Teen zoologists with Animal Cwtch

Teen Zoologists – 3 Week Block

Teen Zoologists is a hands-on, in-depth animal education club for 12–16 year olds who want to go further than a typical wildlife session. Built around real animal encounters, real science, and honest discussion, this trial block treats young people as the capable, curious scientists they are.

Each week dives into a different area of extreme biology — the kind of content that surprises even adults. Sessions combine detailed teaching with structured discussion and hands-on time with live animals, covering topics including venom and antivenom science, survival biology at the edges of what life can endure, and the genuinely strange world of animal reproduction — taught with the correct terminology and without shying away from real science.

This is zoology and animal ethics for young people ready to be challenged. Sessions are adapted to different confidence levels and learning styles, with experienced staff supporting throughout — but the content itself doesn't hold back.

Week 1 – Venom, Poison & Chemical Warfare
What's the real difference between venom and poison? We'll explore how toxins work at a cellular level, the evolutionary arms races between predators and prey, and the global health crisis around snakebite. Hands-on time with snakes from our collection.

Week 2 – Survival at the Limits
Meet the animals that survive being frozen solid, crushed under extreme pressure, or even launched into space. We'll look at the biology of extreme survival, how stress affects animal bodies, and what "alive" really means at the edges of biology. Hands-on time with invertebrates and reptiles.

Week 3 – Reproduction Gone Weird
The natural world's reproductive strategies are stranger than fiction — animals that reproduce without a mate, change sex during their lifetime, or use entirely different strategies to survive as a species. Taught with proper scientific terminology in an age-appropriate, factual way. Hands-on time with snakes and lizards.