We’re looking forward to introducing him to all our guests.”Ĭoco has already sired calves, both at his previous home in the UK and at Cabarceno Zoo Obregon, in Spain, where he was born on 14 June 2000. “The move went very smoothly and the arrival of an experienced male like Coco at the Park, will hopefully enable us to achieve our goals of becoming a successful breeding group in the future. Having recently moved Sutton to another zoo, to continue his path to adulthood, Coco will be a great companion for Five, our 31-year-old female, and we hope they form a strong bond. His arrival follows the departure of Five’s son, Sutton, who moved to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in May, to join a bachelor herd of elephants.Īndy Plumb, Head Keeper of Elephants said, “The team are very excited to welcome Coco to the Park. The 23-year-old male arrived at the Park on 9 August 2023 and has spent his first few days meeting his new keepers and settling into his new home.Ĭoco was identified as a suitable match for the Park’s female elephant, Five, and keepers hope that the pair will successfully breed in the future, supporting the EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme) for African elephant conservation. West Midland Safari Park is delighted to announce the recent arrival of a bull African elephant, named Coco. The project is part of the Park’s commitment to help the local community and provide opportunities for learners in Worcestershire and is part of the Education Team’s aim to provide engaging learning experiences and to inspire lifelong interest for the natural world.Ĭareers and enrichment teams for Worcestershire colleges or sixth forms, interested in sending learners for the programme next year, can contact the Education Team via email: for further information. Throughout, the learners logged the skills they had developed, which can then be taken to college with them in September to help them start writing their university application. Students took part in a range of activities, including husbandry experiences with small and large exotic species, conducting an ecology survey, running observations on animal behaviour and self-reflection sessions. They also commented that they felt staff were approachable, the activities were fun, and the time with us was useful in developing their personal statements.” Students reported back to us that they felt they had developed skills in at least one area, with some students reporting that they felt more confident in up to five out of the six areas we asked them about. “We have been delighted with the feedback from the students who have attended this summer. The programme was open to any students who were ‘first in family’, based in Worcestershire and intend to apply to start university in September 2024, with most students attending being between their first and second year of college. Students were able to attend for free if they wrote a 300-word summary of why they wished to attend the course. Participating colleges then coordinated contacting learners and put them in touch with us. To set up the programme, we contacted a range of colleges and sixth forms across Worcestershire to ask them if they were interested and what activities students would find valuable for their applications. UCAS look at learners’ grades and academic skills, but also asks them about their experiences outside of education, so ‘Conservation Pioneers’ was designed to help learners to demonstrate key skills and qualities that they could evidence to universities, such as communication, leadership and problem solving.Ĭhloe Walton-Stenson, Senior Education Officer, who helped set up the programme said, “ This is the first time we have run this programme and it has been a great success. The aim of the project is to assist ‘first in family’ learners, by providing a concentrated three-day experience, where students could attain some memorable and relevant experiences, to put towards their UCAS application. The Park’s Education Team set up the project, following research from The Nuffield Foundation, (a charitable trust with funds research into education, justice and welfare), which suggests that students whose parents are not graduates, are less likely to go to university. The three-day programme, named ‘Conservation Pioneers’, works with local colleges and sixth forms, to help students from across Worcestershire gain experience for university courses related to ecology, animal science and zoology. The Education Team at West Midland Safari Park has welcomed a group of students, as part of a programme to help them progress with university applications.
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