Summit Charter School traveled from Cashiers, NC for a special Sunset Scouts tour for 31 students. Our Sunset Scouts program allows large groups of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other school-age students to get a unique view of the zoo after dark. Participants meet ambassador animals, create crafts, and play games. They also receive behind-the-scenes tours and animal training sessions capped with a sunset stroll to see how the animals behave after all the guests are gone. For information about Sunset Scouts & Twilight Tour programs contact the Greenville Zoo Education Department at 864-467-4850.
March 23rd was National Chinchilla Day! Here at the Greenville Zoo, we have two ambassador chinchillas, Zuko and Kenickie. Ambassador animals are animals who interact with the public and support institutional education and conservation goals. Last August the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) added Chinchillas to the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program. The goal for the Chinchilla SAFE program is to develop, coordinate, and lead the AZA community's support for the Chilean government's recovery and conservation plans for short-tailed and long-tailed chinchillas. Supporting zoos like the Greenville Zoo helps to support all AZA efforts to save and conserve species like our chinchillas.
The Greenville Zoo’s Monthly Saturday Safari program was ‘Birds of a Feather!’ Birds are beautiful and so unique! Students identified different bird feathers, practiced using bird beaks, and discovered how birds fly (and why we can’t). Saturday Safari Programs are for ages 4-6 and have a new theme every month. Go to www.greenvillezoo.com to find out more about next month’s theme and sign up today!
The Greenville Zoo’s guest services department is gearing up for summer with the addition of Dippin’ Dots! Believe it or not, Dippin’ Dots food freezing method was originally invented for cow feed, not ice cream! Dippin’ Dots inventor Curt Jones specialized in cryogenics and was trying to make efficient fodder for farm animals. Lucky for us, Dippin’ Dots is now a human delight to enjoy while learning about our animals at the zoo.
Dudley the Rhea turned 10 years old on the 18th of March. Dudley arrived at the Greenville Zoo from the Queens Zoo in 2015. Rheas are the largest flightless birds native to South America. At the Greenville Zoo, Dudley lives with his companion Rhea Penelope. Both are beloved by their keeper staff.