Curator of KidZooU shares her thoughts on the KidZooU
Tell us about the animals that live in KidZooU.
Our collection for KidZooU has some favorites from the old Children’s Zoo as well as some interesting new additions.
Goats, sheep, chickens and ducks will be a big part of the outdoor experiences, and they will be joined by pigeons and a herd of mini horses. We even have a special exhibit for the squirrels that live on our grounds!
A large flock of budgies, a butterfly exhibit, a marine fish tank, rare Haitian and Panamanian golden frogs, a hatchery with baby chicks, a big ant colony, and other invertebrates like diving beetles and walking sticks are inside the Faris Family Education Center. There is also a super-sized domestic rat playground that gives the lively pet rat a new reputation!
Teaching collection animals like armadillos, hawks, and owls are housed behind the scenes in KidZooU. They come out for visits with visitors as part of our activities.
What are some of the interesting breeds that live in KidZooU?
We have many more breeds of goats and sheep than we ever had before. Some of my favorites are the Oberhasli goats. They are a small and refined breed that are bay (dark red) with black stockings and a black head, often described as "deer-like" in their movement.
Miss Molly is an Oberhasli that has been training to do our agility course. One of the reasons we picked her is because Oberhasli goats are known for being great pack goats where they help hikers carry bags as they hike together in the woods. We have her walk around KidZooU with her pack on so people can see the great partnership that goats and people have.
We also have Arapawa goats. They are the rarest breed of goat in the world and we are one of only a handful of sites in the US that have Arapawa goats. We also breed them to make sure we help prevent the breed from going extinct. The bucks are very distinctive, with large curving horns and beautiful long hair coats.
And be sure you don't miss our very unusual Jacob ram—a sheep that has four horns!
There are many other unusual breeds of chickens, ducks and pigeons, too. It's a firsthand demonstration of the beautiful diversity found in the domestic animal world.
Where are the animals from?
We have animals from near and far away. We have sheep from local farms in Pennsylvania, goats from New York and Rhode Island, ducks and chickens from the Midwest, budgies from Texas, and invertebrates from other zoos all over the country. We have a very cosmopolitan group of animals under one roof.
What can guests expect to see when visiting KidZooU?
I think it is safe to say that they can expect the unexpected. Where else can you see a goat show off his smarts or a domestic rat sort recycling? Where else give kids the chance to practice doing things to help animals like building a toad abode or discovering how our simple everyday behaviors can make the lives of animals near and far away better?
Who knows? Maybe we will inspire a generation of future conservationists after visiting and engaging with our exhibit!
Operations manager of the KidZooU shares her thoughts on the children's zoo
Tell us about the animals at KidZooU
A flock of heritage breed chickens was the first to arrive. They were soon followed by one of my favorites: the Gambian rats, Nelson, Winnie, and Wilson. Wilson was a surprise baby discovered when our staff went to pick up Nelson and Winnie.
Next we have our many different and impressive breeds of heritage sheep and goats. Our group of Toggenburg, Saanens, Oberhaslis and Nigerian dwarf goats are all doing well.
We also have Arapawa and Angora goats which use the raceway and climbing structure. We are also breeding the Arapawas, which are critically endangered. For display, we have our impressive Jacob sheep, who we also breed. The Jacob ram, Rambo, has been a pleasure to work with, having a charming disposition that doesn’t match his intimidating looks. Our miniature horses are doing well living in the old pony track barn. Red and Dusty are brown and white pinto, Spirit is a light cream pinto, and Flash is our little solid brownish/black with a flash of white on his face. Last but not least, we have more than twenty domestic rats of all different colors, who are housed in the Giant Rat Gymnasium. These rats are all being socialized so they have sweet dispositions, and a few are chosen for our training demos.
How are the animals coming along with their training?
Keeper staff and animals work hard for the trained behaviors that are demonstrated by the animals in KidZooU. Our animals quickly learn agility courses, picking and putting down objects, and many more behaviors that surprise and delight visitors. We demonstrate a few of our goats jumping over hurdles, spinning in circles and walking on balance beams. The animals are clearly enjoying the activities! Audiences have walked away saying “Wow, I did not know a goat could do that” or “I never knew a goat could be so happy.”
What can guests expect to see in regards to the training at KidZooU?
Visitors can look forward to not just hearing what animals can do, but actually seeing the animals show off their amazing skills with many different behaviors that will astonish visitors. KidZooU offers an exciting experience to build a connection with animals. Children leave the exhibit knowing that the choices they make can make the lives of animals better.
Anything else that you want to add that would be interesting?
I have always enjoyed working with domestic rats since they are very smart animals that make excellent pets. When I tell parents that rats are great companion animals and my number one choice as a small pet for their children, I receive responses like “eww, rats are dirty” or “rats bite and their tails are gross.” Now parents can come see our exhibit with forty domestic rats that are sweet and perform all sorts of task to show how cool they really are. I can almost guarantee that after experiencing this exhibit, you will walk away thinking differently about having a rat as a pet!