Winter has finally arrived!

While for some, that is not news they want to hear, for many of the animals at the Zoo this is the best time of the year.

For Amur tigers, polar bears, Mexican wolves and others this is a time when they are most comfortable. It is also a time when the Zoo is a completely different experience than in the summer; the crowds are not here, the animals are more active and we do have many places in which you can warm up.

So come on out and see us.

- Larry Sorel, County Zoo Director

Happy Holidays to you!

Photo by Tina Fess

Thank you Zoo Keeper Tina Fess for capturing these wonderful new photos of our always entertaining olive baboons. As you may know, the animal handlers bring in various items of clothing and toys to use as “enrichment.”  This activity ensures the animals continuously have a variety of new experiences within their environment. Sometimes it’s scents like All Spice, or even Old Spice for the tigers. Or it can be a pair of old sneakers that captivates them. This time the keepers thought Santa hats might be a fun item and as you can see the baboons thought so, too. How do they know to put it on their head?

Photo by Tina Fess

Since we are still in the construction mode you can’t view the baboons onsite until May, but you can view them on the 13WHAM Zoo Cam! This is a fun activity for families to do together because for a minute or so, you can manipulate the video cam yourself. Zoom in to get a closer look, or scan the whole exhibit and even catch a glimpse of the elephants next door!

Have a great holiday, everyone.

- Rachel Baker August, Executive Director for the Seneca Park Zoo Society

It’s a great day for the Zoo!

The results of the New York State Consolidated Funding Application projects were announced this week and we are the recipient of a $399,000 grant!

The request we submitted to the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation based on the need for new housing for our Education Department and Education Animal Collection here at the Zoo. Just ask the staff or docents, the Education trailer (which they lovingly call the “Penthouse Suite”) is on its last legs. Unfortunately, mold had started to creep under the floor boards, the windows were drafty, etc. We did know that it was important to have our staff work space separated from the education animal housing, so that is what this grant will allow us to do!

Front-and-back views of the current Education trailer. Photos by Kelli O’Brien

For more information on all the grants approved by the CFA, click here. Our information is on Page No. 27.

Compiling all in the information in such a short time was a real team effort. Our grant writer, Michelle Picardo, was the lead, but support was provided by other folks in the Development & Finance Department, and naturally the Education Department had to provide key documentation on just how bad it was. The County team of Larry Sorel and David Hamilton certainly helped with clarity on the housing needs for the animals in the Education Collection. Also, a supportive word from Danny Wegman to the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, via Bill Strassburg, one of our long-time Board members was crucial!

Since government funds take time, we realize this isn’t a quick turnaround but we are very pleased to see much-improved space for all our animals (including humans) in the near future!

- Rachel Baker August, Executive Director for the Seneca Park Zoo Society

Leaves, leaves, leaves

The weather has been wonderful to us this fall, I hope you have taken the opportunity to visit the Zoo at least once.  If you have, you may have seen some of the on-going work that needs to be done to keep the Zoo in tip-top shape throughout the year.

Norman of our maintanence crew uses the leaf blower.

Linda and Melvin work together to remove the leaves.

We a blessed with a large number of mature trees on Zoo grounds, which in the summer provide great shade for our visitors. However, as we all know those leaves come down in the fall. One of the tasks that consumes a large amount of time in the fall is removing all those leaves from the Zoo. In the photo to the right, Norman of our maintenance crew is blowing leaves off to the side of the sidewalks in preparation for Linda and Melvin to vacuum them into a truck for removal (to the left). The great weather has also helped us in this task as there have been years when we have been doing this in snow and freezing rain!

- Larry Sorel, County Zoo Director

Winterizing our bee hive

Photos by Larry Sorel

As we continue to prepare for the coming winter season, “winterizing” our bee hive is part of the process.

Surprisingly, the hive was still fairly active, but we were able to make sure it was prepared to make it through the winter. John and Kelly, in their bee suits, we able to check on the honey in the hive and consolidate the size of the hive down to better maintain temperature. All this was done with only one or two bee stings!

