare of our animals. Recreation: Attracting up to 600 million people annually, zoos worldwide provide a pleasant day out for their visitors who can also see conservation in action. Dublin Zoo alone received over 900,000 visitors last year and is rated Ireland s number 1 fee paying tourist attraction. Zuki the white Rhino, with her mum Ashanti Dublin Zoo has approximately 127 different species of animals with a total of around 600 specimens. Of these 127 species over 40 are managed in International and European breeding programmes. Many others are involved in regional programmes.
1 HOUR MODULE INFORMATION SESSION & VISIT TO LEARNING AND DISCOVERY CENTRE Objective: The Conservation programme is designed to provoke students to contemplate and discuss things that are happening all around us. It emphasises the role of a modern day Zoo, facts on endangered species - why they are endangered. We look at the pros and cons of ex-situ conservation. The information session encourages students to develop an appreciation for their environment. Topics covered include: Definition of Conservation IUCN & the Red List Endangerment & Extinction Mass Extinction Habitat loss Bushmeat Trade Poaching & Illegal trade of trophies In-situ & Ex-situ Conservation in Dublin Zoo Dublin Zoo Conservation Awareness Campaign
Today more than 700 kinds of birds, 200 kinds of reptile, and 60 kinds of amphibians are known to be close to extinction. If endangered plants are added to this list, the total number of species comes to more than 5,000. Some scientists believe that animals today are so endangered that the rate of extinction may be as high as one species per day. So let us take a look at some of the endangered species that live in the Zoo. Siamang Gibbon Siamang Gibbons are members of the ape family. Gibbons defend their territory by giving very loud calls. The Siamang s dark grey, elastic throat skin inflates to the size of a grape fruit, to act as a resonator and amplify its amazingly loud calls. The male s screams are thought to discourage other males, while the females longer, more distinctive series of bark-like sounds is associated with territory defence. They eat leaves, fruit, and insects. Every morning at around 10.30 11.00 you will hear the calls of these gibbons. Sumatran Tigers The smallest and darkest of the tiger subspecies, Sumatran tigers have been hunted to extinction because of their beautiful fur. It is now thought that there are less than 300 left in the wild today. Their habitat is slowly disappearing. They are found on the Island Sumatra (5 ½ times the size of Ireland). Orang-utans The name Orang-utan means man of the forest. Orang-utans have babies only around once every seven years. There are about 15,000 Orang-utans left in the wild, their main threat is habitat loss. Scimitar-horned Oryx Specialised for deserts, arid plains, and rocky hills, the scimitar-horned oryx has many physical adaptations to conserve body water. It sweats only when its body temperature exceeds 46 degrees and it can also go without drinking water for months. This species was almost hunted to extinction. Nomads for meat and hides for domestic consumption and trade carried out the hunting. In WII, military operations probably led to considerable additional hunting to feed the armies. This species is thought to be extinct in the wild and is now only surviving in captivity or ex-situ programmes.
Lions Two decades ago there were approx. 100,000 lions found in Africa, today 20 years later there are around 23,000 left. 90% of the population has been wiped out due to loss of territory and shooting by farmers who try to protect their livestock. If this trend continued there would be no lions left in Africa in 5-10 years. Dublin Zoo is home our lioness Sheila. Unfortunately her long term partner Matt passed away in June 2008. Over the years 650 lion cubs were born in Dublin Zoo. WHITE RHINO The White Rhino is the largest and most numerous of all the rhino species. All 5 species of rhino are endangered because the rhinoceros horn is, literally, worth its weight in gold. In China it is powdered and used as a drug thought to reduce fever. The horns are composed entirely of keratin a tough protein also found in hair and nails. A rhino s horn can be quickly cut off under anaesthetic, thereby removing the main target of poachers. The northern white rhino is critically endangered with only 15 thought to be left in the wild whereas the southern rhino is not as critically endangered with around 8,500 in the wild. Great Indian Hornbill Our hornbill Axi came to Dublin from a German Zoo. One of the most impressive things about these birds is their enormous beak with the large 'casque' - which is the projection on the top. No one is really sure what the casque is for but it could be to support the large beak or to help amplify his or her calls. Indian hornbills are mainly fruit eaters but also actively hunt and eat insects, lizards, snakes and even nestling birds. Indian hornbills are rare and threatened with extinction. These birds are hunted in India for food and medicine. However the main threat is the destruction of their habitat. Reintroduction Programmes Reintroduction refers to animals that are bred in captivity and then released back into the wild. At present Dublin Zoo co-ordinates the reintroduction programme for the Golden Lion Tamarin and the Scimitar-horned Oryx. The California Condor had gone extinct in the wild and owing to good captive breeding programmes a population has now been re-established in the wild.