Roll Call Information 5/2/22-5/8/22

Brittany Update:

With construction wrapping up, I was finally able to reschedule the Ambassador Interpretive Trainings!  You should’ve received an e-mail with instructions on Monday 5/2.  If you did not receive information, please contact Brittany.

Tuesday, 5/17/22 – 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Thursday, 6/2/22 – 10:00am-12:00pm

Saturday, 6/4/22 – 10:00am-12:00pm

Construction Updates:

No New Information at this time.

 Animal Updates: On May 1st, I will be sending out a message to the Keeper Staff for our Monthly Updates.

• Africa

  Jose, the gazelle, passed away this week.  Our condolences to the Africa team!

  • • Please refer to the Avian Flu information for talking points if asked about why the Savannah birds are not in their habitat.

• Elephant

  No New Information at this time, please see information below for previous updates.

  Mai Thai’s tail is healing nicely

• Gorilla

  • •  We received an e-mail from Victoria in Primate with a Troop update on 4/26!  See her message below:

      “Hey everyone! 

      We are working through our next steps for gorilla management. We put Mlinzi & Mara together today and expect to have them on habitat tomorrow! We are going to give them time to settle together before doing additional adjustments.

      Thank you for your patience as we take these steps 😊”

Additional Miscellaneous Animal Information:

• Condolences to the Interpretive team for the passing of Harvey the rabbit.
• Red Crowned cranes were moved inside , the eggs not viable.
• Two oldest Kea chicks have been named! The male is “Ernest” after Ernest Rutherford, New Zealander who was considered the father of nuclear physics. He was the first person to split the atom and discover its nuclear makeup. The female is “Nancy” after Nancy Wake, New Zealander who joined the French resistance and later the Special Ops in WWII.
• Stellar’s Sea Eagle chick still appears to be doing well. More movement is being seen but it’s still fairly camouflaged in the nest.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update:

We have been asked to station an Ambassador at the Bald Eagle Habitat and the South African Penguin Habitat to help direct visitors and answer questions.  We have found that although we have signs in the exhibits that give a quick explanation of the situation, visitors are misinterpreting and making comments like:

“Well, all the eagles have the Flu and are inside!”

-or-

“Oh Gosh, did you know that birds can give humans the flu?”

The Conservation Impact Team, as well as the Animal team, have come up with a “Quick Script” as well as an FAQ page that I will hand out for the individuals in this role to look over.  We want to make sure that our guests are not fearing birds and understand what is happening.

Daily Special:

Tuesday-Gyro with French Fries $9.99

Wednesday – Tuscan Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Pesto Tortellini Salad $8.99

Thursday-Fish Tacos with Tortilla Chips $8.99

Friday-Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich and Fries $9.99

School Groups:

Tuesday

•  23 Buses

•  868 Students

•  149 Chaperones

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Wednesday

• 47 Buses

• 1,596 Students

•  270 Chaperones

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Thursday

•  41 Buses

•  1,571 Students

•  446 Chaperones

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Friday

• • 44 Buses

  • 1,894 Students

  •  503 Chaperones

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Saturday

• No Reported School Groups

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Sunday

• No Reported School Groups