Judy Poffenbarger feeds a carrot to the giraffe
Group photo in front of the elephant exhibit with baby Nandi in the background
Cindy Mayron
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Members and guests from the Democratic Club of Quail Creek recently enjoyed a private, behind the scenes guided tour at Reid Park Zoo. Our first stop was at the giraffe exhibit where we enjoyed feeding them a special treat of carrot sticks. Our guide, Andrea, explained that the giraffes are only allowed 25 pounds of these treats a day. “This was my first visit to the zoo. Feeding the giraffes was up close and personal,” said guest Marlene Walker.
Next, we were enchanted with the elephants: baby Nandi; her brothers Punga, 7, Sundzu, 3; mom Semba; dad Mabu and auntie Lungile. “Andrea was very well informed. I really enjoyed seeing little Nandi,” said Judy Poffenbarger.
We entered the locked staff only gates for our first stop with Yabonga, the white rhinoceros. At 41 years old, she is one of the zoo’s older geriatric animals. “She has been trained to come to the fence so guests can scratch her thick, tough hide that itches from the dried mud,” said Andrea.
Next stop was the zoo kitchen where the animals’ special diets and treats were prepared. In the back room was the pantry where the lion chow, flamingo chow and other dry foods are stored in large barrels and sacks. “The flamingo chow has a special protein that is found in their natural habitat that keeps them pink,” said Andrea. “The zoo spends $250,000 a year for the animals’ special diets. The food in the zoo pantry is kept only for one month-—we are very conscientious about not letting anything go to waste,” she added. Many of the animals enjoy popsicles for enrichment, to prevent boredom and to utilize muscles needed in the wild. For the big cats: the Rat-sicle, a whole coconut with two clean, food quality rats (specially raised for the zoo) sticking out of each end. The lions also get popsicles made from frozen blood; the elephants play with popsicles made of Crystal Light® and fruit.
Presena, the sun bear and the smallest of the bear species, spends most of her time in her cage behind the outdoor exhibit. At 33 years old, with severe cataracts, she needs eye drops three times a day and cooperates by getting a reward of honey.
The tour ended with a catered western BBQ buffet especially for us. Alex Shimm, Marketing Sales Coordinator, shared facts about the zoo and what’s coming in the future. “The zoo was founded in 1965 and has a 24 acres campus. With over 600,000 visitors last year, Reid Park is 20th in the nation of visitors per acre. Coming in the future is a new Gibbons exhibit, a carousel for the kids, an African lodge and an animal health center with a full time zoo veterinarian.”
Special guided tours are for groups with a minimum of 15 people and the price includes discounted admission, a private guided tour and lunch. Contact Alex at 520-837-8199 for other group options.