Zoo Blog

Members, get ready for some big specials and events because:

May is Membership Month!

Every weekday in May, enjoy a special token of our appreciation just by being a Blank Park Zoo member. 

• May 1-10 Bring an additional friend for free (excludes Members Night)
• May 13-17 Receive 30% off your Safari Grill purchase
• May 20-24 Free cheek painting* with membership purchase**, or $2 full face painting for members
• May  27-31 Carousel rides for $1 (50% off!) 

These promotions are good on weekdays only. Enjoy the extra benefits of being a member all through May!

*Not eligible towards Members Wild Card
** Membership must be purchased May 20-24 to qualify 

 Members Night 2013: Friday, May 3 

Members Night is this Friday, May 3! 5 pm to 8 pm

Join us as we unveil our new Jaama Kwa – Connection to Africa exhibit, featuring two endangered Easter black rhino, Ayana and Kiano. Zoo members have an exclusive opportunity to meet the Zoo’s new rhinos first – join us for our Members Night event Friday, May 3 for a special first look at this must-see exhibit.
 

This African-themed family evening will include:

• Live music
• Inflatable fun
• African-themed games and crafts
• New animals – including rhino, kori bustard and more!

Join us at this special members-only preview and enjoy an evening of fun for the whole family! Members Night is free for Zoo members. Not a member? Sign up today!

The Members Wild Card is back!

At Members Night, we’ll be bringing back the Wild Card again this year! The Wild Card, available all summer long, is yours to take along with you as you Do the Zoo this summer. Get your card stamped with each train ride, giraffe feeding, gift shop purchase and more. Once your Wild Card is completed, turn it into admissions for prizes! We’ll draw winners each month.

For each Wild Card you turn in, you’ll receive one free train pass and your child can pick a special prize out of our treasure chest of toys!

And, for each card you turn in, you’ll be entered to win from a monthly drawing of a free Zoo membership renewal and special sponsor prizes! Sponsors include:
 

Orange Leaf 
Carmike Cinemas 
Iowa Cubs
Pagliai's Pizza
Noodles and Company
Chuck E Cheese
Fleur Cinemas
Fridley Theatres (Copper Creek)

The more Wild Cards you complete and return to admissions, the better your chances of winning our prize drawings for each month May through September.

Choose your adventure and the activities you complete – make sure you pick up and fill out your Wild Card when you Do the Zoo this summer!

Colleen Chisman has been a volunteer at Blank Park Zoo since 2007, volunteering to help the zookeepers with daily tasks in addition to working with the Zoo’s Conservation Alliance. When she’s not giving her time to the Zoo, Colleen lives in Urbandale and works at DuPont Pioneer as a research associate.
 

Nominated by coworkers to be placed into the DuPont Volunteer Recognition Program, Colleen was recognized by DuPont Pioneer earlier this year for her service demonstrated as a dedicated volunteer to the Zoo. In honor of Colleen, DuPont Pioneer awarded $1,000 to the Zoo.

Colleen and Barnaby, the Zoo's oldest and largest aldabra tortoise

Why did you start volunteering at Blank Park Zoo?

I had a variety of internships while in school [at UNI] and worked with a variety of exotics including big cats, sea lions, beluga whales and spider monkeys. Working with exotic animals is a passion of mine, and I knew I wanted to continue with that. I had wide range of hands-on animal experience, so I could help the zookeepers with their daily tasks.  

Where in the Zoo do you volunteer? 

I volunteer with the zookeepers, but more recently a lot of my time has been spent with the Conservation Alliance. This group reinforces the Zoo’s conservation message and supports a variety of local, national and international conservation organizations. 

One of my own little Christmas traditions is volunteering with the zookeepers on Christmas Day. That day is always a little short staffed, and I know the zookeepers want to be at home with their families, so I like to go in and help them out.  

Why do you love volunteering for the zoo? 

I love animals! It is great that I have found a place where I can work with them. I love the people here also. Everyone is very friendly, and I have made a lot of friends with both the staff and other volunteers. The staff is always very welcoming and appreciative of the volunteers, which feels great!

How do your volunteer efforts help further the Zoo's mission to promote conservation? 

You may be surprised by what a large impact you can make by volunteering in conservation. The impact I make is my favorite part about volunteering. What I do makes a difference to a child on the other side of the world. What the child learns will impact the way he treats the local environment around him…Knowing I can change the world by the little things I do is a great feeling. 

I don’t think a zoo can be a zoo without demonstrating to the public they are dedicated to the message of conservation. The Blank Park Zoo fulfills this role well by supporting both local and non-local conservation organizations, educating the Zoo’s visitors and helping the staff go green. 

What are some specific projects you have worked on? 

