National Zoo Lovers Day & National Farm Animals Day!

Written By: Andrew Connolly

  Zoo Educator

What is better than one celebration? How about two! Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo celebrates National Zoo Lovers Day annually on April 8th, and National Farm Animal Day on April 10th! These days are near and dear to our hearts as we celebrate our farmyard and its amazing animals, as well as the zoo and its amazing mission. I hope to see you all at the zoo this spring as it buds and blossoms with life.

National Zoo Lovers Day!
            It is every child’s dream to work at a zoo, and who could fault them? There is so much to love. There are strange and exciting animals, only seen before in books or on tv. There are towering statues and signs with cool facts to explore. There are docents, and educators, and volunteers, and animal care specialists, all sharing exciting stories.

 When you walk through the gates of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo you are greeted by a magnificent globe, whose scale and size astounds. You might enter the greenhouse whose foliage immerses you in another world. Children might laugh and smile when they enter the W.O.L.F. cabin, and families take photos in the Prairie Dog tunnels.
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Every day when I come to work I remind myself how lucky I am to be at a place like this. I for one am, and always have been a zoo lover, and every day can be National Zoo Lovers Day when you remind yourself how wondrous this world we call home is.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Fast Facts!
            Of course, when we talk about National Zoo Lovers Day, I need to share some of my favorite facts about my favorite zoo!

• Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is 101 years old!
• Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is home to over 150 species and 350 individual animals.
• Kallisto and Orion, the two Amur leopards born at the zoo, and are among the rarest cats in the world!

 
National Farm Animals Day!
            Now that we have learned about the Zoo as a whole, let’s focus in on the Farmyard! Located near the center of the zoo, the farmyard is home to a wide variety of species. The Farmyard can be found through the garden guarded by the giant cow, a photo staple here at the zoo. In the upper farmyard you might find Miniature horses, and Nigerian Dwarf Goats. In the lower farmyard you can see Dexter Cattle, Domestic Ducks, barn owls, a raven, and so much more. The farmyard is a place to celebrate family and community, and the people and places that provide us with food. It is a place to promote the 4-H of farming, or the “Head, Hand, Heart, and Health”.  Next time you are at the zoo, take a walk through the farmyard, and explore its animals and stories, and I challenge you to learn more about domestic and heritage breeds. ​

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