If I Knew Then What I Know Now

A few weeks ago, whilst I was doing my usual volunteering day at the Foodbank, my ‘boss’ called me over and said they had something for me. I was intrigued. Well, The Lion Club, Howdens Insurance and Tesco’s had teamed up with the Foodbank, offering families who use the foodbank, a day out, to Marwell Zoo in Winchester.

I was so very touched by this very generous gift. I use and volunteer at the Foodbank because I can and I want to. Because I love going there and working with the team. Because it is important to me to be able to help others. So this gift was not only a lovely surprise but made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and super appreciated too.

If you have a family, you will know how very expensive just the entry fees can be for a group of 4, which often times puts access to these kind of places, out of reach for many. For not only do you have to pay entry fees (provided by The Lion Club today), you also need fuel to get there and back (which Howdens Insurance generously covered for us), food to take for a picnic – thank you so much Tesco (because again for those who have been to places like this, they will know that eating there can be an astronomical cost). Considering I have not been able to work for a while due to the challenges we have been facing at home with ASD/PDA, this was a day out that would have been out of our reach. But not today!!! Today, I get to take the kids for an adventure!

Sunday morning was an early start. It was a one hours’ drive and once there, Child 1 refused to get out of the car. It took a lot of patience, calm and coaxing. Child 2 and 3 were brilliant in encouraging participation. They had checked out Marwell Zoo’s website and were speaking with great enthusiasm about all the different animals they would see. Child 1 finally, agreed to join us. The worry I faced about if Child 1 wouldn’t come, what do I do, I can’t disappoint the others, how do I make the day work, how do I keep Child 1 from having a meltdown……it was stressful but with persistence and encouragement in a 3 pronged attack by us, we succeeded and all 4 of us made our way to the entrance.

There, we were met by the Lion Club team who gave us our wristbands and a map of the Zoo. We were informed that there were Lion Club members around the park should we need help. They were all so friendly and made us feel very welcome. With my rucksack loaded with food, water, jackets and jumpers we strolled in. From the moment we stepped through the gates, the excitement was palpable and as a family we were more than ready to embark on an adventure that promised to be both educational and fun. I felt like a kid too, to be honest. Its been years since I have been to a place like this and being able to enjoy it with my children was definitely a reason to have a huge smile on my face.

I think we were one of the first visitors in the park and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Marwell did not disappoint. It was unbelievable really. Perfectly timed, we saw every single animal up close and personal (With so many different viewing platforms around, it allowed for close encounters, making it an even better experience for the kids). I think the animals were hungry and waiting for breakfast, hence why they were out and roaming, though we decided that they came out for us : )

The map was really easy and helpful for us to navigate the enormous 140 acres of park land. With everything clearly marked and routes easy and open to navigate, we were off. We walked through the gates, the sun was shining (though it was a bit chilly due to the wind) and headed off to the penguin enclosure. The penguins were all lined up, jumping in and out of the water waiting for breakfast. The kids loved watching them swim up and down and the penguins looked like they were having fun. You can watch them from above or go down below and watch them from an under water perspective. The way they flew through the water was mesmerising and seeing it from below, was almost, like watching a ballet.

We then moved on to the next area where we say zebras , rhinos and deer. They had a huge sprawl of land to roam in, which was wonderful to see and the animals didn’t seem bothered by us being there at all.

We got so close to the animals, it felt like we could touch them. The kids were fascinated not just by the size of them but being able to see them in the flesh, meant they could get a sense of what and how these animals move, look and smell (and I have to say, some of them had rather a pungent aroma, especially after they had their morning poo – much to the delight of the kids).

Next we came to the giraffes and what amazingly weird and wonderful creatures they are. One of them came right over to us which of course brought no end of happy chatter from my lot. It was like we were eyeing each other up : ) My youngest was really excited about seeing a giraffe in the flesh for the first time and the experience did not disappoint. Such graceful, gentle looking creatures yet so awkward and fragile, they were a beauty to behold.

We then made our way to the Amur Tiger enclosure, hoping we would catch a glimpse of these awesome creatures. Both the lions were out pacing up and down waiting for breakfast, right beside us! I’ve seen Tigers before but was still in awe of its size, sense of power and sheer beauty. The kids were beside themselves with excitement when they saw it and couldn’t believe it was right there.

By this point we were feeling a bit chilly so decided to make our way to the Tropical House. Oh my!!!! How I loved the Tropical House. It felt like being back in my motherland. The heat, the humidity, the sounds, the colours of the birds…..this was my happy place (as you can probably guess I’m not a fan of the cold). Not only did we see some stunningly colourful and beautiful birds, we saw tiny frogs who made an incredibly loud noise for being so small, some lizards, fish attacking a lettuce head for breakfast, vegetation and more. There was a gentleman who talked us through lots of the different species and why they were there. He was amazing with the kids and their questions. We didn’t want to leave this warm space but Child 1 was feeling decidedly at melting point from the heat, so off we went for our next discovery.

