Girls from the 2nd Whitton Rainbows got in touch with their wild side on an unforgettable trip to London Zoo.

The girls, aged five to seven, saw animals and insects from around the world during the visit, which was as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Rainbows section.

The Rainbows accompanied by their Leaders helped the girls complete an I-Spy quiz sheet. They were also met by the Rainbows mascot Olivia, who surprised them at the Zoo’s entrance before spending the day meeting the girls and chatting with them about their favourite animals.

"The girls all had a great time and especially enjoyed meeting the real Olivia." said leader Gill Gooding.

"They were able to see almost all the animals in the zoo and we went to the Penguin show where two of them were able to dress up as penguins. The small animal farm was a big hit to as they could get up close to the anilmals and stroke sheep, donkeys and chickens. The giraffes were also very popular and the girls enjoyed doing the treasure hunt quiz round the zoo. My favourite quote was "I didn't know there were so many Rainbows or animals" (Easy to get the two confused!)"

More than 950 Rainbows from across London and South East England took part in the visit, accompanied by around 400 leaders.

Rainbows – the section for the youngest members of guiding – was established in 1987 and girls around the UK are getting involved in a range of exciting events and activities to mark the occasion.

More information on Girlguiding UK can be found at www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Based on information supplied by Steve Wicks.