Lory Park allows youngsters to be a ranger for a day
PRESIDENT PARK – Children have the chance to experience wildlife up close.
Teaching compassion towards all animals starts at a young age.
Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary aims to do just that. What could be more fun for a child than to spend the day taking care of all sorts of creatures and critters?
Based in the heart of Midrand, President Park, the sanctuary offers a programme, Ranger Day. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a day only spent with fluffy bunnies and cute cubs, on the contrary, you will find that hard work and dedication is key.
First and foremost, Lory Park is about education as their mission statement states: ‘Creating a greater conservation awareness among our young’. The programme is offered to children (six to 16 years old) at R200 a day, and Ranger Day is an interactive day which gives children the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a zookeeper.
Education and environmental enrichment coordinator at the sanctuary Robynn Moller said, “Ranger Days are important for the youth of today because they offer practical, hands-on life experiences with animals. The youth in the cityscapes do not have the opportunity or exposure to animals, let alone wild ones.”
It is a rigorous day starting at 8am, and includes cleaning, preparing food for the animals which include cockatoos, rabbits, tortoises, lions, jaguars, meerkats, lemurs and more. There are also conservation talks and projects. Children who participate in this programme gain a wealth of knowledge as they spend the day with the keepers. They learn what it takes to manage animals, from feeding to cleaning to creating and providing enrichment for the animals.
Held during school holidays, each day ends with a stamp in the children’s Ranger passport.
Isabella Jansen van Vuuren (11), who recently spent a few days on the ranger programme said, “I enjoyed learning about animals that I never knew about like cockatoos. I want to be a wildlife vet when I get older, so getting to see what rangers do every day helped me see how hard I must work to reach my goal. Oh, and I loved the baby rats.”
Details: info@lorypark.co.za; 011 315 7307.