At this point we were starting to get a bit hungry so decided to find one of the many picnic spots to have some lunch. We passed a few play areas which Child 2 and 3 wanted to have a go on. With areas for smaller kids as well as bigger kids, we found one that had a huge climbing frame and an absolutely brilliant (and somewhat scary, apparently) slide that they kept going back to, from which I could hear squeals of delight, as they came down it. It was a very large, metal tube type slide which had a bend in it. The kids wanted me to have a go but I politely declined : ) in hindsight though, maybe I should have given it a try. Child 1 was not impressed with the play areas at all and stayed sat with me whilst the others burnt off some energy. Child 1 found the play areas too big, too busy and too noisy but with the expanse of space for the seating areas, we were able to find a bench on the edge, away from the hustle and bustle, to give Child 1 the space needed to maintain a sense of control.

We then found a bench in a picnic area, next to one of the many free water refilling stations and got our lunch spread out. Tesco’s provided all the food we needed for the picnic. I couldn’t believe how much there was! We had rolls, ham, cheese, butter, sausage rolls, a selection of fruits, crisps, biscuits, cake, snacks and bottles of water. They also provided a little pack with sun cream, plasters and a lip balm for the day! Boy, what a feast we had. Child 2 and 3 are like bottomless pits. To be honest, I don’t know where they put all the food they eat but the feast we had been given, filled them up to the top!! That doesn’t happen very often I can assure you. With happy kids and full bellies we went off exploring once again.

We moved to the reptile house and saw some weird and wonderful lizards (not my cup of tea but interesting none the less). Then we went on the see the Monkey house. Some had babies which was cuteness overload but unfortunately I couldn’t get a good enough photo to show you. (You’ll have to go to see them for yourself if you can). The kids walked through the enclosure with exuberance, constantly looking through the windows trying to see what else they could find hidden in the foliage and find they did! Some of the monkeys looked like old men : ) and some were just so ridiculously cute it brought ‘awes’ out in all of us. Seeing the excitement on their faces each time they spotted another animal was so wonderful and hearing them reading the information sheets to each other about the animals, their natural habitats, what they eat and what conservation efforts are involved was brilliant because not only were they having fun but they were learning too.

Marwell Zoo is more than just a fun day out. It’s a hub for conservation and education. They are actively involved in numerous breeding program for endangered species and contribute to wildlife conservation projects around the globe. Reading about the work they do and their efforts in working towards basically, helping animals to survive, was so interesting and Child 1 said that being there and seeing what happens made them want to get a job at a Zoo : 0)

Another animal we knew could be difficult to spot was the snow leopard and I was preparing the kids that we may not see it but how wrong was I. We got to the enclosure and there it was, resting on a shelf surveying its space and us. It just felt too good to be true! I was surprised at how thick and fluffy its tail was. I thought it would look slimmer, skinnier. The kids wanted to take it home. It was another stunning sight to behold and we felt very honoured and lucky that it was sat there, waiting for us.

Throughout our day we saw an array of deer, pink flamingos, the red panda, rhinos, wild horses, wallabies, clouded leopard, otters, meerkats, birds, reptiles, hissing cockroaches, fish, lemurs, Kirk’s dik-dik (which the kids thought was a hilarious name), tapir, okapi (their blue tongues are interesting), pygmy hippos, snakes and so much more. We arrived at 9am and left at 4pm. Walking over 10 km, interspersed with food stops and play breaks we had the most amazing day. Child 1 struggled on and off as they day wore on and the park got busier. Fortunately the zoo is large enough to enable us to move on to quieter areas and re-visit places when they were less crowded but I for one am impressed at the fact that Child 1 lasted the whole day. I know that would have been hard on so many levels but we did it!! Child 1, though having moments of near meltdowns and wanting to leave, eventually agreed that they did enjoy the day and for that I am not only proud but also happy to say, that Marwell is a hit for kids who struggle. Child 2 was buzzing the whole time and Child 3 said, in no uncertain terms, that this was one of the best days ever. Small tip here – if you can avoid going to the gift shop on your way out, you will save yourself quite a few pennies but knowing the money spent, goes towards helping Marwell to continue its amazing work, makes it feel a bit less painful ; )

As our day at Marwell Zoo came to an end, we reflected on the wonderful experiences and memories we had created. From the diverse array of animals to the engaging and educational exhibits, every aspect of the zoo was designed to inspire and delight. Marwell Zoo is not just a place to see animals; it is a place to connect with nature, learn about conservation and spend quality time with loved ones.

So a huge thank you to the foodbank, the Lion Club and Tesco’s for this most generous and wonderful gift. I know not everyone is as lucky to get such a day out like ours but if you get the chance, I highly recommend Marwell Zoo, be it with the kids or without. X