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Dallas Zoo becomes fully accessible to those with sensory sensitivities and autism

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Dallas Zoo
Dallas Zoo guests enjoy the park while utilizing the sensory sensitivity equipment.

Texas’s oldest and largest zoo is now certified as “sensory inclusive” for guests who may need a quieter and more secure environment while visiting the 106-acre park.

The Dallas Zoo is partnering with KultureCity to ensure its programs, events, and campus are all sensory inclusive. To become certified, staff members were trained by leading medical professionals on how to recognize guests with sensory needs, and how to handle a sensory overload situation.

Sensory bags, equipped with noise-canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards (produced in conjunction with Boardmaker), and weighted lap pads will also be available to those who may feel overwhelmed by the environment. Dallas Zoo guests will also have special access to a dedicated sensory room designed by medical professionals during designated Sensory Friendly events for those who may need a quieter space. (Guests can pick up a sensory bag at the Information Booth across from the Endangered Species Carousel.)

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD, and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over-stimulation and noise. With this new certification, the Dallas Zoo is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible.

“Making the park fully sensory inclusive has been an incredible Zoo-wide team effort, and shows our dedication to serving our community and families with sensory sensitivities,” said Tonya McDaniel, Dallas Zoo’s Education Supervisor of Family and Intergenerational Learning. “We want everyone to have an opportunity to join us in creating a better world for animals.”

“To know that you will now be able to see families enjoy the Dallas Zoo with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment. Our communities are what shapes our lives and we’re grateful the Zoo is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community,” said Dr. Julian Maha, Co-Founder, KultureCity.

Prior to visiting the Dallas Zoo, families can download the free KultureCity App to view what sensory features are available and where they can access them. Also, on the App is the Social Story, which will provide a preview of what to expect at the Zoo.

This fall, the Dallas Zoo will also ensure its Halloweekend event accommodates individuals with sensory sensitivities. On Oct. 26, the Zoo will host Quiet Hour from 8-9 a.m. with sound and light modifications in ZooNorth, along with hands-on activities, bounce houses, games, and more. The designated quiet zone will be available in the Tiger Classroom from 8-11 a.m., as well.

The Zoo also offers a free monthly program for individuals with early-stage dementia through the Alzheimer’s Association. To register for a Wild Gatherings program, visit communityresourcefinder.org or call 1-800-272-3900. And returning Sunday, April 19, 2020, is Dallas Zoo’s annual Sensory Friendly Day, where hundreds of families can enjoy the Zoo in a reduced stimulatory experience. Registration will open this spring at DallasZoo.com.

Categories: Uncategorized | 4 Comments

3 strange and unusual animal mating rituals you need to know about

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Chelsey

Madagascar hissing cockroaches have some pretty wacky mating rituals.

WARNING! This content is NSFW!…we’re only kidding, of course.

Dating and relationships can be complicated, confusing and downright weird. But if you think your significant other is behaving strangely, just wait until you hear about how things go down in the animal kingdom. Seriously though, we’re here to educate. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought you needed to know about these three absolutely abnormal animal mating rituals.

Tamanduas

Also known as lesser anteaters, tamanduas use their long snouts to sniff out ant, termite and bee colonies. They can eat up to 9,000 ants in a single day! Their long claws enable them to dig into nests and climb trees, and a long, sticky tongue licks up insects.

Tamanduas are solitary animals, until it’s time to find that special someone.

Tamanduas are solitary animals, until it’s time to find a mate. This typically occurs in the fall, and if the timing isn’t exactly right, tamanduas will either ignore each other completely or begin fighting. Totally relatable, right? Zoologists have to closely monitor their behavior to be sure they introduce the male and female at the exact right time. Then once breeding has completed, they need to be separated again pretty quickly, or else the fighting may continue. Basically, they just want to be left alone.

If successful, tamandua gestation lasts for 130-190 days. Babies are born with a solid-colored coat that looks pretty different from their mother’s, but they have those same large claws.

