By Ella Casey, Assistant Zoo Director
casey@cityofmhk.com
photos courtesy of Autumn Shoemaker of we chase the light
Not only do we have adorable puppies at the Zoo, we are home to one of the coolest programs, I think, for kiddos in the region.
Zoo Sprouts. A year-round, immerse-kids-in-nature childcare program for 2.5 to 5 year olds located right here at Sunset Zoo. These 15 lucky youngsters learn all the things young kids do, we just put a nature-based spin on it by leveraging the 26-acre park full of amazing animals
right outside of their classroom door!
Last week, the kids enjoyed an extra special treat, an opportunity to meet our two puppy residents, Matty and Fin. With another healthy week of growth under their puppy belts, our Animal Care team was ready to try out a few people observations!
And it went smashingly…
It was a tad bit chilly, so after the quick meet-and-greet, the Zoo Sprout'ers toured the facility to learn where the pups live and what we do to take care of these special canine residents. (I wasn’t lying about the coolness factor, right??? We are literally bringing to life what these kids are learning!)
As for the pups, they were amused with the kids for a moment, particularly Matty the Labrador. He managed to sneak in a few a puppy licks.
On the other hand, Fin, the maned wolf, was certainly his shy self and very content exploring his jungle of sprouting spring plants.
The two also enjoyed a classic game of puppy tag.
Other exciting news includes the duo almost transitioning to solid food this past week. These two will be grown up before we know it!