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.

 

A Life of a Cheetah at the Zoo: By:Naeata

At the Auckland Zoo,cheetahs live in an enclosure where people can see them through the transparent glass.The cheetah's habitat has a lot of grass. It can camouflage itself amongst the bamboo and they can sleep there too.They also have a sack where they can sleep in the sun.The zookeepers take the cheetahs for a walk before the zoo opens each day. A lot of wild cheetahs live in Africa and the Savannah.They like to stay in grassy areas and use dens when they are in a big family.When wild cheetahs go hunting, they hide in long grass so other animals can't see them.

Cheetahs Set Free by Sefo

At the Auckland Zoo the Cheetahs habitat is bare. Their habitat is dry with trees,rocks and mats to sleep on. In the wild they live in Africa  with the other cat families. In Africa the grass is yellow which is good because it helps them camouflage themselves. At the zoo their habitat is very good because it keeps them entertained and occupied. They get fed in certain  times. The zoo keeper takes the cheetah for a walk every day before the zoo opens. It gives them a chance to see what is around. They are carnivores which means they eat meat. The cheetahs love their enclosure because they can run in it. At the zoo they are part of the pride lands. They are also a part of the enrichment programme. They can look at the visitors through a glass panel and have been known to try and play with the visitors by scratching the glass and opening their mouths wide.

  

Rhino Antics by Sio

The Auckland Zoo is a great environment for rhinos because it is safe. They also have a great habitat with rocks, logs, dirt, sand and mud to play in. Rhinos could also see the tall giraffes in front of them. The zoo keepers feed them with grass, leaves or sometimes they just let them hunt for their food in the enclosure to keep them exercised and fit. In the wild humans are their only predators. Females get a lot of attention by males because they fight against each other to see who would win the female. When a female gives birth she would never let the baby rhino wonder off by itself even though its five years old. Rhinos have been living here for about 7 million years. They are herbivores which mean they eat plants. They live in Africa but mostly in the Southern of Sahara.

The Aquarium. By Filipe

At the Auckland Zoo the sea lions habitat is an aquarium. The aquarium is underground so people can see the sea lions swimming. There are rocks, sand and other items below the surface to look like the ocean floor. I wish that the sea lions could have more sun and sand so they can roll around on them all day.  Sea lions should be where they want to be which is their natural habitat in the wild.

Injured Ninja Turtle by Sharon

The turtle's habitat  was small but big enough for them in the zoo. When we saw the turtle it had just had an operation.There were light bulbs in their habitat to keep the heat the right temperature.The Zoo keeper took the turtle for a walk because it needed exercise after its operation. In the wild they like a grassland terrain with abundant water and vegetation. They can live up to more than 150 years.

Strong Grey Rhino. By Tremayne

The rhinos habitat at the Auckland Zoo is very dry and open . They have some trees lying down for them to play with. Rhinos are herbivores which means that they eat plants,grass, leaves, twigs, fruits and berries .The zoo-keepers come and give them some plants, leaves , twigs, grass to eat and water for them to drink . They also have pile of mud to lie in ,and big rocks to play with and also big thick tree branches for them to bowl over. Rhino drink a lot of water.  There are both black and a white African rhinoceros but they are actually pretty much the same colour. The black has a hooked, pointed lip while the white has a squared one.

                                                                                                                                             

SeaLion Aquariums by Taniela

The Auckland Zoo has a sea lion habitat that is very wet and has boulders in it. An aquarium can be seen from below where you can see the sea lions swim. They've got a lot of free space and a lot of space to swim.They have some trees to shelter away from the sun and concrete floors that help the sea lions from slipping.They have a shelter for the sea lion to sleep at night . Although it is a good environment for sea lions it is not the same as the real thing.

