Students take a walk on the wild side

NOT too much shock but plenty of awe was in evidence as schoolchildren taking part in Science Week got to see, hear and touch a range of exotic creatures.

Among the events organised by Waterford Institute of Technology as part of their Science Week schedule was a display of snakes, spiders and other unusual animals and the school groups who paid a visit couldn’t get enough.

The programme was organised by Dave Griffin of Dave’s Jungle in Tullow, Co Carlow, who brought along some of his reptiles and arachnids for the children to experience at WIT.

“It gives the kids a chance to learn more about them like how they hunt, how they feed and how they see the world differently from us,” Mr Griffin said during a break in exhibitions.

Among the animals on show were a giant Burmese python – up to five metres in length – as well as tarantulas which ended up on the heads of many students, a snapping turtle, a scorpion, iguanas and a water dragon.

“It’s great, the kids love it. At the start there would be a few who would be a bit wary but they all come around in the end and want to touch them and hold them. They get to handle everything except the snapping turtle because, well, it’s a snapping turtle.” The experience allowed the young visitors to WIT the chance to find out more about the lives of other species, and compare them with humans.

“They find out things like how the snake’s scales are made of the same material as our fingernails, and how spiders spin their webs.”

The Calmast centre in WIT runs the south-east science festival each year to coincide with Science Week and other events taking place this week included Tremendous Trees and a demonstration by state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.