Teachers Information. HWP Education. For further activities

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1 Teachers Information The idea of this pack is that it is to be used by teachers and pupils to accompany them as they explore the Highland Wildlife Park. Each activity can be printed out individually or as a whole booklet, it s a pick-n-mix worksheet. You can select what suits the requirements of the pupils. If the students do not find the answers during their visit research could be undertaken when they return to school or via the internet. Part 1 Upper Primary Secondary Introduction Map of the Park Park Spotters Guide Around the Highland Wildlife Park: Quiz Summit to Sea in Scotland Scotland's habitats Imagine where you might see.. Extinct British animals Why do animals need zoos? Scavenger Hunt: Creature Feature Home Sweet Habitat Highland Wildlife Park Animal Search How Animals Move Animal Adaptaions Part 2 Animal Classification and Groups World biomes What makes an animal rare? Why are animals in zoos? Part 1 and Part 2 are separate documents and can be downloaded according to what you want. The indicates suitability for age ranges. These are purely suggestions and you will be able to judge the ability of your pupils as to what you want them to do. I hope that you find these activities helpful during your visit to the Park and can benefit your pupils understanding of animals and their environment. If you have any suggestions or ideas regarding specific worksheets please contact me on or jhughes@rzss.org.uk

2 Highland Wildlife Park Dept. Kincraig, Kingussie, Inverness-Shire, PH21 1NL. Produced by Jasper Hughes.

3 Introduction The Highland Wildlife Park was opened in 1972 and was taken over by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland in By visiting today you are helping us support our mission, which is: To inspire and excite our visitor with the wonder of living animals and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats. RZSS is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and habitats, but we can only continue this work with your support. Your admission fee, all purchases within the park and donations will help with the following: Co-ordinating breeding programmes, for example our European bison. Research which benefits both captive and wild animals. Environmental education to raise awareness of wildlife issues. Continuous improvements in our animals welfare and habitat through environmental enrichment of their enclosures. At the Highland Wildlife Park we specialise in animals that are or were native to Scotland and other cold weather adapted species from around the world. The environments that these species come from will be amongst the first to be affected by climate change. These animals will soon disappear without our help. As you explore the Park you will encounter many endangered animals from cold environments i.e. from Mountains and Tundra biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-moulded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. There are two types of tundra within the world, these are; The Arctic tundra. Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the North Pole and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga. The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34 C, but the average summer temperature is 3-12 C which enables this biome to sustain life. The Alpine tundra. Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow. The growing season is approximately 180 days. The night time temperature is usually below freezing. Unlike the arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine tundra is well drained.

4 Not seen all the animals? Don t forget that you can go around the Main Reserve as many times as you want! Map of the Park 38 During your visit... Please do not feed the animals, climb on walls or cross barriers. Please do not bang on the windows at exhibits. Please note that the Main Reserve will close half an hour before the Park closes. Please note that the management cannot accept responsibility for any damage to vehicles arising whilst in the Main Reserve or car park. PLEASE NOTE The park is constantly evolving and the location of animals may be subject to change. 1. Snow monkey 2. Japanese serow 3. European beaver 4. Arctic fox 5. Snowy owl 6. Red panda 7. Goral 8. Bharal 9. Vivarium 10. Lynx 11. Scottish wildcat 12. Eurasian eagle owl 13. Pine marten Animals of the Park 14. Capercaillie 15. Red squirrel (wild) 16. Polar bears 17. European wolf 18. Markhor 19. Amur tiger 20. Bactrian camel 21. Kiang 22. Yak 23. European forest reindeer 24. Mishmi takin 25. Himalayan tahr 26. European bison 27. Przewalsk horse 28. Red deer 29. European elk 30. Bukhara deer 31. European crane 32. Pallas cat 33. Musk ox 34. Vicuna 35. Otters 36. Great grey owl 37. White-lipped deer 38. Satyr tragopan

5 Park Spotters Guide Our animals in the reserve are free to move across a large area and can sometimes be hard to see. How many of these animals can you find in the Park? (These pictures are not to scale) Beaver Amur tiger Elk European wolf Markhor Przewalski horse Polar bear Japanese macaque (Snow monkey) Forest reindeer European eagle owl Lynx Red deer