Our female outreach tamandua, Chispa recently gave birth to little Abrazo, who is cute as can be. Abrazo will ride on his mom’s back for about 6 months, and he’ll stay pretty close to her for about a year before beginning his own solitary life.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches

Madagascar hissing cockroaches aren’t anything like the roaches you may find in your apartment – as their name implies, these creepy-crawlers emit a hissing sound. Most insects that make noises do so by rubbing their body parts together (like crickets). However, the Madagascar hissing cockroach exhales air through spiracles, which are small holes in their abdomens. Male roaches will “hiss” to attract females, and females will emit an odor to let the males know they’re interested.

Once they find each other, the males further express interest by rubbing the antennae of the female. After successful breeding, the female will carry around the egg case, called an “ooethecas,” for a little over 2 months until the nymphs (baby cockroaches) hatch from the case.

Next time you’re at Bug U!, see if you can tell the males from the females — males have two horns on their thorax, and females do not.

Male giraffe will sample the urine of potential mates.

Giraffes

Giraffes are the world’s tallest land animal. Our tallest giraffe stands 17 feet tall! They may be incredibly tall and majestic creatures, but their mating ritual is downright weird. In order to determine if a female giraffe is fertile, the male will taste her urine. That’s right. Since giraffe don’t have a set menstrual/estrous cycle like other animals, this is the only way. Males can detect the females’ hormone levels just by drinking their pee.

Once they know that the timing is right, they’ll follow their girl around for a few days trying to mount her. During this time, he may need to fight off competition! He’ll do this by swinging his impressive long neck around and whacking any other males who get in his way.

The fertile female avoids her suitor for a while, until finally standing still long enough to do the deed. This may occur several times over the course of a few days. Once pregnant, the giraffe calf gestates for over 400 days.

Well there you have it. Did this blog post make you blush? Let us know in the comments.

P.S. If you want to learn even more about mating in the animal kingdom, join us for Love Birds & Wild Things this Saturday, Feb. 16. Our very own Dr. Raines will give you all the shockingly true deets about animal reproduction, plus you’ll get a special Zoo tour, light bites (including chocolate covered strawberries!) and a champagne toast.  Tickets are limited and will go fast! Click HERE to reserve your spot now.

Categories: Giraffe, Social Media, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wild Earth Preschool is growing the next generation of wildlife ambassadors

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Chelsey

It’s been a WILD ride since August, when class was officially in session at the Wild Earth Preschool! As the only full-time nature-based preschool in South Dallas, this was a big deal for us. These pint-sized zoologists have truly proved how important incorporating nature into our kids’ lives really is.

“We want to grow the next generation of wildlife conservationists,” says Marti Copeland, Dallas Zoo Director of Education. “We want to guide children in early experiences in nature so that they can grow up to love and care.”

It hasn’t even been a full season yet, but just check out all the things we’ve accomplished:

  • Wild Earth Preschool is the only nature-based full-time preschool in South Dallas.
  • We’ve got one fully enrolled class for this year and interest lists forming for every season until 2021!
  • Our flexible schedule meets the needs of parents working both in and out of their homes.
  • Families from all over the Metroplex, from Oak Cliff to East Dallas and Arlington to Argyle, have made us their preschool-of-choice.
  • And we had some SERIOUSLY awesome developmental gains for our students, like:
    • Building an environmental-STEM vocabulary with words such as habitat, predator, compost, protection, shelter, larvae, life cycle, and more. The students are using these words in correct contexts unprompted.
    • Developing an empathetic, responsible, connected classroom family. Students learn self-regulation skills, conflict resolution, and have classroom jobs such as conservationist, gardener, navigator, librarian, and song-selector.
  • Our students are becoming Zoo and wildlife ambassadors, doing things like picking up discarded Zoo maps to recycle and even educating guests about our animals.

We couldn’t be more proud to help raise the next generation of wildlife conservationists though this special nature-themed preschool. Learn more about what we offer, and contact us for an enrollment meeting at: bit.ly/WEPreschool

Categories: Conservation, Education, Uncategorized, Wild Earth Preschool | Leave a comment

Recycle your old string lights at the Dallas Zoo, and help protect wildlife this holiday season

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Chelsey

Reduce your impact this holiday season by recycling your old string lights!

Collection bin is located at the Zoo’s front entrance throughout Dallas Zoo Lights and will remain until January 13.