A couple years ago, Health in Harmony approached the Zoo for help in developing educational programs for the villagers’ children. Health in Harmony is a group based in Borneo that involves the locals in reforestation projects and educates them about the animals they share the forest with. For Health in Harmony, I led the efforts in finding educational materials, books, crafts and coloring book pages. The Zoo also provided funds in order to send kids to day camps at Gunung Palung National Park. These kids have spent their whole lives within range of an orangutan, but never got to see one until they made the special trip the Zoo was able to provide for them!

I was also involved in properly outfitting the Ugandan Chimpanzee Ambassadors. This is a group of 25 men and women who perform chimpanzee census in Uganda. Before partnering with the Zoo, they had difficulty performing their jobs without raingear or proper footwear. With donations from the Zoo and surrounding businesses, we were able to present each ambassador with a pair of boots, rain gear, first-aid kits, waterproof watches, headlamps and a bike. We were able to make a great impact!

How do volunteers help educate and promote the Zoo's mission?

I would equate our volunteer force to being the Zoo’s ambassadors to the public. Name any Zoo event and you will see a volunteer there. We are always ready to answer questions, whether it be about a particular animal or how to navigate the Zoo.

Many Zoo volunteers are animal handlers –whether at a Zoo event or an off-site educational program, a volunteer will bring one of our educational animals and provide the public with that rich opportunity of experiencing an animal first-hand, providing memories for life!  

Why are Zoo volunteers so important? 

The Zoo really could not be where it is at today without volunteers. There is always so much to be done and so many events that could not happen without them. Volunteers fulfill so many tasks, such as registering guests at events like the Rhino Rampage, helping at kids craft tables during Adventure Days, bartending at Zoo Brew, planting gardens, helping Zoo staff during day camps and handing out candy at Night Eyes. There are even opportunities to do a little office work. The Zoo staff is always looking for help and is always appreciative of the volunteers.  If you have a special interest or talent, the Zoo can use you! 


Interested in volunteering?
Contact Chris Eckles, volunteer coordinator at volunteer@blankparkzoo.net or call 515-974-2551.

Get started and fill out your volunteer application today!

Guest post by Patty Weeks, Zoo volunteer and member

Did you know that every time you visit Blank Park Zoo you make a contribution to conservation? Well, know it or not you do! Every time you visit, 25 cents is donated to one of our three current conservation projects. And, $1 of your membership directly supports these efforts. 

You can learn about the projects and even vote for your favorite one at the Coins for Conservation machines located inside the Zoo’s front lobby. You may even see me or another volunteer standing by to talk to you about your favorite one. Will you put your token in and vote for giraffe conservation in Africa, sea turtles in Georgia or will you vote for Iowa's very own prairie chicken project in Ringgold County?

At the front desk, you will be given a gold coin "token" which can be put into the machine of your choice. Kids like the pinball action that the coins make and also learn about the importance of conserving the Zoo animals they are about to see.

I enjoy volunteering in this area as everyone who comes to the Zoo loves animals, as do I. The interaction I have with visitors with and without children is very rewarding, as we discuss the fun aspects of the Zoo as well as the more serious implications for these same animals living in their wild environments.

Please take a moment and stop to check out the Coins for Conservation machines. Have some fun with your tokens, but also take a minute to reflect on the need for wildlife conservation around the world and learn more about all of the Zoo's conservation efforts. 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since Miya the macaque was the newest addition to Blank Park Zoo!  

For months, she was hand-raised by the Zoo’s animal keepers, as Miya’s mother rejected her and did not know how to take care of Miya. She has grown so much, and the Zoo is excited to celebrate how far she’s come and is holding a special birthday party at Blank Park Zoo this Saturday, April 20. Miya’s birthday party will be the centerpiece of the Zoo’s celebration of Earth Day.

Join us as we celebrate Miya! There will be many birthday festivities:

• The first 200 visitors to the Zoo will receive a birthday treat.
• Miya and her macaque friends will receive special birthday cupcakes of their own.
• Guests can sign a giant birthday card for Miya.
• Keepers will present special keeper chats and enrichment at 11 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm.
• And, there will be a special 20% discount on monkey-themed merchandise in the gift shop!

 For those wishing to purchase Miya a birthday gift, keepers are asking for the following items:

• Trader Joe’s Squishers, Miya’s all-time favorite treat
• All-natural yogurt
• Rice
• Whole-grain pasta, Miya prefers spaghetti
• Whole-grain cereals: Cheerios, shredded wheat, other “natural” cereals
• Sugar-free Jello

Miya eating yogurt, her favorite treat



Miya discovered snow this past winter

Join us this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and wish Miya a Happy 1^st Birthday!

