Enhancing Empathy
New signs help Minot zoo visitors get to know animals
Eloise Ogden/MDN Biography signs have been placed at Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot to tell visitors specific details about zoo inhabitants, like this one about the red pandas.
Eloise Ogden/MDN The new biography sign about Akili, an okapi, says he is “reserved and curious” plus provides other details about him.
Eloise Ogden/MDN Biography signs have been placed at Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot to tell visitors specific details about zoo inhabitants, like this one about the red pandas.
Eloise Ogden/MDN The new biography sign about Akili, an okapi, says he is “reserved and curious” plus provides other details about him.
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A biography sign is posted on the outside of the habitat for Fred and George, the red pandas at Minot's Roosevelt Park Zoo.
The sign give specific information about Fred and George such as each ones birthday, where born (Birmingham Zoo), personality traits and some of their favorite foods.
For education and conservation efforts, the new biography signs are going up at the various habitats.
Nicole Barnhart, zoo education, conservation and outreach coordinator, applied in Febrary to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle for a grant for the habitat signs and also an educational grant for kids. The grants are through Advancing Conservation Through Empathy (ACE), a network of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in seven states in the northern region of the U.S. based at the Seattle zoo. AZA stands for Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
"Nearly every animal in the zoo is going to have one," Barnhart said of the new signs. She said installation of the signs was completed this past week. "If you don't see one, it's probably coming or something's changed it," she added.
Barnhart has been working on the Enhancing Empathy Through Biography Signs project all summer including gathering information and photos and getting the material printed for the design.
Each sign has a picture and a way to identify the animal or animals such as the red pandas Fred and George.
"George has lighter fur under his eyes, Fred has darker fur under his eyes," as is described on the sign, Barnhart said. Their personality traits, what they eat at the zoo, some of their favorite food, their favorite toys or enrichment are included on the sign.
Barnhart obtained the information about the specific animals from their keepers at the zoo.
"One bear might have a favorite treat but another bear might have a different favorite treat," Barnhart said. "If they're different, they'll have them listed."
She said Fred and George like most of the same things but craisins are listed for George and not for Fred.
At the Okapi habitat, some of the information on the biography sign about Akili, an Okapi, notes he was born at the Bronx Zoo, came to the Minot zoo in 2017 and his favorite treats are browse (acacia leaves) and oatmeal balls.
The zoo has slightly under 200 inhabitants including birds.
"The cool thing is the signs all have what we call our Conservation Action so they have a way that visitors help this species in the wild," Barnhart said.
"This one for Fred and George," Barnhart said, indicating the red pandas' sign, "talks about how you can turn your thermostat down 2 degrees (in winter) or up 2 degrees (in summer), you can help reduce your carbon footprint and it also helps reduce your energy bill by up to 25 percent. It gives them a fun way to make a difference is the goal of the signs. Once you love these animals, you want to protect them."
Barnhart said the biography signs have been something zoo visitors have been asking about.
"The great thing about our community of Minot is that we have a lot of the same people that come and visit our zoo. They really do connect with the animals and they really do want to know their names, their birthdays and that information about them. It was great this grant allowed us the opportunity to provide that," she said.