First Friday Update – April Edition

CZBG is Simply the Best!

Have you heard the Good News? City Beat’s Best of Cincinnati results have been released and the Zoo took home quite a few titles! Check out the winning categories below!

Click Here to See All the Winners.

Best Cincinnatian – Fiona the Hippo

She took home the #1 Cincinnatian for the 5^th year in a row (even beating out Joe Burrow!)!!

Best Friend to the Environment – Cincinnati Zoo

Best Local Podcast – Cincinnati Zoo Tales https://cincinnatizoo.podbean.com/

Check out the latest Episode with Avian Conservationist Corina Newsome talks with us about birds, environmental justice and wildlife conservation.

Best Artworks Mural – Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati Zoo

Best Holiday Light Display – PNC Festival of Lights

Best Instagram Account – Cincinnati Zoo https://instagram.com/cincinnatizoo

Best Kid-Friendly Attraction – Cincinnati Zoo

A Big Congratulations to all the Staff and Volunteers who make this place so very special!

BIG News!!

A historic birth for many reasons.

Thank you and congratulations to the government of Indonesia, Yayasan Badak Indonesia, Sumatran Rhino Rescue, and our partners and donors around the world for working together to save the Sumatran rhino for future generations.

The grandfather of this calf, Andalas, was born at the Cincinnati Zoo! We are thrilled that he is contributing to the survival of his species and echo congrats from International Rhino Foundation.

Can’t get enough of the Good News! Check out the Cincinnati Zoo Blog Post to learn more about the Cincinnati connections

Zoo Updates:

Upcoming Zoo Projects:

Click on the Link below for more information on upcoming projects at the Zoo. Please know all these projects are still in the early stages of design and have not been finalized, so these plans could still change. We will share more information about ongoing construction in the upcoming months as the projects continue

Cheetah Encounter:

Cheetahs are running again at the Zoo as of April 1st. Make sure to stop by and catch a show this season!

Butterfly Aviary:

Butterfly Aviary, located in the World of the Insect building, is open and home to 30 different species of Neotropical butterflies! From blue morphos as large as your hand to tiny Mexican bluewings and in an array of colors from iridescent blue, to turquoise, red, yellow, green, and white.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update:

Message from Jenny Gainer, Curator of Birds:

“I wanted to take a moment to send out some information about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Some may have heard in the news that a new outbreak of HPAI was confirmed on the east coast back in February. Since then, the virus has been detected in 24 states, and it grows weekly. The Animal Leadership and Health Teams have been monitoring this situation daily. We have also updated our HPAI protocol and wanted to share it with everyone. Whether you are an animal keeper, facilities, finance, visitor engagement, or anything in between- the response levels may affect you or your team in some capacity. With that said, if/when the threat level increases, appropriate measures will begin to unfold. This may include, but not limited to: birds being taken off habitat, bird-related experiences cancelled, and non-essential staff discouraged from working in bird areas. “

Just For Fun

Cheetah meets Red Panda

It is no secret that my 2 favorite animal here at the Zoo are Cheetahs and Red Pandas, so when I saw this video my heart jumped right out of my chest! Click on the link below to watch the sweet interaction!

Lightning

Lightning peeking out to say hi!

The Zoo partners with The Sloth Institute Costa Rica (TSI) to study as well as rescue, rehabilitate and release sloths in the Manuel Antonio area of Costa Rica. Established in 2014, TSI has successfully released both Hoffman’s Two-toed, and Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths that had been orphaned and hand-raised. Sloths face an ever-increasing threat from human encroachment.

Rhett

Have you met Rhett? Check out the adorable video below of Rhett doing his best to shake it off.

Juanita & Dilbert

Watch until the end. Juanita and Dilbert are still doing great with their New Years resolutions, until Juanita decided to nap in the exercise wheel.

World Water Day

March 22nd is World Water Day! The Zoo has saved 2 BILLION gallons of water! Learn more about how the Zoo is saving this precious resource by clicking on the link below.

World Frog Day

March 20th is World Frog Day! Enjoy this peak into the poison dart frogs lunch break. These brightly-colored frogs are found in a wide variety of colors and patterns, Their bright colors serve as a warning to predators that they’re toxic. The frog’s skin is covered with toxic alkaloid poisons that can paralyze or kill a predator. This poison is thought to come from its diet. As such, poison dart frogs in zoos lose their toxicity. Enjoy this TOADly cool holiday!

Jasper

Beautiful Photo of Jasper with some Beautiful Blooms!

National Aardvark Day

March 19th is National Aardvark Day! Sweeping its snout from side to side along the ground, the aardvark sniffs out an insect nest. They dig in with shovel-shaped claws & lick up ants and termites with its long, sticky tongue. One aardvark eats more than 50,000 insects a night!

Chipo & Chango

Afternoon nap with aardwolves Chipo & Changa! Believe it or not, the aardwolf is actually a relative of the hyena.

Manatee Appreciation Day

March 30th is Manatee Appreciation Day! The Cincinnati Zoo has cared for 23 manatees since joining the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership in 1999 and released 19 back into Florida waters.

Click Here to Read More about Manatee Madness

Plant & Animal Information:

What’s Blooming?

Test your Zoo Bloom Knowledage! Can you match the images above to the names below?