Are you tangled up in holiday lights? Don’t know what to do or where to turn? Fear not! Bring us your old string lights, and we’ll keep them out of landfills by recycling them responsibly. Many string lights are made with copper and other precious metals, which are harvested through mining in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo where critically endangered gorillas and okapi live. Recycling these metals reduces the need to mine for new materials, which causes animal habitat destruction and other harmful effects to our environment.

There are so many reasons to recycle, but here are a just few ways that recycling benefits the environment and will help us Create a Better World for Animals:

  • Less waste sent to landfills provides more habitat space for wildlife.
  • Reduces the risk of waste making its way into places it shouldn’t, like the ocean, where animals can accidentally ingest it or become tangled.
  • Allows us to reuse materials without having to harvest new ones, including copper and plastics.
  • It takes less energy to recycle materials than to create new ones.

What do we do with these old lights? They go to our trusted metal recycler where they’re broken down and the parts are recycled individually.

 *Only string lights will be accepted for recycling; please do not bring other items like flood lights, extension cords or light hooks.

Categories: Conservation, Dallas Zoo Lights, Green Team, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Beyond exercise: The adventurous animals in the Lacerte Family Children Zoo go exploring

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Lisa Van Slett

Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo goats explore the tiger viewing area on a recent adventure!

Animal Care Supervisor Lisa Van Slett Guest Blogs on ZooHoo!

For most people, taking your dog for a walk is a common event. It feels natural to say that your dog (and you) need exercise to stay in shape. Beyond good exercise, these walks are also a way for you to bond with your four-legged best friend.

But what about other animals? While we are limited by species at the Dallas Zoo (I would not recommend walking your giraffe around Oak Cliff), the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo has room to roam. On any given day you may find the keepers walking goats, sheep, pigs, chickens or our longhorn!

Upon first glance walking these animals may seem straight forward, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Our keepers start training the animals with the basics, like getting comfortable with wearing a harness, halter, or collar. Just like people, individual animals have different levels of confidence. Sometimes we get lucky, and a goat is comfortable wearing a collar right away! Other times we have to build up to it, which is when the relationship between animal and keeper is vital. We use positive reinforcement to build those strong relationships and earn the animals’ trust. Once they are dressed and ready to go, we can start exploring the Zoo!

Penny and Oliver say hello to the Komodo dragon in the Herpetarium.

Another less obvious benefit of walking our animals around different parts of the zoo is how enriching it is for everyone involved. The animals get to see and explore something new, and it’s also fun for guests at the Zoo! Although you can go into our contact yard with the animals, there is something very special about bumping into them somewhere unexpected. The keepers get just as excited and request that we call them to tell them when the goats are coming for a visit! We also love seeing the reactions of the other species. The penguins and otters are always curious. Killa, the harpy eagle likes to watch the goats, and the Komodo dragon comes to the glass to see the pigs up close.

Keepers have a lot of factors to consider when deciding which animals to take out and what destination to pick. For instance, our goat herd contains 11 goats! As fun as that would be to walk the whole herd, we mix and match within the group, and only take out two or three at a time. Our Kune Kune pigs, Penny and Oliver, are always a big hit too. They are both halter training and can usually be seen walking within the Children’s Zoo, but occasionally you might find them out in ZooNorth. They have even made appearances in the Herpetarium! The sheep are our most adventurous animals. They have gone through the tunnel to the Wilds of Africa to visit the lions, cheetahs, mandrills, and penguins.  Everyone comes out to take a look!  Bahati the lion took a seat at the window, sitting as close as she could to the sheep. Mshindi the chimp likes to look at the chickens and watch as they walk around.

There are endless possibilities for adventure and exploring with our contact animals.  If you would like to see our animals in action, there are several options. You can come for a visit on Monday, Thursday or Saturday around 10-11 am (weather dependent) when we have our scheduled goat walks.  You may also see the sheep greeting guests as they come into the Zoo during our monthly Dallas Zoo Member Mornings. However, on the nicer days you never know what (or who) you may see around the Zoo during your visit!

Categories: Children's Zoo (Lacerte Family), Uncategorized, Zookeepers | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

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