Zoo Idaho invites kids to take a break from new-school-year-stress with their grandparents
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POCATELLO – With the new school year just beginning, a local zoo will offer a discount on admission for any grandparents looking for something fun to do with their grandchildren.
On Sunday, Zoo Idaho will be having its annual “Grandparents’ Day at the Zoo” promotion, where grandparents will receive 50% off their admission when they are accompanied by a paid child. Peter Pruett, manager of Zoo Idaho, said that even more than giving the parents a break, grandparents will be giving the grandchildren a break during a stressful time of the year for them.
“The kids have gone back to school … and I think it would be a great opportunity for the grandparents to grab the grandkids and take them to the zoo, so the grandkids can take a break from a fairly stressful last two weeks,” Pruett said.
Zoo Idaho, located at 3000 South 2nd Avenue, is an indigenous zoo, meaning it hosts only animals native to the Intermountain West. The zoo does not breed animals, only bringing new animals through rescue programs.
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For any grandparents or kids who haven’t been to the zoo in a few years, Pruett said they might be surprised to find a number of new animals and exhibits.
One of those animals that Pruett and the rest of the staff are most excited for people to see is Zoo Idaho’s new cougar kitten, Roxanne.
“Of course, what we’re all most excited about is Roxanne the Cougar,” Pruett said. “She’s getting a lot more comfortable with her exhibit. She’s still not spending a whole lot of time out on the exhibit, but early in the morning, she’s usually out and about by her ramps.”
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People who visit Roxanne’s exhibit will also find new renovations, with dirt and vegetation covering the concrete floor of the enclosure, as well as climbing platforms and a raised dirt bed with a pool.
“We did quite a bit of work on renovating the exhibit as well, so that looks completely different,” Pruett said.
In addition to Roxanne, there are also two new donkeys, Goose and Selena, in the zoo’s Barnyard. The donkeys were recently brought in from a local rescue facility.
“They’re always going to be fun to say hi to,” Pruett said.
At the top of the zoo, by the pathway leading to Shoni the grizzly bear’s exhibit, the zoo has a new exhibit for its badger. The enclosure was completed at the beginning of August, and features a little house for the badger to get some shade, foliage for her to hide in, and plenty of dirt for her to dig in.
“This (exhibit) is fantastic,” Pruett told EastIdahoNew.com on a trip to the zoo. “She’s absolutely loving this exhibit.”
But what animals have taken the place of the badger in her old exhibit? Two baby raccoons, who both climbed on the fence of the enclosure during EastidahoNews.com’s trip.
Once they’ve finished visiting the exhibits, grandchildren can burn off their remaining energy in the treehouse near the zoo entrance, while grandparents get some rest.
And Pruett said that visiting the zoo is an educational experience for both the grandchildren and the grandparents.
“When you move through the zoo, of course, we’ve got all our signage out there that has all kinds of wonderful information about our animals … but the best source is when you can find a zookeeper and stop them and ask them questions, because they know all about our animals,” Pruett said.