6 Park Spotters Guide Our animals in the reserve are free to move across a large area and can sometimes be hard to see. How many of these animals can you find in the Park? (These pictures are not to scale) European crane Great grey owl European bison.[p= Arctic fox Musk ox Kiang Capercaillie Pallas Cat Bactrian camel Yak Red squirrel Pine Marten

7 Around the Highland Wildlife Park: Quiz Read carefully as there could be more than one correct answer. 1. What does Capercaille mean in Gaelic? A. A wee dram please. B. Horse of the forest. C. Chicken of the brae. 2. Why did the pine marten population drop? A. Loss of habitat. B. Just died out. C. Persecution (Human crimes). 3. How many rings, on average, are there on a Wildcat s tail? A. 0. B C What noise / call does the Eagle Owl make? A. Ooo hoo. B. Boo hoo. C. Yoo hoo. 5. Who opened the Wolf Wood? A. Sir Richard Attenborough. B. HRH Princess Royal. C. Sheriff of Inverness. And on what date? 6. What does Bharal mean in Hindi? A. Blue sheep. B. Grey sheep. C. Silver sheep. 7. What does Markhor mean in Persian? A. Agile goat. B. Snake horn. C. Sure-footed. 8. Where do the Gorals come from? A. Scotland. B. China. C. Japan. 9. Male snowy owls compared to females are A. Larger. B. Smaller. C. The same size. 10. In the wild, Arctic foxes eat A. Birds, lemmings, polar bear leftovers. B. Fish and seals. C. Fruit, nuts and berries.

8 11. Red pandas are found in the wild in A. Perthshire. B. Japan. C. The Himalayan Mountains. Their favourite food is? 12. The Wildcat and Lynx both A. Have tufts on ears & spotted coats. B. Belong to the same family group. C. Have bodies the same size. 13. What is a Vivarium? A. A type of Scottish moss. B. Rare amphibian in Nepal C. A place where live animals or plants are kept under conditions simulating their natural environment. 14. The ancient Japanese believed Snow Monkeys were A. Messengers from the gods. B. Messengers from the underworld. C. Like groups of very young children. 15. The European crane is a candidate for what? A. Move to a new collection. B. New enclosure. C. Re-introduction to Scotland. 16. Beavers where reintroduced to Scotland in the spring of? A B C What is going to be biggest threat to polar bears in the future? A. Global warming. B. Over hunting. C. Loss of habitat. 18. What colours do you see on the Amur tiger s ears? A. Orange, black and blue. B. Orange, white and black. C. Black, Orange and red. 19. What is the current main cause for the disappearance of the Scottish Wildcat in the Highlands? A. Persecution. B. Hybridisation. C. Global warming. 20. What native red animal can be sometimes seen running high through the trees? A. Red Panda. B. Red Squirrels. C. Red deer.

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10 Scotland s Habitats Complete the table below as part of Summit to Sea in Scotland Type of habitat. Give named examples of habitat. Examples of birds found in this habitat. Examples of other animals found in this habitat. 1) Mountains / Alpine tundra. Ring ouzel 2) Moorland. 3) Peatland. 4) Caledonian Pine Forest and 5) Plantation Woodland Glen Affric 6) Farmland and Scrub woodland. Pheasant 7) Urban. Fox Fresh water: 8) Loch and 9) Rivers. 10) Coast and Shore. 11) Estuaries. Beauly Firth 12) Open sea. Basking shark

11 Imagine where you might see Complete the table below as you approach the Best view is Scotland? What is the animal on the sign? What habitat does it live in? Give an example of this habitat. What do they like to eat? Osprey Otters Highland cattle Badenoch / Skye Brown hare Caperaillie Rothiemurchus Pine marten Glenmore Scottish wildcat Rabbit Red deer Moorland Ptarmigan Golden eagle We think this is one of the best views in Scotland because it is possible to see from loch to alpine tundra. Many unique species live in these habitats.

12 Extinct British Animals What 5 animals used to be found in the Scottish countryside and are now extinct in the UK? 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Animal Is it a herbivore carnivore or an omnivore Give an example of what it would eat Do you think we should introduce past animals back to the Scottish Countryside, why? What problems and benefits do you think we will have if we do reintroduce some of these animals? Problems: Benefits: How could we get over these problems? Which of the 5 animals that could be reintroduced to the UK do we not have at the Park? When, where and who killed the last wolf in Scotland?

