A Watery Life for Seals by Precious

At the Auckland Zoo the seals habitat is aquatic. The majority of its habitat is water. The seals enjoy swimming swiftly in the water. There are logs and caves for them to swim around which are obstacles for them. There is a small space for the seals to relax and sunbath. There are lots of rocks to keep them entertained. The zoo works hard to enrich the habitat of the animals. There is a big wide glass that prevents us from coming close to the seals habitat. In the wild seals are normally found in cold waters and rocky beaches. They are mostly found in cold regions. The warmer the region is, the skinnier they are because of the lack of food. Seals prefer saltier water. They are drawn to low tide areas so they can sunbath although they prefer very cold water. Seals look for deeper water because they love diving and exploring around their habitat. They like places with sunbaths. They are drawn to places with different shapes and sizes of rocks.

The Affects of Hunting Rhinoceros by Logan

In the zoo, rhinoceros have little mud ponds, trees, and man made objects in their habitat. They also have logs that the rhinoceros loves to rub on when they are itchy. They are safer in the zoo as they are almost treated like pets because their food gets delivered to them from zoo keepers. In the wild, rhinoceros are being hunted from people for their horns. They live on grasslands or savannahs in Africa. Some of the rhinoceros have been transferred to other countries like Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. They are herbivorous so they love eating flowers, plants and grass. In the wild they also love to live near mud pools and lakes.

It's a Girl by Rongo

At the Auckland Zoo the giraffe's habitat is very dry. The giraffe has a tall neck to reach its food up in the trees. A giraffe is a herbivore.This means they only eat plants they never eat meat.The giraffe at the Auckland Zoo has a dark blue tongue and it has spots to camouflage itself from its enemy. A giraffe is a very tall animal. When the giraffe is born it can walk for about 30 minutes before falling down. Giraffes are sometimes hunted down easily by its predators. Giraffes are the tallest mammal living. At the zoo their food is hung from trees and racks that are high, like in the wild.

Relaxing on Sacks by Sione

At the Auckland Zoo, the lions were relaxing on sacks in the sun. They also have a space  to occupy themselves by playing and exercising. They had long logs on chains,a grassy area and are also given objects such as cardboard boxes, herbs, spices and ice blocks. This sort of enrichment also promotes social behaviour amongst the pride of lions by them rubbing and greeting each other. The zoo keepers make sure the lions stay calm and don't fight all the time. They also should stay healthy. The male lion has a mane but the lioness does not.. The zoo keepers put meat inside pumpkins so the lions can work their way out how to get the meat out. The female lion likes to bite the male lion and fight with it.

Cheetahs Life At The Zoo by Nicholas

At the Auckland Zoo cheetahs are lying in the sun. They have a glass window so we can see them and so they don't attack us. The cheetahs have a barrel so they can play with for exercise and to keep them occupied. They even have a path so they can run up and down. They have a mat and some trees so they can cool down in the shade. In the afternoon the zoo keeper comes and feeds the cheetah. The cheetahs has been taken for a walk by zoo keepers as part of the enrichment programme. They can look at visitors through a glass panel and have been known to try and "play" with the visitors by scratching at the glass and opening their mouths wide! In their natural habitat they live in the grasslands of Africa. Their habitat is open with high points so they can look for enemies and where their prey are.

Walking The Cheetah By Ashvin

The cheetahs habitat is an enclosure which looks like a little jungle.It has lots of grass,  trees and bamboo to camouflage. They have a sack to lie on and to sleep on. There is  barbed wire around the enclosure so the cheetahs can't escape. Before the zoo opens the cheetahs are taken for a walk with the keepers holding them on a leash.This is part of the enrichment programme to keep them fit and interested in life around them.In the wild the cheetahs like vast open places with tall grasses.They stalk their prey so this means they need to have places to hide.

The lion king By Augustine

At the Auckland Zoo the lion has a grassy habitat with trees around it. They have sacks and logs to lie or climb on. Food is hidden inside pumpkins so the lion has to work to get it out. This is part of the zoo's enrichment programme so the animals do not get bored. The keepers make sure the lions stay alive by giving them good food and equipment to keep them healthy. There is river around their enclosure that stops them getting out. In the wild the lion has to look after itself although their environment is being destroyed by humans. A lion has rough and warm fur to keep them warm.