Going to the Zoo

 The last letter of ABC Wednesday and I'm taking a trip to the zoo. A popular place for school trips, this little group were waiting for the rest of the class before venturing through the gates. 

 Where these Chinese style lions make a grand entrance to the Antwerp Zoo, almost better than the real thing.

As we are concentrating on the letter Z this week I will show one of my favourite animals

zebras blending together in super stripes.

Founded in 1843by the Royal Society of Zoology the Antwerp Zoo's initial aim was to encourage zoological and botanical science.  Its initial area of 4 acres kept expanding throughout the 19th Century until it reached 26 acres. There are recent plans to add another 4 acres. The zoo has changed greatly since the 19th century with more emphasis on space and light for the animals  although some things remain the same such as the

 Giraffe House built in the style of an Egyptian Temple and donated to the zoo in 1856 by King Leopold II.  The giraffes were mostly outside but the food will arrive through this entrance

Apparently the designs all tell the story of the zoo and the animals arriving from the four corners of the earth

 The Egyptian hieroglyphs give more information. The row of five people have their names in hieroglyphs but I have no idea who they are.  I imagine this was a period of great excitement for all things Egyptian as Champollion had only made the complete decipherment of the symbols in the 1820s.  The aim of the building, built by Charles Servais was to "delight Antwerp and to educate its inhabitants.

An entry to ABC Wednesday. A journey through the alphabet and the end of the round 11.  Are you in for Round 12?