Chaffee Zoo entertains, educates
BySara L. MedinaSqueals of excitement fill the air while walking up to the exotically colored front entrance of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
At first sight, visitors know they’re in for a day full of adventure. After all, where else can an Asian forest and reptiles from all over the world be seen in a single day?
Since the early 1900s, the zoo has been entertaining and educating thousands of visitors. Set on 18 acres, the current-day Chaffee Zoo is home to 819 animals, including 199 species of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds and invertebrates, such as leaf insects.
“You can spend an entire day here learning about all the different animals and their habitats,” says Patty Peters, director of marketing and development. Sunda Forest, one of the newest sections at the zoo, represents an Asian forest full of native foliage and animals. It is home to Kara and Shaunzi, two female Asian elephants, in addition to orangutans, siamangs and tigers.
Visitors can also see 27 bird species in the Tropical Rain Forest, but the exhibit isn’t all for winged creatures. “We also have two iguanas in the Tropical Rain Forest,” Peters says. “If you’re lucky, you’ll spot one of them.” Other highlights at the zoo include the Winged Wonders Bird Show, which runs seasonally from April to September, where visitors can see birds fly in all their majesty.
The zoo’s enrichment programs offer visitors as well as the animals a treat. Enrichment activities include placing objects in the animals’ habitats to stimulate natural behaviors, such as foraging and play.
“Although enrichment activities occur every day at the zoo, there are numerous holiday-themed events for the enjoyment of our visitors,” says Peters. The next few years will bring new additions to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Funding from a local measure offers the zoo a chance to expand to 39 acres. Although the zoo will not close during its renovation phase, some of the animals will be moved around to allow for renovations.
In addition, the zoo will bring temporary attractions for visitors to see. “We plan to bring temporary attractions until late 2009 or 2010,” says Peters. “We want to offer our visitors something new and exciting.”
The zoo’s first temporary attraction, Stingray Bay, was at the zoo from March through late September. Stingray Bay was a hands-on exhibit in which, for a minimal fee, visitors could pet or feed the stingrays.
“It was a big hit,” says Peters. “Not only do you get to touch the stingrays, but you get to learn about them as well.”
Harold Weist, a first-time Chaffee Zoo visitor, says one of the highlights of his visit was seeing Stingray Bay with his wife, Barbara, and grandson, Austin Jacobs.
“He absolutely loved Stingray Bay,” says Weist. “We had a hard time getting him away from there.”