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So, I missed the International ZooKeeper Day by a few days. Oh well, better late than never, right?
Truth is, I didn’t know until I saw a post on Facebook from the Philippine Eagle Foundation located at Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City which is just a little bit further up from Calinan.
I’ve taken my son there and he had a blast watching the animals. The people who were also taking care of the animals or were giving tours were very accommodating despite his noisiness brought about by his curiosity.
In fact, they gave him the right amount of attention that made the trip to the zoo a pleasant one.
What is International Zookeeper Day?
The International Zookeeper Day was launched in 2015 by the International Congress of Zookeepers (ICZ) in 2015. So, it’s a fairly new event that’s less than a decade old as we speak. Not a lot of people know about it except perhaps insiders.
The official date is every October 4 of the year which coincidentally is the same as St. Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day.
And did you know that St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals?
So maybe the ICZ deliberately picked the date to have a saint supporting the event.
International Zookeeper Day is meant to celebrate the dedicated individuals who manage the daily tasks involved in running a zoo. It is dedicated for Senior Zoo Managers down to groundskeepers and maintenance persons. Without these individuals, a zoo would run amok like an, er… zoo.
Why are Zoos Important?
Personally, I would prefer to see animals in the wild. I believe that’s a more immersive experience. Check out Zoobic’s safari where tigers approach the vehicle if and when they want to. I experienced the same thing in Singapore Zoo with my wife.
But there are just animals that are elusive and you wouldn’t have the opportunity to see in the wild. And that’s where I believe zoos come into play.
They are important for educating the public about animals, ecology and our impact on the environment.
As a young boy, I had the opportunity to regularly visit zoos. I also had the rare opportunity to have an uncle who liked collecting odd animals. He had a collection of birds and constructed an aviary so I could enjoy walking in and be surrounded by these wondrous flying creatures every time I fed them.
It was a great experience.
In time I was given a turtle to take care of and it lived a very long life despite me not being there anymore to care for it. I also had a collection of snakes.
These animals taught me how to be responsible for others. Things that young children can pick up on when they view how zookeepers handle the animals they care for.
We need zoos for the younger generation to experience wildlife with a measure of safety. Hopefully, every visit to the zoo that young children experience makes them learn more about animals, empathy, and caring for the environment.
3 Zoos in Davao and Only One is Celebrating International Zookeeper Day?
There are three zoos in Davao City
- Philippine Eagle Foundation – I believe that this is the best out of the three because of how the enclosures are built and the distance from each other. It also has the most natural setting for the eagles (most importantly) with their large aviaries and tall ceilings. The only thing that I don’t really like is how small the crocodile enclosure is. There are two pools outside that a crocodile would really enjoy living in.
- Davao Crocodile Park and Zoo – they have a lions and tigers that the other two Davao Zoos don’t have. It’s also relatively much easier to walk around the Davao Crocodile Park and Zoo because they have paved walkways and the cages are situated much nearer to one another. The only sad thing is that some of the animals don’t seem to have the best enclosures. Maybe this is due to lack of funding so I hope more people pay patronage or send in donations to the Davao Crocodile Park and Zoo.
- Malagos Garden Resort Davao City – although mostly known for producing chocolate in their facilities and providing good food to tourists, Malagos Garden Resort Davao City also has an aviary filled with hundreds of birds. Several pools filled with Koi. At least 2 ponds filled with turtles and a petting zoo where children and adults can hand feed goats, sheep, horses, and other tame animals.
Now, bear in mind that I’m using the term “zoo” loosely here. These places are the ones we’ve visited that feature animals for the public to come see and enjoy. All three places also have bird shows.
I hope you visit each one and enjoy their facilities. Remember that the price of admission goes to supporting the zoo as a whole from feeding the animals to paying the employees’ wages. Donations also help. Your organization can benefit greatly from sending donations to zoos from advertising to tax write-offs.
PS. I wrote this on October 7, 2024. In between writing about hair loss and basic grammar.
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