KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even during social distancing, life doesn’t shut down at the Kansas City Zoo.
Zookeepers and staff are working hard to make sure the animals that call the zoo home are well cared for during the time it’s closed.
“Just as the case with the rest of the city, the zoo has to adapt to what the virus is bringing to the rest of the region,” Chief Zoological Officer Sean Putney said.
Right now, the zoo is working with a skeleton staff. They no longer have the help of volunteers and interns in an attempt to try and minimize contact between people.
“It’s definitely harder, and we’re trying to get all the work done that we possibly can for the animals, making sure that they’re getting enrichment and training and all the food and necessities that they might need,” he said.
As for the animals, they’re healthy and well cared for, but some of them, especially the goats, miss visitors.
“They enjoy interacting. They enjoy being fed, but everybody should know they’re still getting plenty of food when there aren’t visitors here,” Putney said.
But life goes on, and some of the goats are busy nurturing their kids.
“Right now, they’re spending some quality time with their moms. But we had some triplets born and some twins born yesterday, and they’re doing fine,” Putney said.
In the penguin exhibit, life is floating along, and you can tune in on the zoo’s penguin cams.
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“We’ve answered questions about penguins from as far away as Brazil and England, so we knew it was popular before,” Putney said. “But it seems like with the extra time people have on their hands, it’s even more popular now.”
With patrons not visiting the zoo, it has been a financial pinch, according to Putney.
“Frankly that’s how we help pay the salaries and help pay for the animals, so we’re getting by. We’ll get by. We’ll get through this together.”
You can watch all the zoo’s animal cams here.
