We're indoors, but we're still at Potawatomi Zoo.

There's so much to explore here.

Things continue to grow.

And I have my friend Josh with me showing us a little bit of inside.

Now, I've watched this grow over the years.

One of the things that I especially love is that the animals can actually have access to the outdoor elements.

Yeah.

So this this is our work center.

This was built in the 70s.

So it was a little dating app.

So all the animals were inside.

So there wasn't a lot of UV light and sound.

So with these masks it's really important for them to get that.

So one of the first things we want to do in the last couple of years, to be able to get this outdoor access.

So in the summertime they can go outside every day whenever we sell a slot.

I think he was just out there.

He went out.

This gives him an opportunity to get out on the side at Golden Lion, to get that sign and able to just turn as cold as can be.

So it's really good.

Yeah.

And they get to be in a different area.

They do.

So that's this is one of my I always say that's my favorite.

But this is my favorite because it is so ever changing.

I feel like anytime you come to the zoo it's something different.

It sure have marmosets here and tamarins here and there.

And then the next time you come in, maybe all spaced around.

So we're always moving species around and checking and what goes into those kinds of decisions does it based on, you know, the the population of the animal?

Yes.

We talk about zoos all the time that we're all these animals are part of breeding program.

So we may get a call if there's some rare monkey that's really needing some help.

We're we're supposed to be getting these tamarins and called, hi, Cameroons.

They actually are kind of a different nation, and we we haven't even got them yet.

It's like little old them.

Yeah, but they're one of the most endangered species of Cameroon.

So we're going to go out soon.

So we might be able to move marmosets monkeys.

Okay.

With the high temperatures down here if that doesn't work and they're not getting along and I get the idea because we're always kind of experimenting on different species.

It tells us about that from a veterinarian perspective, because a lot goes into that and you guys are really like, I know I'm watching.

Yeah.

Just someone actually down here right now, she's one of our two keepers.

They're taken care of this morning.

But yeah, because, you know, not every animal can just go together.

We know certain species.

So we just through trial and error and just talking to other zoos.

That's great about the connection.

We have other accredited zoos.

We know what species can maybe mix with these Saki monkeys or which species can be the slot.

So it's not like we're just doing it for the first time and just seeing if it works out right now, having that abandoned mongoose maintenance, you can't put it in there.

Oh, good to know.

They would be very aggressive.

I say good to know.

Like I'm going to bring it to my house.

I'm not doing so just, you know, never put anything with banded mongoose.

Okay.

Now you know what you and let's talk about the conservation efforts for this.

Yeah.

So I going to all the animals in the zoo were part of a breeding program.

You know, bias.

All the animals are really about sustainability.

We want to make sure that the population is not only are going to be in the wild, but here in zoos within 30, 40 years.

So we had to work with population biologists.

It's a it's there's a whole science to it.

And knowing to which animals we should have, should we send this male out to we send this female to another sample from reading.

So there's a lot of science that goes into absolutely.

And speaking of science, let's go over to this area because, I mean, this is kind of the creepy crawlers, like the cockroaches have always been a family favorite for us, right?

I mean, you either love this area.

Oh, look at each one of.

Yeah, that's a million there.

He's pretty cool.

But yeah, this is, you know, some people can't even come in here because this is where we have the reptiles and snakes.

But the kids love it.

We always.

We've got the big red tail boa in here.

We got some auditors.

It's just it's great because it does give you a different perspective .

and teaches kids that I. It's funny how I'll start with a kid and they won't even touch the snake.

And by the end of that.

Yeah, they're already heading.

It's just changes are obvious.

Oh my gosh.

All right.

Let's keep walking over here because it's even more now a spot a turtle.

This is really you can find one of these in your backyard.

You can.

So we also take so these are actually confiscated the DNR the Department of Natural Resources bought these to us because they couldn't they were someone was trying to keep them as pets.

And it's illegal to have them as a pet.

So, so again, it gives us an opportunity to tell their story.

And this is a turtle that you can see in your backyard.

And so it's not everything's from like some crazy across the ocean.

Yeah.

We got stuff just right here in our backyard.

And it's important for us to talk about those.

Sorry.

Let's keep walking down here because I know there's even more.

There's one of the snakes.

Is that a snake?

Yeah, that's a man.

Is there?

Oh, yeah.

I remember the big yellow boa that you see here, but he's actually one of the keepers.

Okay, we have to real dragon.

Look at them.

So be real dragons.

They've been inspired by a lot of the dinosaur movies.

