Pupils hold African animals as part of Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm visit

A primary school has been treated to a visit by African creatures this week.

Pupils had the chance to hold a ball python, cockroaches and a leopard tortoise at Birdwell School, in Long Ashton, on Monday.

Those in year two at the academy also met face-to-face with a giant African snail as part of the visit from Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall.

A school spokesman said: "It was a really fun and fabulous afternoon.

"The children have also recorded how the animals felt.

"They said the snail felt slimy and quite muddy, the tortoise hard and scaly and they were told they could not touch the snake's head because it would hiss."

The school has recently offered its pupils many animal encounters, including year five visiting eels at Blagdon Lake and Chestnut and Cedar group releasing its class' butterflies last month.

The academy's pupils will compete in its sports day competition later this month.