SPRINGFIELD — It was nearly 100 degrees in the shade and the humidity was oppressive on a recent day at The Zoo in Forest Park.
But “Hades” wasn’t hot — in fact, the aptly named Argentine black and white tegu loves the heat.
That’s what children learned that day at the park’s zoo camp.
“There is a new reward every day—to be able to teach a kid something about an animal they didn’t know,” said Patrick Gallagher, the zoo’s director of education. “Sometimes I lose sight of that because I work around these animals every day and know them really well.”
Gallagher handled Hades in a towel, calmly presenting it to children who then got to pet the reptile, getting so close they could look into its eyes and feel it breathe.
They were in awe when Gallagher told them that if a predator grabs the lizard by his tail, it snaps off, allowing him to escape. A smaller one grows in its place. This can happen only once in the lizard’s life, said the zookeeper.
“I like to interact with the animals, touching and playing with them. It’s a special chance to do something you haven’t done before,” said Charley Gosselin, 12, a camper from Springfield.
The zoo has just begun its annual summer camp, which runs weekly until Aug. 15.
There is a dizzying 200 animals at the Forest Park Zoo, including tortoises, parrots, snakes and goats. The children are asked which ones they want to see the most, and Gallagher makes the introduction.
“One of my favorite parts of the job is bringing a kid that is petrified of snakes, or does not care about animals, and by slow exposure and letting them handle the animals, fostering a new love for wildlife or grow the passion that already exists in kids,” he said.
When it’s possible, the children enter the animal’s domain, inside a pen where they can squat and watch a 25-year-old tortoise walk toward them. They can pet the shell, but only if they don’t interrupt the reptile’s journey.
Gallagher wants the experience to be immersive for the child, and non-threatening to the animal.
“It is a logistical challenge,” he said.
“There are a lot of things involved with animal care appended to childcare, but it is important to give young audiences this type of wildlife education. Without an early exposure, it’s difficult to appreciate it going into adulthood,” added Gallagher.
Taylor Jerusik, of Ludlow, interacts with a tortoise at the Forest Park Zoo on a recent summer camp day.Staasi Heropoulos
Each week campers focus on a different theme such as water animals, snakes or barnyard critters. The children even go birdwatching outside the zoo, into Forest Park, identifying plants along the way.
It’s summertime and many children want to take a break from learning, but Gallagher hopes to inspire them by literally putting them in touch with nature.
“Campers can be a little resistant to learning, so by tapping into things they are naturally interested in, that’s a good way to open them up to an alternative educational experience,” he said.
Zoo camp is for children ages 6-13. There is also a Keeper in Training program for kids 14-17. They’re assigned to a zookeeper, and they are not just shadows, but helpers.
“They are responsible for changing water, bringing new food, grooming animals and seeing if there are any health concerns that need to be addressed. They are a very important part of the zoo economy in the summer,” said Gallagher.
Nick Morgan is in the training program. The 16-year-old from Longmeadow says he’s a “people person” but really loves animals.
“I love working with animals and I love the hands-on experience. There’s a sense of fulfilment knowing you’re caring for a living thing,” he said.
Morgan says he changes drinking water, lays down new bedding and shovels manure. He says he can see himself doing this for a living as a zookeeper when he’s older.
“This is giving me an idea of what it may be like because I’m seeing the zookeepers in action and I’m going through the motions of what they do,” he said.
Some of the campers have never been in the program — others have been coming for years, and they get to know the animals.
“They really develop a bond with the animals they choose to be their favorite, and they get to interact with it in unique ways,” said Gabry Tyson, the zoo’s assistant executive director. “It also allows children to develop a love of nature and perhaps become wildlife stewards.”
Many of the animals have been injured in the wild or in someone’s home. They come to the zoo for rehabilitation and a new life.
One family dropped off their pet parrot, telling zookeepers they didn’t want it because it is so loud.
The parrot is one of the first animals you encounter, hearing it from the parking lot, which is quite a distance from the bird’s cage.
This is what amazes children during their week at the zoo.
“Getting the opportunity to renew a child’s wonder in animals is really cool,” said Gallagher. “It’s an important part of what we do.”
For more information about Zoo Camp or the Keeper in Training program, visit forestparkzoo.org/zoo-camp
