Blackpool Zoo Comes to Hesketh House

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Bolton School Year 4 girls had some interesting visitors from Blackpool Zoo, coming face to face with a giant hissing cockroach, a snake and a stick insect!

Russell from the Zoo came to talk to Year 4 about habitats and adaptation. To the girls' delight he brought several animals from the zoo with him to demonstrate what he was talking about. Sydney the Giant Madagascan Hissing Cockroach was passed around the room and the girls had the chance to look at his exo skeleton and to hear him hiss as he came out of his tank!

Jimmy the royal python was well behaved, sticking his tongue out to 'taste' what was in the room as the girls held him and got to see his camouflage, on top and underneath. Jeremy the Thai Stick Insect was very delicate and he moved very slowly on the girls' hands when they had the chance to hold him.

Russell also brought some animal artefacts, such as a giraffe's leg bone, a lion's skull and an enormous elephant's tooth which the girls also had chance to handle, and lots of questions came from these!

All of Year 4 enjoyed the morning but the staff were relieved to see the cockroaches travelling back to the zoo just before lunchtime!