Visting Orana Wildlife Park!

Visting Orana Park

Last Monday, Hornby High School was very kindly given the opportunity by the Warehouse's Zoofari programme, to visit and experience the Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch!
After a short bus ride to the park in our classes, we gathered in the gravel carpark to be organised into groups - from 1E to 4W.

 I was lucky enough to injure myself the day before, so I was hobbling around in crutches for half the day!

Orana Park was full of surprises. From seeing the long tongues of giraffes, to the strange lifestyles of the gorillas, everyone in my group sure enjoyed the day! 
Some animals we saw included the lions and tigers, gorillas, giraffes, meerkats, water buffaloes, cheetahs, and many native New Zealand birds such as the Kea and the Kiwi. 

However, seeing the cool animals wasn't the only thing we got to experience! Along the way, our tour guide Paula also taught us some awesome facts about the animals. For example, I learned that a giraffe's tongue is roughly the same length as your forearm! Also, the Kiwi, a New Zealand native, flightless bird, is nocturnal, which means it sleeps during the day and is active during the night. 

My favourite part of Orana Park had to be the gorillas. They have such a fascinating lifestyle! Viewing the Gorilla area was truly magical. There were three creatures in there, living in cozy treehouses and nature area just a walk away from the park. Of course, their enclosure was adorned with many things to make it feel like a proper jungle. For example, the floor was sawdust, grass and soil, and there was also a treehouses joined together by ropes, to imitate vines and trees. In the enclosure, there was also an entrance to a proper "jungle area". This area was difficult to see, but it included many ropes and tree structures, and lots of grass and wildlife to give the gorillas a sense of fun, adventure, and home. 

I would like to thank the Warehouse for sponsoring Hornby High's trip to Orana Park, and Orana Park for hosting such a fun day out! I look forward to returning to the park!

These are some photos from the trip.