PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Zoo visitors usually can’t get too close to the animals, but now they are encouraged to touch and even climb and play on some of them. Zoo officials are betting that 13 sculptures of endangered species situated throughout the zoo grounds will inspire kids to explore them up close and gain an appreciation for the work being done to save them from extinction.
“This is absolutely an educational tool, and that’s what we love about the sculptures,” said Dani Hogan, the zoo’s director of mission integration, standing next to a sculpture of a flame-knee tarantula.
“They are in many cases larger than life. So when you are looking at this tarantula in person, here, you can see, it’s amazing. But these little details, like their eyes and their fangs, you don’t really get to experience that in person because of how small they are. But when you go out and look at that sculpture, you can’t miss it.”
Grace Fletcher, 8, a student at Twin Hills Elementary School in Willingboro, New Jersey, was particularly intrigued by a larger-than-life statue of a black-footed ferret.
“Their status in the wild is endangered,” Grace said. “And sometimes climbing on the statue makes it fun to learn, and it makes us want to learn more about it.”
The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered species in North America.
And after examining the statue up close, visitors can see a real-life litter of three domestic ferrets at Kids Zoo U. There they can learn about the important role domestic ferrets played in the conservation of their wild, black-footed cousin.
“Scientist were able to—through some of those same technologies that we use to help humans who have trouble getting pregnant—we were able to basically get a fertilized embryo of a black-footed ferret implanted into a domestic ferret,” said Dani Hogan, the zoo’s director of mission integration. “And the domestic ferret would have a black-footed ferret baby.”
Other statues include the bald eagle, northern leopard frog, orangutan and red Panda. The exhibit runs through Sept. 14.
