An iguana explores a cereal box for Breakfast with the Animals.
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle
The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk’s gates swarmed with animal lovers lining up for its annual event: Breakfast with the Animals. On March 8, visitors exclusively experienced seeing animals during their feeding times, with educational dietary chats and breakfast provided by Panera Bread.
“It’s just an opportunity to let guests see the animals early in the morning because they are very active very early in the morning and very late in the day,” Lori Lampert, director of Guest Experience, said.
The event was held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with animal keeper and educator chats spread throughout. Visitors could choose which sessions to attend and view other animals in between. The specific animal keeper chats included zoo farm animals, orangutans, cassowaries, tigers, red river hogs, crocodiles, rhinos and the World of Reptiles. Although these were the set chats, employees were around to answer questions about other animals.
“It’s like a full zoo day crammed into two hours,” Kourtney Houghtaling, events manager, said. “It is full of different keeper chats, we have a mock vet exam that’s happening and then our diet kitchen is having a chat. So it’s like not things that happen every day or at every event.”
The Animal Wellness Campus hosted The Diet Kitchen Chat led by Nutrition Keeper Yohn Sutton. He educated people on the basics of his everyday job and answered any questions. The mock vet exam and interactive educational activities were set up at the wellness camp too. Many kids participated in this interactive section with food sorting, vet play and diet matching.
“I usually go through about 100 to about 200 diets a day that I make for all the animals. We have over 600 animals here, so I do all the different diet sheets for every single one of them,” Sutton said.
Breakfast with the Animals is a popular event that still leaves time and space for up close and personal encounters. Throughout the event, different animals were seen eating cheerios. Sutton said that is because they are often used as an enrichment activity for the animals to create stimulation and engagement.
Sutton said the zoo receives 1,000 pounds of produce weekly, including sweet potatoes, carrots, various lettuces and squash. The zoo also receives 8,000 pounds of meat every two months, including fish and rodents.
He said this is all used for animal feed but not all the animals eat daily, so some receive food less frequently.
While visiting and learning, breakfast was offered for people to grab and eat at convenience. Upon entering the zoo, bagels and cream cheese were served at a Panera Bread sponsored tent and other foods like bacon, sausage, yogurt, fresh fruit, cheese sticks and granola bars were available under the pavilion. The juice was provided by Coca-Cola and other drink options were complimentary coffee or mimosas by purchase.
“It’s been really fun and interactive. It’s been good to get one-on-one time with the animals and hear from zoo keepers,” guest Maddie Brown said.
During the orangutan keeper chat, guests watched them eat Cheerios and lettuce. The mom orangutan was also carrying her new baby around. The zoo farm chat included sheep encounters as they grazed on their morning grass. Guests could talk to the keepers after they gave a short rundown on the sheeps’ diet and routine.
Charlie the bongo is one of the many animals up bright and early at the Virginia Zoo.
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle
“It is also a fundraiser for us, so because this event is separately ticketed, the money goes into a different pot that then supports our education programs, and different things that are not just supported by general admission,” Lampart said.
Lampart said the zoo has a full education team that works to help keep the community educated on its animals. The education team talks in schools and has different outreach programs come into the zoo. “Our education team really has the guest engagement piece for us at the events that we organize,” Lampart said.
Events help the zoo to reach different markets of people. For example, they have adult-only events for those who may not visit on a regular day.
The animals are more active during these morning hours and some are even up and eating, giving people the chance to take fun photos. The Virginia Zoo’s mascot Tango the Tiger was also bouncing around to greet people for photos. Breakfast with the Animals is more educational than visiting during regular operating hours because of the keeper chats, dietitians and interactive elements available. The address for the zoo is 3500 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23504.
By Kami Whisenhunt
kjwhisenhunt@vwu.edu
