 Bill Allen, Editor in Chief of National Geographic, talking about photographs for his magazine: “You can never have too many meerkats.” |
Staten Island Zoo Project This page under construction. Our fundraising effort is going well, give us time to get a report published here. The East Coast Meerkat Society has undertaken to raise funds to construct a new meerkat enclosure at the Staten Island Zoo. (Staten Island is one of the five boroughs, or political subdivisions, of the City of New York. The other boroughs are Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.) If you wish to send donations for the new meerkat enclosure directly to the zoo, send to: The Staten Island Zoo 614 Broadway Staten Island, NY 10310 (718) 442 - 3100 BE SURE to mark on your check "For the meerkat project." Also, please send us an email to friends@meerkatsrule.org and let us know the amount of your donation, so we can track our effort. For the Staten Island Zoo web site click here. Some background on the Staten Island Zoo The Staten Island Zoological Society opened on June 10, 1936, the first zoo in the U. S. specifically devoted to an educational mandate. The Society has remained steadfast in its concentration on this goal, which is still a vital part of the Society’s current mission. The Staten Island Zoo was also the first zoo anywhere to exhibit all the 32 varieties of rattlesnake’s known to occur in the United States. The Staten Island Zoo was also the first in the American zoo community to have a full time woman veterinarian on staff. In 1942 Dr. Patricia O’Connor, was hired as the Zoo’s veterinarian - a historic event. Dr. O’Connor was also co-founder and first President of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and the first to serve two non-consecutive terms as President of the Association for Women Veterinarians. Since the Zoo’s opening, its human and physical resources have created this exemplary educational and recreational facility. Over the years New York City’s “biggest little Zoo” evolved to accommodate the collection and serve the visiting public. The small one-building style Zoo originally designed in the 1930’s had its first major renovation in 1969 when a Children’s Center was constructed. A focus group of children determined what kind of center they wanted including what kind of the animals. Designed as a farmyard, this facility focused on hands on activities for small children. After its completion the Zoo experienced a sizable increase in visitation especially among families with small children. In 1988 the Zoo received accreditation by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums. Paramount in developing new exhibits is the goal of providing a naturalistic setting conducive to the needs of the living collection. The objective was to provide the visitor with a simulation of how the animals live and interact in the wild. Construction of animal exhibits and visitor amenities continues into the new millennium as the Zoo expands to better serve and educate its growing visitor ship. Through effective wildlife exhibitions, promotion of species conservation, educational programs and community outreach the Society has become a powerful instrument for influencing and informing the public about the beauty, value and vulnerability of nature. East Coast Meerkat Society 21500 Tamarack Ridge Square, Sterling, Virginia 20164 USA Tel.: 703-433-2081 Email: friend@meerkatsrule.org Skype: genegaines East Coast Meerkat Society is an informal group sharing a passionate interest in meerkats. We
raise funds to better the lives of meerkats and the
researchers who study them.
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