Well, it's been a while for me to be back at Potawatomi Zoo.

If you didn't happen to stop by the winter days, you missed out.

Lots of great things happening here at the zoo, and we're ready to kick off spring.

Oh, my gosh, spring is, We're off to a great start right now.

We got the new cafe lodge that opened up, and, but we're actually standing at the colobus monkey because spring brings white babies.

They've had so many babies already being born, so it's been really exciting to get people back to the zoo, to start seeing the babies and see all the new attractions, that we have done.

What are some of the new babies that have been born?

Oh my gosh.

So we have the little colobus, that was born here.

They're an African primate.

I love these guys because they have this big furry coat and people, you know what I call the this when you see.

Yeah.

And they have just a beautiful coat.

They do.

And it looks like they've been brushing it all day.

Exactly.

And then the baby saw how cute the baby is.

It's got that white coat and everything.

So people have been loving that.

But then if you were a visitor not too long ago, you were lucky enough to see a baby Takin being born actually on exhibit while we had public.

Oh my gosh.

Yes.

Yeah.

It was so it was about noon, one day and, we hear all this commotion and I was Takin giving birth.

So we have this cute little Takin and running around the exhibit now talking.

And some babies aren't out to the public right away.

Some are born naturally and in their exhibits and some are kind of behind the scenes.

Yes.

So we always try to be careful before we announce a baby, because any baby, I mean, is, you know, is pretty fragile.

So we just never know.

We got to make sure mom's taking care of it.

Is it healthy?

before we make a public announcement.

But then sometimes Mother Nature takes its course, and we don't have a choice.

There's a baby born, so.

Hello.

There's a big male right there.

He's like, it is.

So, But.

Yeah, but then we have a lot of planning.

we had a, we have a pregnant Sloth We, we had the baby last year of the baby Sloths You can still see him in the learning center.

so it's we got there's a there's a potentials of a lot of animals giving birth this year.

I love that they still have a lot of endangered species here at the zoo.

We do.

And I think that's what's been so great about this renovation or this revitalization of the zoo is, for instance, opening this year, the new Andean bear habitat.

We're going to be getting a female, it'll be a few years before where they can breed, but there's only 60 Andean bears in, in the United States.

And so if we can start that breeding program, it's just pretty amazing to think right here in South Bend, Indiana, we could be breeding such a rare bear.

so and that's just one example of probably I think that's so important when you think of a zoo, there's so much more to conservation efforts.

That's why I think there's a misunderstand, cause there's accredited zoos and then there's zoos all over the place.

so accredited zoos, there's only about 250 of us across the country.

And these are your major zoos that are your Fort Wayne's, your Columbus.

You know, all the big zoos.

We don't buy or sell any of the animals.

They're all part of important breeding program.

So there's actually population biologists that manage the genetics, where they should go, where they should breed.

because the real goal is to make sure that in 100 years, our future generations can be able to experience and learn about these animals.

So and speaking of experiences you guys have, animal encounters are returning here to the zoo.

I love these, I know we've done some as a team here with experience Michiana We've done the rhino flamingos well and and so you're kind of talking about our mission of education and conservation.

We've found that getting people behind the scenes and actually meeting the animals, meeting the zookeepers, getting those close personal, you know, kind of, understandings of animals changes people's perceptions of zoos and allows us to kind of highlight the work that we're doing.

So, yeah, you're gonna be able to meet the flamingos this year.

You're going to be able to, we kind of changed up bison feeding.

So we always had bison feeding.

But this year, now you're actually gonna be able to use your attraction ticket, which is $3, a $6.

So you use two of them, go to bison at a set time, and anybody can feed the bison versus kind of signing up for that online.

we still going to have our rhino encounters?

still the otters to the otter.

Okapi Everybody loves them Another big one.

We're going to be able to meet the okapi.

So one of my fun facts that I love about the okapi is its most related to the giraffe.

That is true, only living relative to one of my favorite zoo fun facts.

And that's kind of a rare when in series you don't see that a lot that you actually get to go back and meet the okapi.

So but all that's on our website, you go on our website, you can get tickets if you need to sign up or sign up on the that kind of stuff.

So and I know the zoo does a lot of learning education.

And that's something that you guys focus on as well too, especially with the kids getting ready to come out of school.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

We saw over 60,000 kids last year.

That's two camps, classes, outreach programs.

So, it's sleepovers.

So if you just check our website, we have so many different opportunities this year.

I mean, I think Zoo camp's getting ready to.

I already hear people excited about Zoo camp, so I want to rush this year away, but, people are already excited about what's to come.

So how has everyone perceived all of the new revitalization here at the zoo?

it's just it's been humbling.

I it's it's so great when I hear that, you know, I haven't been to the zoo in ten, 15 years.

This isn't the zoo I remember as a kid, I really we were always a cute little fun zoo.

but I don't think we were really kind of.

We didn't have that, kind of that reputation of being a modern zoo and a being a, an attractive place where people come to visit, here in it more and more that we love being able, that we're smaller, that you can come spend a couple hours.

You don't have to spend the entire day.

It's still affordable.

but you're feeling you can see the quality of life for the animals to these upgraded habitats.

Feeding the giraffes, riding the train.

it it's it's a great experience right here in our, you know, in our area.

Absolutely.

Tell us more about the cafe.

Oh, this is a big thing.

I it's a huge thing.

So this is crazy.

We, in 2018 had about 180,000 visitors.

We hit 300 over 350,000 visitors last year.

Oh my gosh.

So our amenities, we're trying to keep up with the crowd.

and we could not.

Now you've attracted all the people you feed.

exactly.

So you could not do that in the old cafe that we had.

So this 6000 square foot facility is we can have catering.

You can rent out spaces at the zoo.

it's got a great menu.

We can still concessions because we got a lot of people want to.

People want to come.

They want to get their food and they want to get going, make a day of it, but gets you out during the colder weather.

You can get inside, set by a fireplace, and then the coolest part is you share your meal with a bear.

So the bear actually comes into the restaurant.

there's glass between you.

Oh, good.

I'm so glad you added that Part I've.

There is glass, there's glass, there is glass.

We are just building a cafe.

Along with that would have been kind of boring.

So we had to add a bear to it.

So we haven't had bears at the zoo for gosh, I it's been at least 30 years.

I would say that we've had bears, so to bring them back to Potawatomi is pretty great.

So that's incredible.

And I just love everything that you guys have been doing here at the zoo.

Where can people get information about becoming members, joining or buying tickets?

Do they still need to get a reservation for the day?

No.

So we're best thing to do is go on our website.

Membership is the best deal of just a family of four two visits to the zoo pays for that membership.

So and that gets you for the entire year from the time you, sign up.

So go online, you can get those memberships.

You can see all of our hours, the events that are coming up.

We have eat & Drink coming up in June.

So we have Zoo Brew in the fall.

So definitely check out what our events are coming up.

get all that information.

Awesome.

Thank you so much Josh.