Pupils in for wild nights at zoo

By THERESA GARNER

The gates of Auckland Zoo clanging shut at night are set to signal the start of a nocturnal adventure for groups of schoolchildren.

From next month, the zoo will run camps featuring a night-time "safari" and sleepover in the old Elephant House, once home of Kashin.

Called Kiwi ZooSnooZ, the overnight experience will be available in school term time on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

While the camp is geared towards children aged from 8 to 13, schools with younger and older children - and even companies looking for a new way to amuse their staff - have expressed interest.

ZooSnooZ leader Justine Hargreaves said schools from Northland to the Waikato were lining up to make bookings.

The zoo, which has 150 different species and about 1000 animals, is promising an unforgettable experience which could also inspire young people to care about animals and the environment.

Children will arrive at the zoo at 4.30pm. The experience includes a talk by a keeper, an activity programme, an escorted "safari" tour of the zoo to see which animals are stirring, supper, camping and an optional barbecue.

"A number of the species here are fairly nocturnal," said Ms Hargreaves. "We've got bats and the alligator and wallabies. And then there's the ungulates who don't sleep a lot anyway, like rhinos and hippos which eat almost 24-7."

Ms Hargreaves said the experience would be different than for day visitors.

"When you look at bats when you're at the zoo, you do see a little bit of movement, but at night it's quite different, they're very active and curious, and they'll come and have a look at you. The alligator looks a bit like a log during the day. People ask if he's stuffed."

Waking up, children will start their day with lions and other zoo creatures before having breakfast and heading off to school at 8am.

The experience is open to groups of 28 to 40, and costs $42 a person, with $5 extra for a barbecue dinner.

While one adult gets in free with every 10 children, the cost is almost double that charged by Wellington Zoo, which has been offering sleepovers since the early 1990s for $23. The same experience at San Diego's Wild Animal Park costs the equivalent of $182.