Volunteer Updates and Opportunities
Fritz’s Birthday Weight
Yesterday we all celebrated Fritz’s Birthday yesterday, but no one had as much fun as Fritz! As you recall, we had a little contest to see who could guess the closest to Fritz’s weight on his birthday and I am happy to say that we have a winner! This Volunteer put in their guess on July 1st and came within 1 pound! It was announced yesterday that Fritz weighed 721lbs!
The Winner of the Africa After Hours Tour is…
Tricia Hempel
Congratulations Tricia, send me an e-mail to claim your winnings and receive further instructions!
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Sustainability Volunteers Needed
The Sustainability Department is in search of volunteers interested in helping us achieve our Net Zero Waste goals. The department needs help sorting plastic film that is collected from around the zoo and is stored in the garage space next to Purchasing. It needs to be sorted into two different types. It also needs to be dry, clean of any debris, and any bags cut open. This would just be once a week for the time being but may increase to twice a week as our film recycling program rolls out to different departments.
Zoo Updates
Enquirer Endorsement
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Saving Piper Plovers
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ZooTales
Kip is a curious and silly 11-month-old white-cheeked gibbon. His family rejected him and he has since been adopted by sisters Skittles & M&M. Get the update on this special gibbon from his care team!
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Cincinnati Zoo on Nightline
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4 Beautified Madisonville Locations
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Fiona’s New Book is Here!
Plant & Animal Updates
Beaudan
Have you had a chance to take a peek at Beaudan? He turned a month old on July 21st!
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Flamingo Chicks
Our Flamboyance of Flamingos is growing and so our chicks! Make sure to go see them before they are as tall as the adults!
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Bowyer Update
Progress of wetland restoration at Bowyer Farm can be seen in these two photos. The Wetland August 2022 photo was taken in August 2022 after Bowyer volunteers put “plugs” of native plants and sedge grasses in the wet soil. The Wetland June 2023 photo was taken in June 2023. The wetland plants have established themselves and are now creating a habitat that will support wetland biodiversity such as frogs, salamanders, snakes, etc.
August 2022
June 2023
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Amali’s Birthday – July 23rd
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Lightning & Juno Update
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Bat-Eared Fox Kits
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What’s Blooming Right Now
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Fennessy Update
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Rozi Update
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Fritz Turned 1 on August 3rd
Do you want a chance to meet Fritz in person?!
In honor of Fritz’s upcoming 1st Birthday we are giving you a chance to win the Ultimate Hippo Getaway – including a behind-the-scenes tour to meet all 4 hippos, a 2-night stay at the Graduate Hotel, a $1,000 visa gift card and more! Your $5 Birthday gift gets you a digital Fritz kiss and 1 entry to win, a $20 Birthday gift gets you the digital kiss and 5 entries to win!
Click Here to Enter through Aug. 31st
Conservation Corner
Bring Your Green Challenge
The Sustainability Impact Team wants YOU to join the Bring Your Green challenge!
By participating in the challenge, your team competes to achieve the most sustainable lifestyle among your CZBG peers and Ohio organizations.
How do YOU get involved?
- Visit bringyourgreen.com
- Login or join as an Individual/Enthusiast
- Join the general staff team ‘Cincy Zoo & Garden’
Cincy Zoo & Garden is currently in 3rd place! By joining the challenge you can help us make a greater impact in our community!
Just For Fun
Little Stinkers
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Oakley & Cedar
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Celebrating World Ranger Day on July 31st
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August is National Eye Exam Month!
Cheetahs have more cones in their eyes compared to most other cat species which allows them to discriminate between more colors. Due to the position of their eyes and adaptations in the distribution of cells in their retinas, cheetahs have a panoramic view with 210-degree peripheral vision, allowing them to better scan the horizon. Make sure to take care of your vision and schedule your eye exam each year.
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International Tiger Day – July 29th
Happy International Tiger Day! Unfortunately, these iconic big cats are facing numerous threats, such as habitat loss, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade. But, there’s hope! Together, we can make a difference and ensure a brighter future for tigers. Share your favorite tiger photos and use the hashtag #SaveOurTigers to join the movement and inspire others to stand up for these incredible animals!
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Fishing Cat
As its name implies, the favored prey of the fishing cat is fish. While most cats are built for running with long legs and a long tail, the stocky fishing cat is built more for strong swimming with short, powerful limbs, and a rudder-like tail.
Additional Updates
Summer Fun Volunteer Events
Well, last week we had our last Summer Fun After Hours Volunteer Event! I had a blast spending time with you, and even meeting some of you for the very first time! This Summer we had a History & Hijinks Tour with Gary Denzler and went Behind the Scenes for building tours in Africa and Manatee! Thank you to everyone who signed up and came! I look forward to more social events in the future!
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EEHV brings Joy to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
After a long search for the ideal candidate, we are happy to announce that Joy Cooper joined the Animal Health Department. Joy is a registered veterinary technician with a lot of zoo experience who also enjoys lab work. She is currently working as a clinical technician and helping to develop our EEHV lab. Once the lab is operational, Joy will be the primary EEHV lab technician while also functioning as a clinical technician. (For those that don’t know, EEHV is an important virus that we will be closely monitoring in our elephant herd.) We are very excited to welcome Joy to the team!
“I’m happy to be back home. I was born and raised in Ohio. In my time away I’ve had the privilege to work at institutions like Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Zoo Atlanta. I am thrilled to join the Cincinnati Zoo team and I’m especially excited to be a part of the new EEHV lab.” – Joy Cooper
In Joy’s free time, she enjoys kayaking and hiking with her dog Athena.
Please be sure to say hi to Joy when you see her around the Zoo!
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Patrick Gainer is our new Browse Coordinator
The Animal Department is excited to welcome Patrick Gainer to the team as the Zoo’s new Browse Coordinator! With plans for more elephants, more giraffes, and an already large amount of browsing animals at the Zoo, we’re happy Patrick is here to add even more capacity for acquiring so much browse. During these first few months of his time here, Patrick will spend his time shadowing Chase at Bowyer Farm, getting to know staff and animals, and starting to connect with external vendors and landscape companies.
Now for a little bit more about Patrick…
Patrick grew up on the east coast but has called Cincinnati his home for a few decades now. His commercial landscaping career spans 20 years, and he has a good amount of restaurant and entrepreneurial experience mixed in too! Patrick’s proudest career moments while in the landscaping industry were being the project manager for the landscaping install at Washington Park, as well as creating an apprenticeship program through the Urban League.
In his free time, Patrick loves cooking for his family and friends, with Chateaubriand being his favorite thing to make. He’s also a bit of a movie buff, so look out for some obscure movie quotes! Some of his favorite movies include Jaws, The Quiet Man, and The Avengers.