Joseph's Safari Adventure

During the summer Woburn Safari Park hosted a week long day camp for kids 8-12, effectively letting them be a zookeeper from 9-3 each day for a week.  We agreed that if he saved up his chore money to equal half the tuition, then we would throw in the other half.  As the time drew closer, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to reach that much money, but we went ahead and advanced him the money with the understanding that he still had to work off the rest of the money that he owed.  To say he was grateful and excited would be a gross understatement.

Joe took his camera along with all the other items that he needed for the week and had tons of photos.  It was amazing listening to his stories from the day.  Some of his highlights:

-He got to ride in the park Humvee and get close, really close to the animals.  (it's one of those parks that you can drive through but you have to stay on the path, he got to go offroad).
-His hand was bitten by a giraffe.  Apparently, the only person EVER to be bitten at Woburn.

-He held several different snakes.
-He cleaned up a lot of pooh.
-He had a lemur jump on his head.
-He got to feed marmosets with the food he made for them, and provided them an enrichment activity.
-He got to feed a wallaby, the albino actually, which is apparently difficult to do as he is very skidish.
-He held a giant snail.

I'm so, so happy that we were able to provide this for Joe.  He was so in his element, loving be close to the animals and learning more and more things about them.  It went a long way to supporting his ambition to become a veterinarian.  I am very proud of him.

 

The infamous giraffe that bit Joe.

August 20-24th, 2012