ZooMontana Offers Free Admission to Teachers

 

December 23, 2020

During winter break, starting December 19 and continuing through January 3, ZooMontana in Billings is offering all teachers FREE admission to the Zoo and an invitation to "Take a Walk on the Wild Side, which is the facility's motto. They will also once again be "lighting" up the holidays by presenting ZooLights 2020.

ZooMontana is a zoological/botanical garden, accredited arboretum, and educational facility. Executive Director Jeff Ewelt and his staff are dedicated to the conservation of wildlife throughout Montana. The Zoo cares for over 80 animals of 56 different species, everything from Alpaccas to Wolverines (no zebras, so I couldn't say, animals from A-Z).

A good majority of the animals that call ZooMontana home are rescues. These include creatures that have been permanently injured as well as animals kept illegally as pets. ZooMontana takes pride in giving these creatures a second chance. Those that are not rescues are a part of crucial breeding programs designed for species survival and genetic purity.


Anyone visiting the Zoo will meet several of its current residents. Among those, the zoo crew cares for Kremer and Trotter, two male alpacas who are estimated to have been born in 2015. According to ZooMontana's website, both alpacas were donated after being retired from the show circuit. Their keepers tell tales of the duo being goofy in the barn pasture, often sparring with one another.

One of the fun facts shared at the Zoo about alpacas is that "their fiber is hypoallergenic, flame resistant, and water resistant. Alpacas are also ruminants, meaning they have four stomachs, and although similar to llamas, alpacas are smaller, with a shorter, blunter face. The two species can cross breed, and their resulting offspring is called a huarizo."


At the latter end of the alphabet, the wolverine is a powerful animal that resembles a small bear but is actually the largest member of the weasel family. Two current residents at the Zoo from the wolverine family are Sid and Ahmari.

Born in 2016, Sid is a male who arrived from Sweden in 2017. He was transferred to ZooMontana to take part in a crucial breeding program to create a genetically pure line of Wolverines in the event of a future breed-for-release program. A program such as this is intended to boost wild populations.

His mate Ahmari was also born in 2016 and came to ZooMontana in 2017 for the same reasons. She previously lived in Norway.


These tenacious and solitary animals have strong jaws and teeth, giving them the power to crush right through the bones and teeth of their prey. They even have a specialized tooth that allows them to eat frozen carcasses.

The newest resident at ZooMontana is Winston, a Hoffman's Two Toed Sloth. Born in the spring of 2018, Winston arrived in 2020 from a facility in Michigan. He can be found indoors within the Zoo's Discovery Center, settling in to his new habitat.

About Winston, the Zoo explains that "as one of the world's slowest mammals, Hoffman's Two Toed Sloths spend the majority of their time hanging in trees sleeping; to the tune of 15-20 hours per day! They are so slow, in fact, that moss and algae will grow on their fur, which serves as a great, natural camouflage. They have an incredibly powerful grip, allowing them to 'hang out' for long periods."

Another fun fact shared by the Zoo is that "sloths cannot pass gas, and therefore cannot eat foods such as cabbage and broccoli."

To receive FREE admission to this animal collection, teachers simply need to show their teacher credentials at the gate.

"Like so many front-line workers, teachers have been put through a lot this past year," said Ewelt. "We hope this offer allows teachers the ability to escape a bit by walking our expansive grounds, whether that's with their family or by themselves. As educators ourselves, we are thankful for the heart and soul teachers put forward every day to ensure our kids are reached."

Ewelt reminds teachers that the Zoo's website (zoomontana.org) allows them to share science lessons with their students. They can even visit the Zoo by taking a virtual tour. On this mock field trip, students will encounter photos, general animal facts, details about the current residents at the Zoo, taxonomy details, and other particulars-such as size, weight, and average lifespan in the wild. Accessible through hyperlinks, activity sheets even accompany some of the animal exhibits.

Besides fulfilling their mission "to create for our visitors an enjoyable, recreational and educational experience while providing quality care for the animal and plant collections," ZooMontana will once again "light" up the holidays by presenting ZooLights 2020.

From December 18-24 for a single fee per vehicle, ZooMontana invites visitors to take a socially distant drive through a section of the Zoo. During the hours of 6:00-9:00 p.m., cars, trucks, and buses can tour the holiday light display.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 02/03/2024 11:01