Blind people will for the first time be able to ”see” animals at the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, thanks to a new exhibition that opened on Wednesday.
The exhibition allows visually handicapped people to touch animal trophies while a guide explains the animals’ features and habitat. The visitors are also able to hear the sound that the animal makes.
”When friends tell me how big an animal is or what colour it is, it does not mean much for me, but now I have felt the giraffe’s eye lashes or the teeth of the baboon. It is just wonderful,” explained Andre Manders of the South African National Council for the blind.
The exhibition, which was the brainchild of the Friends of the Zoo, has over 200 examples of 68 different kinds of animal.
Hennie Pauley, chairperson of the Friends of the Zoo, said private collectors from all over South Africa donated the trophies. It includes mounted trophies of animals, but also full-sized animals.
”I hope the visitors could form their own picture of the size and the look of the animal,” said Pauley.
Visitors also received Braille pamphlets with further information on the animals.
Although the exhibition will run only for two weeks, zoo director Willie Labuschagne on Tuesday announced that a grant of R1-million has been received to build a permanent exhibition.
Over 600 000 people visit the zoo each year and Labuschagne said he hoped the new exhibition would make it a worthwhile visit for the blind. — Sapa