As the weather warms up, there will be times when animals at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo choose to remain indoors where it’s cooler. Zoo Director Ashley Burdick reminds visitors that the best time to view the animals is in the morning. When it gets above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, animals are allowed the option of staying in their cooler indoor areas, out of sight to public view.
This month, the KSN Summer Road Trip is coming to the zoo on June 17. A crew will be there from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., and they will be broadcasting live at the zoo at noon.
July
There are two open exhibit areas at this time. Burdick said they are working on bringing in a new animal for one of them, and she hopes that project will bear fruit later this month.
“Readers will have to stay tuned for that announcement!”
The zoo’s summer camp runs from July 14-17. There will be fun activities from 9:30-11 a.m. each day. Sign-up is through the Great Bend Rec Center.
“On Saturday, July 12th we will be holding a fundraiser at the zoo for the Great Bend Zoological Society,” Burdick said. “We will be selling tickets soon, but this is your chance to give the bears a bath and slingshot food to them.” Discounted tickets will be available for Zoo Society members.
“This fundraiser will help us fund several projects we have in the works including renovating our outside restroom, a raptor rehabilitation flight cage, and more. Be sure to watch the Zoo’s Facebook page as well as the Great Bend Zoological Society’s Facebook page for more info.”
Time for flight school
Did you know that young birds are learning to fly this time of year? According to staff at the zoo, their flight feathers are still growing in and they need to build up their muscles.
“If you see a bird on the ground, don’t worry! The best thing to do is leave it where it is,” zoo staff posted this week on Facebook. “The parents are likely still watching over and feeding it.”
Burdick often reminds the public not to be too quick to “rescue” a grounded bird.
Here’s what Burdick had to say on this topic one year ago:
“We want to remind the community that many of these birds are fledging and working on learning to fly. They may be on the ground or out of the nest, but unless you’ve seen the parent deceased, they are likely still caring for their young. These birds should be left where they are so they have their best chance at survival.”
Great Bend’s zoo serves as a Raptor Rehabilitation program for birds of prey. While injured Mississippi kites and other raptors can be brought to the zoo, that should never be a concerned citizen’s first choice.
“If there is a very young raptor on the ground, the best thing to do is either place it back in the nest if possible, or to make a makeshift nest out of a laundry basket or box tied to the tree as high up as you can get it. Parent birds teach their young in ways that we cannot replicate and it’s crucial for their survival to be raised by their parents when possible,” Burdick said. “If you are bringing a bird into care, do not try to syringe water into its mouth. Birds are very easy to aspirate because their trachea is at the back of their tongue. We’ve had many birds die of aspiration (food or water in lungs/air sacs) because well-meaning people provided inappropriate care. It is also best to not offer them food; these animals have specialized diets and the wrong items can cause further issues.”
Animal enrichment
The animals at the zoo all receive enrichment items at least once a week and the gibbons receive enrichment daily. In a recent video clip posted on the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo Facebook page, Manny the lar gibbon is shown playing with a squeaky elephant toy from the zoo’s gift shop. (“Not every toy is a hit in the gift shop, but that’s OK. Manny the lar gibbon is happy to take one for the team and play with them!” the video caption explained.) For animal enrichment, the zoo has items and activities for foraging, scent investigation, novel foods, puzzle feeders and more. Some activities or items are meant to exhibit natural behaviors that the animals would do in the wild and others are just for fun, like the squeaky toy.