13 Why do animals need Zoos? One of the biggest reasons why we have animals in zoos is because they are being illegally hunted and they are losing their natural habitat in the wild. Their wild population is decreasing. The population level can be described as their conservation status and can be divided into; As you walk around the Park, look for the following animals and write down were they are from (region of origin), what their threats are in the wild are and what their conservation status is and to what breeding program do they belong too (EEP or ESB)? Red Panda Amur tiger Scottish Wildcat European Wolf Polar Bear Pallas cat Japanese serow Markhor Beaver Chinese goral European Lynx European Bison Bharal Capercaillie Region of origin Threats to the population Conservation status Breeding program

14 Scavenger Hunt; Creature Features Animals come in a remarkable variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. Find an animal at the Park and write its name below that: Is red Is white Is blue(ish) Is grey Has spots Has stripes Has hooves Webbed feet Has feathers Has scales Has a shell Has whiskers Is covered in fur Has no fur or feathers Has horns Has antlers

15 Find an animal at the Park and write its name below that: Has a long tail Has a short tail Has claws Has retractable claws Is bigger than you Is smaller than you Could fit in the palm of your hand Heavier than you Something to talk about. What characteristics make you unique? What characteristics do you share with some of the animals at the Zoo? Which animals are similar to you? Which are different from you?

16 Scavenger Hunt Home Sweet Habitat An animal s home is called its habitat, and it contains everything the animal needs to survive and reproduce. A species habitat may be anything large or small, in trees or underground. Some animals need lots of space within their habitat to move and find food, while others can live in a very small space. Find an animal at the Park that: Lives on land Lives on the ice Lives in forests Lives in mountains Lives on grasslands Lives on the tundra Lives in your back garden Became extinct in the UK Lives in Scotland Lives in Europe Lives in Asia

17 Find an animal at the Park that: Needs a large area Needs a small area Lives in groups or colonies Prefers to live alone Something to Talk About. What s in your personal habitat? What do you need to live comfortably? What is similar about your habitat and the Parks animal s habitats? What is different?

18 Highland Wildlife Park Animal Search. What animals can you spot while at the Park? Try and find them all. Put a tick by their name. What is our native country? Scottish wildcat Capercaillie Pine marten Red deer Red squirrel We are found on which continent? Wolf Eagle owl Crane Bison Lynx We are found in what habitat? Polar bear Snowy owl Arctic fox Musk ox Forest reindeer We are found on which continent? Amur tiger Satayr tragopan Japanese macaque Chinese goral Przewalski horse We are found in what habitat? Pallas cat Monal Red panda We like to eat meat. What are we? We are all from the same order. What are we? We like to eat meat and veg. What are we? Bactrian camel We are herbivores. What do we eat? Wild yak There are not many of us left. What are we?

19 How Animals Move. As you walk around the Park, write down the name of the species below the picture when you see an animal moving that way. See how many you are able to find that... Flies Crawls Climbs Swims Walks on their own Walks with a group Runs Jumps or hops Swings Slithers Walks on 2 legs Walks on 4 legs

20 Animal Adaptations. An adaptation is something about an animal that makes it possible for it to live in a particular place and in a particular way. It may be a physical adaptation, like the size or shape of the animal's body, or the way in which its body works. Or it may be the way the animal behaves. Each adaptation has been produced by evolution so that they can survive in the cold of the mountains and tundra? Look and think about the animals in the Park. Can you match the animals below to the adaptation? Polar Bear Reindeer Bactrian camel Beaver Arctic fox Lynx Snowy owl Amur tiger Crane (You can use the animal more than once) Adaptation Animal 1 Animal 2 Hollow fur Blubber for warmth Ability to store food on the body (fat reserves) Small ears Thick/long fur Small surface area large mass Excellent thermal properties in the fur Compact features (short legs, rounded ears compact face) Furry feet Big feet (act as snow shoes) Excellent camouflage Ability to grow a winter coat Ability to change colour in the winter Ability to migrate