Related posts:

Miya the macaque goes on exhibit
Animal spotlight: Macaques
 

Lou Keeley, one of the Zoo’s newest animal keepers, came from the Niabi Zoo to Blank Park Zoo last December to work with the Zoo’s large mammals. He was also a seasonal keeper for the Brookfield Zoo, working mainly with giraffe and okapi.

At Blank Park Zoo, Lou works with the rhinos, eland, giraffe, watusi and lesser kudu. I wanted to ask Lou what it was like to work with the rhinos, the highly anticipated new animals to arrive for the Zoo’s new Africa exhibit, opening May 4.

New animal keeper, Lou Keeley, works with the Zoo's rhinos  
 

1.     What is your favorite part of working with the Zoo's rhinos? Do you have a memorable moment?

The part I most enjoy about working with the rhinos is their daily training sessions. Since our two rhinos actively seek out human interaction and are exceptionally treat motivated (produce such as apples, bananas, carrots and sweet potatoes), they have been very good ‘students.’  

The most memorable moment I have had with the rhinos is the first time I had seen them receive a bath. The rhinos get a weekly bath to clean their skin, which is followed by a moisturizer. During baths, the rhinos become very playful, which involves them running around their stalls and lying down to roll onto their sides. Seeing our rhinos display these behaviors for the first time was a big treat for me.  
 

Ayana weighs over 2,000 pounds!  
 

2.     How have Ayana and Kiano adapted to Blank Park Zoo? 

It is oftentimes difficult for animals to experience big changes in their lives, and moving to a completely new zoo with different people, enclosures, sights and smells can be quite stressful. Ayana, who is from Zoo Miami, and Kiano, from Great Plains Zoo, were both initially frightened, and frightened rhinos tend to behave aggressively. So for their first couple of weeks at Blank Park Zoo, they avoided being around keepers and even charged at their restraint bars. The rhino keepers did a great job acclimating the rhinos to their new surroundings by working calmly and quietly around them and slowly gaining their trust. Now both rhinos are at ease with the Zoo’s facilities and love being around people. 
 

Kiano has some catching up to do, weighing about 1,250 pounds 
 

 3.     What kind of training and enrichment do you do with the rhinos?

The rhinos receive different forms of enrichment every day, including large toys such as heavy duty weeble wobbles and balls, novel food items (cantaloupe, jelly), various scents (mint, vanilla and orange extracts), or different social interactions. The rhinos really enjoy pushing around, or sparring with the large toys, giving them a chance to test their strength (some toys weigh near 100 pounds!). Keepers will also switch the rhinos’ poop piles, and the rhinos like to defecate over the other rhino’s feces. [Yep, you read that right.] 

Through positive reinforcement, Ayana and Kiano have learned or are learning behaviors such as opening their mouths for oral inspections, targeting their nose to a target pole (tennis ball on a stick), and entering a unique restraint device built specifically for rhinos. This restraint device has special movable walls that comfortably ‘squeeze’ the rhino and makes it possible to safely and securely perform medical procedures keepers or vet staff may need to accomplish…whether it is creating safer keeper/animal interactions for evaluating health or helping the rhinos acclimate to potentially stressful situations. 
 

4.     Do Ayana and Kiano have personalities? Do they get along?

Ayana is a very confident rhino, meaning she is usually the first to investigate new situations, while Kiano can be a bit more on the cautious side. Kiano also will let keepers know when he wants treats or attention, occasionally emitting high pitched ‘whining’ sounds.  

Since wild black rhinos are mostly solitary (individuals may congregate at times around watering holes or other resources), they are mostly kept solitary in zoos, so Ayana and Kiano are not kept together. They are, however, given opportunities to meet face to face and touch through restraint bars. These interactions usually involve some nose to nose (or horn to horn) touching, but they mainly look at each other from a distance. Ayana is more interested in food than in interacting with Kiano!  
 

5.     Anything else you would like to share with Zoo visitors about the rhinos?

We are very excited for the public to finally be able to see these amazing animals in person! Hopefully these visitor-animal experiences will lead to a greater appreciation of all animals and our world’s natural resources. With only 4,800 black rhinos remaining in the wild (and less than 700 of the Eastern black rhino subspecies remaining), it is extremely important that efforts are made to ensure their survival, and one thing Zoo visitors can do to help wild rhinos is by donating to Blank Park Zoo or other conservation organizations focused on saving rhinoceros species (such as the International Rhino Foundation or the World Wildlife Fund).

The main reason all wild rhino species are in big trouble is illegal poaching, in which rhinos are killed and their horns harvested for sale in select countries. So we hope as many people as possible come out to meet Ayana and Kiano, the Zoo’s ambassadors to their wild black rhino counterparts, and see exactly why they are a species worth saving!