MILLBROOK — When the Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School closed down on March 15 due to COVID-19, no one knew when it would be able to reopen. That didn’t mean that life there stopped; in fact, the zoo and the staff have remained busy, even amid the global health pandemic. Typically, the zoo is open to the public 365 days a year, even on Christmas.
Nobody knows if the animals who live there realized they had no visitors watching their every move recently, because even for animals, life goes on. Maybe some of them knew they still had an audience, as cameras and new technology kept an eye on their movements.
As with most businesses, adjustments had to be made; zoos can’t just stop operating — there are feedings, cleanings, sicknesses, births, and so on and so on. Dan Cohen, the zoo’s director of media, shared that it is a source of pride that the zoo has always remained open; this was the first time in its history that it was necessary to close the zoo to the public.
There were, of course the additional problems: Interns from the Millbrook School were mostly not able to help out. The students, who work in the zoo as a public service with the exclusive private school, went home during the pandemic, so there has been more work for the zoo’s full time staff to do with less workers to do it during the shut down.
“The silver lining to the closure was that we focused on creating online content to engage with our audience and keep them interested in the zoo and our animals,” said Cohen.
Starting with its Facebook page, the zoo created a show, “Live from the Trevor Zoo,” beginning on March 18, accessible on YouTube. The live show continued each week until the end of July.
It now airs once a month, now that the zoo has reopened.
“We have been planning and preparing to reopen the zoo since we shut down in March, working with the administrators of the school, local health officials and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” said Cohen. “We came up with a carefully thought out plan that once again allows visitors to enter the zoo while keeping the public safe as well as our staff, and of course, the animals.”
The zoo is unique in that it is the only zoo in the country that is part of a high school. Program Director Jessica Bennett has kept things interesting, added Cohen.
Some of the new COVID-19 health requirements mean calling ahead or going online to book a reservation, as the zoo schedules admittance at 30-minute intervals to have time to check reservations, temperatures, face masks and explain the guidelines for a safe visit. All that starts out in the parking lot. The zoo also now has arrows indicating a walking path, one-way only, to go through the area.
Face masks are required, there are hand sanitizing stations all along the pathway, and while the gift shop is open, it has been renovated in the interest of safety. Check out the face masks available in both adult and children’s sizes, with designs boasting red pandas, otters and wolves.
Groups that tour the zoo are spaced out for social distancing, but once inside the zoo, visitors may stay as long as they like.
What hasn’t changed is the allure of the animals — and how darn cute they are. There are several new baby animals, including lemurs: black and white ruffled and ring tailed lemurs. There are also new additions to the marmoset and wallaby families. And while watching the zoo’s live streaming of the graceful marsh birds and red pandas was fun during the shut down, as was seeing some of their births, witnessing these little ones in person is definitely worth a trip to the zoo.
“We are thrilled to be open again,” said Cohen. “And our visitors are having a great time and appreciating all of the safety measures in place. It’s simple to make a reservation on our website, www.trevorzoo.org.”
The Trevor Zoo’s hours are currently from 10 a.m., with the last arrival time being admitted at 4:30 p.m. Members of the zoo can come at 9 a.m. and don’t need to reserve a time slot.
For more information, call 845-677-3704.