They have that kind of back real around their head.

So, yes, like a Jurassic park.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

I was wondering when I was a kid and I'm like, now how does this go?

Like, how do you, how do you feed them?

So he's watching this now.

But so the keepers got tongs and he's just giving up.

You can see there's low calcium.

There's some white powder on the worms.

Okay.

So they're getting their vitamins, too.

And then he's hungry.

Yeah.

And I know everything behind the door.

We're seeing this, you know, from.

Yeah.

This is this perspective.

Consider that was because, I mean, we didn't even know this was happening.

And you just, you know, the kids can walk through here and see something like this, maybe a keeper feeding an animal or cleaning an exhibit or being able to just ask questions and learn about them.

So and it's there's always something happening in here, I love that.

I know you guys have other stuff that's going on here too.

This is the learning center that we're at, which is great, especially for a rainy day like today, that you could come out and have me here and you probably spent quite some time in here as well.

You can, you can, but yeah, you saw as we were wanted to zero seemed illuminate is coming.

Yes I do, I do illuminate lights everywhere.

That's our Chinese lantern festival.

Yes.

All huge animals and lights.

And it's going to be pretty amazing.

And I know we talked a little bit about it last week, but this theme is a little bit different than last year.

So if you came last year it's going to be entirely different.

We haven't seen a single one that's like last year.

So it's called the Sea to to believe.

So it's all underwater ocean.

So it's fish and sea turtles and crabs and jellyfish and all kinds of things.

Do you guys have any, anything that would maybe belong in that category here a little bit?

People ask all the time if we're ever going to be an aquarium.

Yeah.

Problem with that is it's very expensive to run an aquarium.

You've got to have a specialist marketing program.

So it's hard to have just like one tank.

So you need to get a vehicle, an aquarium and be able to hire an aquarium test and be able to do all that.

It's just very hard to hire someone for two tanks, sure, I get that so, I think.

Ye So we try to keep it.

So we do have water, things like the axolotl and you know, as we grow some fresh water stuff.

But you know when you start getting into coral reefs and salt water quality system, you really need a professional that knows how to care for that.

Yeah.

So until we're ready to really do it right and have a lot of that stuff, let's say maybe about a second, I want to give a kudos to your staff.

Do you want to talk about them for a minute?

Because they're just phenomenal and really care for the animals?

Yeah, just a whole team just all around you from guest experience to maintenance.

And I think about our maintenance and how much they do in-house for the animals.

But but yeah, our keepers, we have 17 zookeepers.

These areas are broke up.

So you know that there may be one keeper that's just a reptile and one that's just in time for the monkeys.

And they're kind of specialist within their area, but they are the eyes on the animals.

They're caring, giving, enrichment, doing training.

They have an important role.

And it's it's how we're able to do what we know.

I know I've been to the zoo sometimes before where we've helped to make enrichment items.

You guys going to be doing anything like that?

Yeah, we can do that.

Our classes that you can sign up to make enrichment that will help you out.

There's just so many things.

Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

It is.

Now let's talk about the classes because they happen here at the Learning Center.

We do.

Yes.

We have a classroom here.

We have one up in the red barn.

Like our pants.

We'll start down here.

We got to go online.

You can see all of our different classes.

We have available.

So what's it?

Educational I think last year offered 60,000 people between programs are now.

Yes.

It's it's been pretty amazing.

And I know you guys go out with animals.

We never you know.

Yeah.

That's a real special program.

We can go out to nursing homes and schools.

It's all education base.

We don't we don't really go out for like privileged to be at an attraction.

But it's like a good education based at that situation.

So what are the animals that are going to be traveling this year?

Oh gosh, we got slots.

We got to man the way we got yeah yeah a lot that goes out.

Birds of prey sort of a hawk in and out of snakes and reptiles.

We, we have quite a variety of skunk, all kinds of stuff that goes out in this.

Great to be able to talk about why those are important for our entire world.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I guess people just the different perspective you get up house and learn let's say about.

But we know you want to treat them that like, you know, they're not.

And they actually eat insects in your backyard.

Yeah.

They have an important role.

So it's just a different perspective.

Awesome, awesome.

All right.

Well thank you for showing us a little bit around the Learning Center.

I always say like if you want a zoo pass, you can spend one day here just in the learning center.

The next day come back and do another section.

There's so much you can just come and go and see you.

And we're officially open for business.

Officially open for business.

All right, I will.

Come on out.

We'll see you.

I thought a lot of these.