The Zoo at ONU!

    The Zoo at ONU!    

        At Ohio Northern we have a group on campus called Ada Friends. This group is part of the religious life organization and the local community. It integrates college students and Ada elementary students in a mentorship program. This past week the group put on a “Zoo at ONU” event on the Tundra of Ohio Northern’s campus. This event was held for any of the Ada Friends mentorship pairings, or anyone on ONU’s campus.
The Columbus Zoo traveled to ONU with two zookeepers and six animals. When I went to the event I was unsure of how it would go. I wasn’t expecting many unique animals due to the limits traveling could put on their abilities. I have seen zoo or animal events before with presentations of animals that I might be able to see more often or are not of much interest to me. However, this event was so much more than that.
The zookeepers from Columbus were very knowledgeable and accommodating to both the college students and elementary students. Each of the zookeepers would bring out one animal at a time. They would allow the students to pet the animal and let it walk around either on a table or the ground if it was safe. They would also continue to talk about the animal to inform us about their natural habitat, family, name, predators and even where they came from. I loved being able to hear more about the background of the animals they brought.
The animals they brought to ONU were a tortoise, a joey, a penguin, an armadillo, an enchida and an otter. I thought the variety of animals was great and they had unique animals. I loved being able to be a part of this event. Being able to be so close to zoo animals was such a great and unique experience. If you are ever looking for something to add to your event, I would definitely recommend the Columbus Zoo coming to you!