Nice work John and Kelly.

- Larry Sorel, County Zoo Director

It’s all about the details now

We have moved on to the finishing details that are giving this exhibit a well thought-out, quality look, which is very exciting!

The kraal fence of wooden sticks is being placed around the goat yard to add authenticity to our Maasai Village and the plants are making the entire space lush with a variety of leaves, branches and twigs. The locust trees arrived taller than expected, which will create immediate shade in certain areas of the exhibit. The metal shade structure for Genny C. and Lilac is almost complete and will soon be covered with thatch. Doesn’t it completely change the outline of the Elephant Barn? The tunnel in the Dig Zone that will allow a peek into the Baboon Exhibit will be a fun spot for kids to hang out and watch the troop’s antics.

These past few warm days allowed us to start painting the bus, too. Rather than a camouflage design, we have decided to have a more typical look of a tour vehicle in the Crater with tans and browns. It’s all coming together nicely – check out some photos below!

- Rachel Baker August, Executive Director for the Seneca Park Zoo Society

Photos by Kelli O’Brien

Dedication is what makes us great

It takes far more than just zoo keepers to maintain the Zoo.  As an example, here is Melissa, one of our facility staff, spending time in the morning making sure windows are clean. The facility staff also insures all the rest rooms are clean, the side walks are clean (and snow free soon!) and the trash is removed.

We certainly have a great animal care staff, but we also have a dedicated facility staff making sure your visits to the Zoo are carefree so you can truly enjoy the animals. Over the next several weeks I will highlight some of the other people who work diligently behind the scenes making the Zoo what it is!

Larry Sorel, County Zoo Director

Glass installation in A Step Into Africa

I checked out the construction site this week, and the multiple glass viewing areas down in A Step Into Africa are making the most impact right now.

Photo by Kelli O'Brien

The small glass window from the dig zone tunnel into the baboon exhibit has been installed and this will be a fun way for kids to get another sneak peak at the baboon families. The huge glass viewing area next to the safari bus (in the photo to the right) will be a great spot to see the lions drink from their shallow watering hole.

Photo by Kelli O'Brien

The second floor of the bus gives every visit a view of the whole exhibit to see the lions where ever they are sleeping. I can’t wait until the lions put their paws up on the glass! You’ll love it.

- Rachel Baker August, Executive Director for the Seneca Park Zoo Society

Tiger enrichment

Photo by Larry Sorel

This morning, I had the opportunity to participate in the Fall Docent training class. Part of the class involves learning about the many enrichment opportunities we offer our animals. “Enrichment” is the action we take to give our animals a fuller life beyond just basic care.

Part of that learning process is a behind-the-scenes visit to various areas of the Zoo to observe how we deliver the enrichment items. Attached is a picture of one of our Amur tigers receiving an ox tail as a novel item!

- Larry Sorel, County Zoo Director

The Safari Bus is in place

Photo by Kelli O'Brien

In February, the Zoo, with the help of Pike Company found a bus near Niagara Falls; a real 1967 English Double Decker vehicle to serve the purpose of our “one-of-a-kind Safari Bus.” I believe no other zoo in the U.S., or possibly around the world, has a bus that is used as barrier between lions and the public. It has been residing at Hawk, Frame & Axel in Fairport and was craned into position last week (see photo to the right). We will paint it beiges and browns, the typical colors that would be found on a safari vehicle touring in Ngorongoro Crater.

Photo courtesy of George Eastman House

Inside, our Education team will develop graphics and interpretive elements demonstrating how the definition of a “safari” has changed over the past 100 years. Once hunters would be applauded if they came back with a huge ivory tusk or head of an elephant, now we bring back our memories and thousands of digital photos that capture the experience (see photo to the left).

- Rachel Baker August, Executive Director of the Seneca Park Zoo Society