Our Zoo to You
Thu, Feb 07, 2019 2:06 AM
Visiting classroom pet
The article talked about an outreach program at the Folsom Children’s Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska that loans out animals to classrooms for students to observe and study. The program loans out various domesticated animals, such as geckos, snakes, legless lizards, horned toads, ringneck doves, ferrets, hedgehogs, African brown millipedes, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches for six weeks at a time during the zoo’s off season. The zoo still maintains ownership, and provides veterinarian care for all the animals. Classrooms are required to collect data daily on the animal for the zoo and submit it online. The article goes into more length about requirements, guidelines and lesson suggestions. I think this is an incredible program! It sounds like so much fun. I have considered having a classroom pet, but was hesitant to make that kind of commitment. The article did caution that many teachers have admitted participation in this program was time consuming and takes commitment. I wish my local zoo had such a program.