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Zoo Ambassador Program

Zoo Ambassador Program
Slowing down and taking the time to enjoy our surroundings is essential to Living The
Sweet Life On A Budget.  Whether it is enjoying nature or the beauty of city
architecture, enjoying a community program, taking time to stop and appreciate beauty wherever you find it is important.   Our Rich Backyard Life series looks at the beauty that is surrounding us, whether it is animals, flowers, buildings, locations, or anything else that we can appreciate in our daily travels. Let’s take a look at a local program that we had the privilege of attending.

Zoo Ambassador Program
My son and I were attending his pack meeting last week which included the Columbus
Zoo Ambassador Program.  It was a nice December treat.

The zoo personnel shared with us that the animals are specially cared for as soon as it
is safe to seperate them from their mom.  In order to get the animals comfortable
around people and in a variety of different physical spaces, the animals go home with
various staff members at night to be care for (AKA-frequent feedings),  exposure to car
rides, and different spaces, smells and sounds. This experience helps to train them to
be zoo ambassadors as the animals need to be able to travel for long periods of time,
and go to schools, parks, and other events with minimal issues.  
It was a fabulous program, so let's take a look at some of the animals.  
The kangaroo was the first animal to come out.  He stayed in a small bag the whole
time and we were told that within a year, he would be larger the most of us.  
Our next ambassador was a fox. He was very inquisitive as he constantly smelled the
air and looked all around the meeting space.  

This classic skunk was very well behaved and learned that the terrible smell that
sometimes accompanies skunks is a defense mechanism.  The skunk will use it to
protect itself from perceived danger. This is why sometimes our dogs get sprayed.

Penguin Love

The Penguin was the last animal ambassador and was clearly the favorite of the boys.  
Although the kids were instructed to be quiet during the program, when the penguin
came out, they became so excited that the noise level rose.  

Throughout the program, the boys asked great questions and were very attentive.  If
you ever have the chance to attend a program like this, please take advantage of it.
 The Columbus Zoo Ambassadors attend school programs and community events
which are usually free to the public.  In addition, the ambassadors are at the zoo a lot
and there are always discounted zoo tickets available, so take some time and check it
out.  It is worth the small fee.

Leave a comment below about some of the your local programs that are fun and full of
beauty and enjoyment.
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