Erie Zoo closes for the winter

Facility beds down for winter

By KARA MURPHY – Goerie.com

We’ll see you in 2010, Patches, Samantha and Leela.

The Erie Zoo closed for the season Monday, which means it will be March 1 before the polar bear, gorilla, orangutan and other favorite zoo creatures see a regular stream of visitors again.

This is the fifth year the zoo has closed in December, January and February.

Zoo President Scott Mitchell said the zoo, which operated on a $3.8 million budget in 2009, saves about $80,000 by closing for three months. The funds are saved by laying off part-time workers during that time and moving some animals to new quarters for the winter, allowing the heat in some buildings to be turned off during the coldest months of the year.

Zookeepers and volunteers will spend extra time interacting with the more social animals this winter to stave off loneliness, Mitchell said.

The standouts of the 2009 season were the littlest zoo creatures, Mitchell said.

Anna, an Amur tiger, paces at the Erie Zoo on Dec. 1. This is the fourth year that the zoo will shut down for three months, to save costs on utilities, snow removal and part-time employees. GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

“Babies, babies,” he said. “Those were the highlight.”

Jaguars were born for the first time in Erie Zoo history in May.

Not to be outdone, the orangutan Dasa gave birth to a healthy baby boy in September.

All of the babies seem healthy, Mitchell said.

The baby orangutan has proved especially popular, with thousands of name suggestions pouring in during a recent “name the baby” contest. The decision on what to name the baby orangutan will be made Monday, Mitchell promised.

He said among the suggestions the staff is sifting through are Curious George, Frank, Bob, Kevin and Joe Jr. The last is, of course, a nod to the baby’s popular father.

While the babies were popular, attendance numbers — which will not be available for several weeks — are expected to be flat or down over previous years because of the region’s cool and rainy summer, Mitchell said.

While attendance rallied this fall because of mild weather, it isn’t expected to make up for the cool summer, he said.

“A nice November doesn’t make up for a rainy June,” he said.

Similar Posts:

• Thailand zoo welcomes baby orangutan
• 2 new cubs spotted at Erie Zoo
• Name that fish at Maria Mitchell Aquarium
• Zoo ends season on a high note
• Voting begins Monday to name Zoo Atlanta’s panda