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Students at Suffolk Rural College are working to turn their wildlife conservation dreams into reality, launching an innovative adoption scheme to fund a life-changing trip to South Africa. The initiative comes as the college pursues its ambition to become a licensed zoo.
Why it matters: The college's development into a licensed zoo facility would create a unique educational environment in Suffolk, combining practical animal care with conservation training.
The big picture: Suffolk Rural, located eight miles north of Ipswich, applied for a zoo licence in 2023 and is currently upgrading their animal studies centre. The adoption scheme marks another step in expanding their animal care facilities and educational offerings.
How it works:
Members of the public can adopt animals including meerkats and a giant tortoise
Three tiers of packages available, ranging from £10 to £50
Adopters receive a certificate and fact file about their chosen animal
Funds support both the animal centre and a student trip to South Africa
Behind the scenes: Students are taking an active role in developing the adoption scheme while also planning their educational visit to South Africa's Limpopo region in April 2025.
What they're saying: "I think young people can learn more about conservation being out in the wild and through conservation you can make the world a better place," says student Chloe Coates, 17, from Ipswich.
An animal studies lecturer Jack Springall is helping to co-ordinate the trip to South Africa. He said: “This is something I did when I was younger and I benefited from it so much, so I understand the value of it. Reminiscing on his own experiences, he said the trip will give studens "a life changing experience" that will "help them get a greater understanding of wildlife and conservation.”
The details: The South Africa trip is being organised through Flooglebinder, a student tour operator specialising in sustainability and conservation experiences.
Students are working to raise £3,000 each through various activities including:
The adoption scheme
Raffles
Bake sales
Christmas fair
Grant applications
The bottom line: While the adoption scheme will help fund both the animal centre's development and the South Africa trip, it represents an important step in Suffolk Rural's journey toward becoming a licensed zoo facility.
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