It’s been a big year for Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The birth of rare twin baby elephants, two tiger cubs and the arrival of two resident koalas have all shaped a summer full of exciting events and messaging for the zoo.
A typical summer at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo would have one important story to highlight and a new friendly face to see. This year, the zoo has three new exciting residents, twin baby elephants, two Amur tiger cubs and visiting koalas from the San Diego Zoo. Executive Director Ted Fox, said this summer is more than he could have hoped for.
“Certainly not knowing we were going to have twin elephants, that would have been enough,” Fox said.
Fox said with all the changes the zoo has seen over the last year, it would be hard to not find something for everyone.
“I don't think anybody would be dissatisfied with coming to the zoo right now because there is just so much to see,” Fox said.
Being able to care for and house each of the new animals at once is allowing the zoo to tell an important story about the world. Fox said the ultimate message from the zoo is of care and environmental impact.
“The bigger picture and the bigger message, especially for accredited zoos, is to talk about the conservation and impact that we are doing for the wild population of all those animals,” Fox said.
The zoo is able to dive deeper into discussions on issues the native regions the animals face. Fox said this gives visitors an opportunity to see how conservation in their own community can have a global impact.
“Bring those messages, in a positive way, in an empowering way, so that people can understand what they can do to maybe help those populations,” Fox said.
To learn more about upcoming events and ways to get involved at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, visit https://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/.