Zebras Keep Fit by Ruth

At the Auckland Zoo the zebra's habitat is bare. It is very dry and has rocks and a few trees. All the zebras live together and they can see the giraffes in front of them. The zebras have to work for their food. The zookeeper puts the food inside a tube with holes. The zebra has to roll the tube to make the food come out. It helps the zebra to exercise it's mind and body. In the wild zebras live in the east and southern Africa. They live in treeless savannah woodlands and grasslands not rainforests and wetlands. Zebra's are herbivores which means they eat plants and grass. They also like to eat herbs, twigs, leaves, shrubs and tree bark. They live in a herd and not on their own. They dependant on water and some types of zebra can be found living in the mountains.

Long Necked Animals by Piecca

At the Auckland Zoo the giraffes habitat is very dusty. It's very dry and has some rocks and tall trees . Next to them are the zebras just walking around and around. The giraffes are herbivores and they never eat meat.In the wild giraffes live in South Africa Savanna. They use their height to reach the leaves and buds in the treetop. Usually, in the wild, giraffes roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.

The sea lions habitat By Vaa

At the Auckland Zoo the sea lions habitat is very watery with lots of rocks under and above the water. The keepers come in at feeding time with buckets of fish which they hold up high so the sea lions have to jump to get the fish. Sliding on the rocks is a way of exercising and sometimes they can be seen doing handstands on their flippers. Most of the time they swim around and around the aquarium. Visitors to the zoo can go down and look through a huge glass to watch the sea lions swim.

Giraffes Entertain the Visitors by Mariah

The giraffes at the Auckland Zoo share their habitat with the zebras and ostriches. Their enclosure is very dry with some rocks and trees. In the wild they are seen in parts of Africa, but mostly in the National Parks. Their habitat is open woodlands and the Savannah. They need large open areas to see approaching danger. They feed on vegetation that is found on high trees.  However at the Zoo food is hung from branches using a pulley system so it's at a more natural height. Boomer balls are filled with veggies, fruit or water and are hung high. Sometimes they freeze the water on hot days. Lucerne is a type of hay that giraffes eat. It is broken up into pieces and put inside a high rack.  

Human Boys A Curiosity For Visiting Animals! by Fiona Wilson

At Auckland Zoo, the natural habitat for human boys is on the open pathways that wind their way through the zoo. The enrichment programme allows for a certain amount of freedom but there are rules about how fast they are allowed to go and they must learn to match the strolling technique of their female leader which takes several years of training. Obedience and self control begins in their early years at the zoo and often causes many headaches for  the trainer. In the wild training begins much later as they find difficulty in staying still with such open spaces to run about in. They are easily scared of birds that tweet and butterflies that brush past them. It is only when they are in their senior years of life that they begin to conquer their fears.

The Life Style Of A Lion.By Kaylani

At the Auckland Zoo the lions have a habitat that is similar to the wild .It is surrounded with water and has a lot of grass and trees.The lion's habitat also has unusual objects to keep them amused. The zoo keeper feeds the lions 3-4 meals a day.Their habitat is surrounded by gates so the lions will not escape .In the wild lions live in South Africa and the Savannah. Lions live in prides and the alpha male lion relies on the female lions to hunt and bring food back to the pride while he his protecting his territory away from intruders.They are carnivores so they hunt and eat springboks,buffalo and other mammals. The pride contain 3-30 individuals. The pride will be made up of females that are related to each other and males that are related to each other but not to the females .Female lions stay in the pride that they have been born into and the males are expelled when they have reached maturity.

A Lion's Life by Awhina

At the Auckland Zoo the lions have a habitat that is quite open. In the wild the lions habitat is similar to the Auckland Zoo but there are some differences. It has a lot of grass, wood, dirt and trees. It is surrounded by water and has toys to keep the lions busy.There is a fence that surrounds the whole habitat. In the wild the lions live in groups called prides.They stay in the pride until they reach maturity. In the wild the lions are free and they can do what they want.

Red Pandas, Meerkat and Spider Monkeys

Well done Andrew for taking such wonderful pictures from our trip to Auckland Zoo yesterday. We will be sharing lots of learning from our trip on the blog over the next few weeks. The best thing about our trip was observing the animals.

Welcome to our class blog

Room 12 has just begun to explore how we can use Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education to create and share our learning. We will be sharing our learning on this class blog.