Lessons
with animals
Our Zoo School in Suhl
We are the Suhl Zoo School, so it's great that you are visiting our site. On our site you will find all the information and pictures about our zoo school.
Our institution is a non-profit, registered association and belongs to the Paul-Greifzu-Schule Suhl.
Our project "lives" on donations and sponsorships, so we are of course happy about everyone who would like to support us or is already doing so.
Our motivation and our daily voluntary work are based on teaching the children valuable standards for their later life. We teach punctuality, determination, sensitivity, insight into necessities, self-conquest, readiness for action, fulfilment of duty, perseverance, helpfulness, love for animals, respect for people and much more.
Let's be honest: Too many children nowadays sit in front of the PC for far too long or are sedated with TV programmes.
WE provide activities outside, in nature or with our animals. We are also aware that some children cannot afford meaningful leisure activities or a pet of their own: All these kids are welcome here.
Lessons for children
You can visit our animals not only in the zoo school, we also go out, mostly to social institutions.
So we visit kindergartens, old people's and nursing homes or even other schools if it is not possible for them to come to us.
Over many years, this has resulted in thousands of wonderful encounters, for example in retirement and nursing homes.
The gratitude of the sick and elderly people gives us very emotional moments every time.
Support our work
Support our voluntary work and thus meaningful work with children and young people in Suhl.
We enable children and young people to work and learn with animals. Pupils from all over Suhl can visit our zoo school or we visit other schools and social institutions with our animals.
A donation also ensures optimal food and veterinary care for our animals and you support the rescue of animals, such as songbirds.
Donation account:
Förderverein der Paul Greifzu Schule Suhl e.V.
Röhn Rennsteig Sparkasse
DE25 8405 0000 1705 0120 31
BIC HELADEF1RRS
or cklick here
Thanks to our supporters
We are looking for you!
Are you bored? You are grown up? No proper hobby? No cool people around you?
THEN WE MIGHT HAVE THE RIGHT THING FOR YOU!
We are looking for adults who want to look after animals and kids alike.
Whether you are a retired teacher, just like animals or have a social heart, we have everything from mucking out to helping with homework.
Join our team and become one of us!
Social commitment of the Suhl Zoo School
Visits and lessons at the zoo school
Visits to homes for the elderly
Children and young people can visit us every day between 5 pm and 7 pm as part of their leisure activities.
Dealing with the animals, feeding them, stroking them and learning to care for them is something completely different from sitting in front of the TV or playing games on the PC.
Of course, small children accompanied by their parents can also visit us and we are happy to give interested children and young people tips if they want to keep their own animals at home.
Whole classes can visit us as part of their learning. During the lessons, conducted by Mr Zellin, each child has their own animal on their lap and the anatomy and requirements of animals are explained using a living example.
In this way, our children also learn a lot about responsibility and respect for other living beings and essential aspects of animals and the environment are explained.
Of course, there is also a lot of petting and playing with the animals.
We visit facilities for senior citizens with our animals on a regular basis.
It is always a pleasure to put a smile on the faces of our older generation. Very often, old memories are awakened in our grannies and grandpas and many stories are told about the past and our own animal husbandry. In any case, it is a welcome change in the everyday life of our seniors, which, by the way, would not be possible without the many helping hands of the supporters of the Zoo School and the on-site nursing staff!
For this, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!
Visits to medical facilities
We are also very happy to visit people with physical or mental impairments or people who are ill.
It is often a very emotional moment for us when we can give pure joy to people whose lives are not easy anyway.
Here, too, we would like to thank all the nursing staff who lovingly take care of their patients every day and actively support and accompany our visits.
Visits and gallery
You would like us to visit you or you would like to visit us? Then please click on the button below and contact us. In our gallery you will find many pictures of our zoo school and encounters from the past.
Zooschule News Blog
The history of the Zoo School
In 1976, the working group "Ornamental Birds and Exotics" was founded at the 12th POS. In the beginning we kept some budgies, zebra finches, Japanese seagulls in box cages in the biology preparation room.
In the autumn of 1976, with the help of the school's technical staff, parents built the shelters and aviaries in the atrium from scraps and other building materials. At that time, the residential area in which the school is located was just being built up, so building materials were easy to obtain.
The working group was registered with the education department at the then Suhl city council. We also aroused interest in the city's educational institution and received financial support for it.
The number of pupils was great. Up to the present day, about 260 pupils have been actively involved in keeping and caring for the animals in the school in their free time.
In the past, about 25 - 30 students who officially registered as members worked annually. Among them, half were very active, i.e. they came to the events every day or several times a week. In addition, there are hard-working helpers every day.In addition to a meaningful leisure activity, valuable character traits can be instilled in the animals through their interaction, care and feeding.
Equally important, the children and young people have an outdoor experience with us. No PC, no mobile phone, no TV, but real life.
Visit & Inquiry
Would you like to request a visit? Want to join? Then please fill out our contact form.
We will get back to you as soon as possible and arrange a suitable appointment.