1 month ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Maple the groundhog, a caller summation astatine Fresno Chaffee Zoo pursuing a raid connected her erstwhile location successful Oregon, is present joining the zoo's ambassador program, helping thatch the assemblage astir animals, their habitats and conservation efforts to support them.
"We instrumentality them sometimes off-site to schools, oregon events," said Animal Outreach and Wellbeing Curator Ronnie Kerestus. "But we chiefly bash a batch of on-site encounters."
Other members of the zoo's ambassador programme person included Empanada the porcupine, Wallace the tortoise and PJ the armadillo. The newest member, Maple, was acquired pursuing a four-day cognition astatine a roadside zoo successful Oregon.
During that operation, Oregon State Police accidental implicit 300 animals were rescued and relocated to accredited oregon permitted carnal sanctuaries. One of those sanctuaries conscionable happened to beryllium the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
"That's wherefore we person the Fresno Chaffee Zoo," Kerestus said. "We privation to link the radical to the conservation."
Since Maple arrived astatine the zoo, Kerestus says she has shown a large aptitude for being an ambassador.
Maple, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo groundhog."She spent immoderate clip successful our infirmary going done a quarantine period, which we bash with each animals, to marque definite that they're harmless and healthy," Kerestus said. "Then she came implicit to america astatine the ambassador program. We tested retired however she was doing successful that ambassador setting, and she did amazingly well."
Kerestus says Maple is already voluntarily participating successful her people training, making her a imaginable prima successful the making for the zoo's ambassador program.
"We thought we were going to person to physique her up a small spot more," Kerestus said. "But she's made a speedy turnaround and truly connected with her specialist."
Staff accidental not each animals are suited to beryllium ambassadors, and nary animals volition ever beryllium forced to beryllium a portion of the program. In fact, Kerestus says PJ the armadillo has been forced into retirement.
"We're inactive going to fto her unrecorded her afloat grade of her full life, which is overmuch longer present astatine the Fresno Chaffee Zoo than it would beryllium successful the wild," Kerestus said. "She was starting to archer us, nary - astatine that point, we started to discontinue her."
PJ present conscionable hangs retired successful the carnal ambassador complex, though unit accidental she's inactive comfy capable to spot radical who bash behind-the-scenes tours. Kerestus says the astir important portion of the ambassador program, too teaching radical astir and encouraging carnal conservation, is that the animals person a choice.
"We contiguous their crate, and if they spell into it, they cognize they're apt going to spell determination else; if they don't spell successful that crate, we don't instrumentality them anywhere."
While immoderate animals take to measurement distant from the ambassador programme for good, unit accidental Maple seems acceptable for the spotlight.
"You should beryllium capable to spot her rather soon arsenic she's progressing very, precise well," said Kerestus.
