This week, 6 veterinarians from Southern Veterinary Partners joined the zoo for a special all-inclusive Behind the Scenes Tour. Custom tours like this one are one of the many ways professional development is created between the zoo and the greater veterinarian care community. Guests on the tour were able to see the animal hospital and speak with zoo veterinarian Nick Kapustin as well as encounter many of the zoo's exotic residents. For information on how to book your own Behind the Scenes experience, reach out to the education department at 864-467-4850.
The Greenville Zoo has received 23 grant applications from 16 countries for the highly competitive 2022 Greenville Zoo Conservation Grant. This grant gives $300.00 - $1000.00 to new grants and up to $3000.00 to continuing grants to support conservation efforts all over the globe. Final Grant recipients will be announced mid-April.
Do you love our giraffes? This week’s ‘Tell Me About Tuesday’ was all about our local Greenville Zoo giraffe tower (which is what a group of giraffes is called)! The Greenville Zoo’s docents lead this free zoo program in front of select exhibits throughout the zoo every Tuesday, September through May from 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Stop by next Tuesday to learn about the African lions!
The Greenville Zoo is excited to add new staff member Ariel Gardner to the team. Ariel began her keeper career at ZooAmerica in Hershey, PA. Afterwards, she worked at the Indianapolis Zoo. Her animal care experience has ranged from pronghorn to cranes. Here at the Greenville Zoo, she will serve as a relief keeper for both the Africa and South America sections of the zoo. Ariel’s passion is conservation, “Being a zookeeper is just one small way I am contributing to animal conservation. Later on in my career, I hope to make an impact with on the ground research.”
This week the Greater Greenville Master Gardner’s Club visited the zoo to make final planting recommendations for a new free program to be hosted at the zoo. Led by Greenville Zoo educator Tessie Kerslake, the nature observation program will operate seasonally, teaching participants how to identify native and non-native plant species throughout the year and create an understanding of our local Greenville pollinators. This program will be launched in May 2022 in partnership with the Greater Greenville Master Gardner’s Club and the South Carolina Nature Plant Society.