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) • Daffodils • Mahonia • Pulmonaria ‘Shrimps on the Barbie’ • Emerging tulips • Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda) • Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata) • Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas) • Snowdrops (Galanthus) • Hellebore (Helleborus)

Pam

Pam the ostrich! The ostrich has the largest eyes of any land animal. Their eye is 2 inches in diameter and is five times bigger than the human eye. The prize for the largest eye in the whole animal kingdom goes to the colossal squid.

Northern Spider Tortoise

One of the smallest tortoises in the world, the northern spider tortoise is also one of the most endangered. The future of this tiny tortoise is jeopardized by habitat destruction and overcollection for the pet trade. Come see this critically endangered species on your next visit to the Reptile House.

Madagascar Day Gecko

Madagascar day geckos lack eyelids – this means they cannot blink! Instead, they lick their own eyes when they need to clear them of dust and dirt, and in order to keep them clean and moist! Condensation on leaves provides drinking water.

Fennec Fox

The smallest fox, the fennec fox has the largest ears relative to body size of any canid, reaching lengths of up to six inches.

Ozark Witchhazel

You can spot this ozark witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis) near the Cat Canyon entrance! One of our finest native shrubs east of the Mississippi.

National Native Plant Month

Just in case you did not see it, below is the press release that came out of Senator Portman’s office last Tuesday. The resolution was presented before the full senate for a vote on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, and was approved!

Click Here to Read the News Release

Zoo Birthdays:

Sugar

On March 19th, we wished Sugar a very Happy 8th Birthday! We her silly antics!

Opportunities:

Uniforms:

New uniform pieces will be added to the volunteer online store TODAY, April 1^st and will be available online until April 14th. Please use the link provided below to look at the items and place your orders. Once you order is placed, it will ship directly to your home.

https://www.ourcompanyshop.com/cincinnatizoovolunteers/shop/home

Recognition Pins:

Thank you to everyone who filled out the Pin Request Form for hours and years of service. I am still waiting for some of the year pins that were on backorder but I do have most of them. Now that we are back in action and the season has officially started, we can start pin distribution. Starting next week I will be getting the pins together for pick up. Be on the lookout for an e-mail with more information!

Plant for Pollinator Kits:

The Plant for Pollinator Kits go on sale April 1!

Have you ever wanted to create a pollinator garden or perhaps add more pollinator-friendly plants into your landscape? Our horticulture experts have created two pollinator-friendly kits to get your garden ready for Spring!

Kits are limited – we only have 80 available! So, get your green thumb on! These make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift!

Each kit contains 15 quality pollinator-friendly plants. The price per kit is $99.99 (plus tax). Kits will be available for pickup at the Zoo and you will receive detailed pick up instructions in your confirmation email.

Click Here to Order a Kit

Native Plant Sales at Bowyer

The 2022 Native Plant Sale dates are here! Located at the Zoo’s Bowyer Farm (2210 Mason Montgomery Road, Lebanon, OH), these sales offer a wide selection of reasonably priced, well-grown, hard to find, and ecologically important native plants.

Native plants, including ones found throughout the Bowyer Farm ecosystem, will be for sale. The preferred payment for all sales is credit card.

Dates: April 23, May 14, May 28, June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, September 24, October 8

Time: 9:00am-1:00pm

Zootanical

Planning is underway for Zootanical—With a Hint of Tulips which will be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, from 5:30–9:00 pm at the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Event co-chairs Alexa & Jack Oliver and Meredith & John Borchers invite you to join a unique evening with friends, fellow gardeners and lovers of landscape.

Click Here to Learn More

Barrows Lecture Series:

This week we hosted our second speaker in the Barrows Lecture Series. If you missed Arnaud, no need to fear, a little birdy told me that there may be a Zoo Tales Podcast headed our way!

There are still 2 more lectures in the series and it isn’t too late to buy tickets. There are 2 options to hear the lectures, in-person and virtual.

Click Here to Buy Tickets

Upcoming Events

April 1-22nd	Rain Barrel Art Auction
April 6th	Breakfast with the Animals: Lions and Gorilla
April 7th	World Health Day- free admission for Healthcare workers Click Here to Read More
April 7th	Tunes & Blooms!

April 14th	Tunes & Blooms!
April 15th	Kanga Climb re-opens
April 16th	Easter Celebration- Animal enrichment
April 21st	Earth Day Celebration
April 21st	Tunes & Blooms!
April 23rd	Breakfast with the Animals: Elephants & African Penguin
April 27th	Barrows lecture Nilanga Jayasinghe- Human-wildlife Conflict: The Elephant in the Garden

April 28th	Tunes & Blooms!
May 2nd	Zoo Golf at Maketewah
May 4th	Sip n’ Stroll for Donors (Development)- after hours
May 5th	Animal Department Bimonthly Meeting – 11:30-12:30 at Treetops
May 7th	Breakfast with the Animals: Hippo and Kangaroo
May 8th	Mother’s Day- Free admission for all mothers
May 12th	Bourbon Flights
May 14th	Children’s Hospital Walk
May 18th	Barrows lecture Dr. Doug Tallamy- Nature’s Best Hope

Answers to “What’s Blooming”

Dwarf Iris
Pulmonaria ‘Shrimp on the Barbie”
Mahonia
Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda)
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas)
Snowdrops (Galanthus)
Daffodils
Hellebore (Helleborus)
Emerging Tulips
Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

Contact Information:

Brittany Garera-Stapleton
Volunteer Relations Coordinator
(513)559-7768
[email protected]

**My in-office hours have been varying week to week to accommodate staff meetings. The best way to reach me day-to-day is through e-mail.