Christmas and New Year’s came and went quietly at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo, where the keepers made sure the animals received some special holiday treats.
Animals regularly receive enrichment from zookeepers. This means changing their environment in new ways, and can include training sessions or other interaction with humans, feeder puzzles to solve, or structures to climb. For some, a cardboard tube from a toilet paper roll, filled with some dry food and wrapped in Christmas paper, is a fun treat. A pumpkin or a used Christmas tree to play with can also be entertaining. There are videos of animals enjoying their gifts on the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo Facebook page.
Winter is officially here and the two alligators at the zoo have moved to their indoor quarters. They can be viewed from the window on the south side of their building or via the closed circuit TV in the Raptor Center.
“They don’t eat while they’re inside because we keep the temperature around 65 in the winter, but we still have to clean their pool regularly,” Zoo Director Ashley Burdick said.
The world’s largest alligator measured over 15 feet long and weighed over 1,000 pounds. The Great Bend boys, Alvin and Allister, are only about 10 and 12 feet long. In the summer the alligators eat about two or three times per week. But alligators can also go a year or more without eating.
The grizzly bears have also moved indoors. They will spend the winter napping, but they still wake up and eat most days, Burdick said.
The humans at the zoo are staying busy as usual. This week, Burdick said there wasn’t a lot going on but they were preparing for a wintery weekend. Work continues to replace the old wooden fencing throughout the zoo with metal fences that provide better viewing for those in wheelchairs or strollers and will last significantly longer than the wood option. Richard Bodine with the Great Bend Park Department removed the old fence and dead shrubs to make way for the fencing.
Zoo hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week. The zoo is located at 2123 Main Street and admission is always free.
Zoo Society
The Great Bend Zoological Society exists to support the zoo in its efforts to provide educational and public benefit to the community. An annual membership for an entire family costs $25. Membership entitles supporters to unique activities including a “first look” welcome new animals to the zoo, “Zoo News” emails and quarterly newsletters, a 20% discount in the zoo gift shop, free wagon rental for the kids, $1 mobility cart rental, and involvement in the annual meeting where members elect Zoo Society board members and learn about all the work done at the zoo throughout the year. Additionally, the membership card is often good for discounts at other zoos.
