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Your Donations at Work
Redbud and Granite
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The Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary (FFZS) is raising funds to continue
with Phases 3 and 4 of the Wild Canine Complex.
This new area will house the wolf pack in a much larger, natural
environment. Due to pack hierarchy “issues” sometimes
there are rivals for alpha positions. This new exhibit will really
be two areas in one, providing space to separate individuals who
may be causing trouble. In their current home, separated animals
must stay in a relatively small area, with access to the larger
open space being rotated.
When the wolves are moved, their old residence will be upgraded
for one of the smaller canine species (foxes or coyotes).
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Recent Projects at the Zoo
Donations to FFZS have been well spent over the past several years
with new and improved exhibits and storage facilities. These projects
include:
Barn Owl Exhibit | Behavorial
Enrichment Storage | Feral Cat Exhibit |
Rabbit & Chicken Exhibit | Tiger
Exhibit Expansion | Wolf Hybrid Exhibit
Barn Owl Exhibit ($25,000)
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Barn owls get their name because
they often roost in barns. What better design for a home for Greyson
then, than a barn? One side provides a spacious room for roosting
and the other side is a large storage area. Heading up the hill
is a fenced in flight area. In November, 2006, Greyson moved into
the spacious barn and will be able to stretch his wings in the
attached flight area.
Pat Jordan loved the native wildlife of the American River area.
Her estate provided funding and her friends helped in choosing
this as a project in her honor. The weather vane atop the barn
was from Pat’s home. A donation of $1,000 from the Grace
Foundation helped as well. Muralists Chuck Curtis and Robert Lindsey
added wonderful designs to the structure.
At left: Barn Owl barn |
Behavorial
Enrichment Storage (Bears $5,000, Macaws $150, and Parrots $1,000)
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Enrichment is a big part of the care for all residents
at the zoo sanctuary. To avoid boredom with life in captivity,
all animals receive interesting and unique additions every day.
Purchasing such items and providing storage for them is an important
part of Friends’ fund raising efforts. General donations
were used to purchase and set up a storage unit at the Black Bear
Exhibit, dedicated to the late Lee Houts. (Lee was a pioneer in
this area of animal care and championed the idea of enrichment
for captive animals.) A small cabinet was also constructed at
the macaw exhibit and an individual donation provided for a storage
shed used for the smaller parrots.
At left: Bear storage
Below left: Macaw shed
Below right: Parrot shed
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Feral Cat Exhibit ($25,000)
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During his life, Robert Bauder cared
for many feral cats at his home. In his estate he provided funds
so that his special felines would have a safe place to stay. This
gift made it possible to build a small house and refurbish an
adjacent enclosure. Donations from Moldings & Millworks and
many others helped to complete this project. Ten feral cats and
two adoptable kitties arrived in December 2006. The feral cat
exhibit will continue to serve the Shelter Selects program of
adoptable cats.
At left: Feral Cat house |
Rabbit & Chicken Exhibit (estimated
$6,000)
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Construction of the tiger expansion area required the
resident rabbits and chickens to move. Since that time they have
been housed in various areas around the zoo. This new exhibit
will be their permanent home and is designed especially for these
popular animals. Basalite of Dixon, California has generously
donated the beautiful retaining blocks that will separate these
two residences.
At left: Rabbit and chicken home under construction |
Tiger Exhibit Expansion ($140,000)
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Tiger Expansion
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When Misty and Pouncer first arrived in Folsom,
rescued from an incredibly abusive situation, FFZS provided $3,500
to upgrade their space to a tiger-safe home. Though legally adequate
for tigers, no one affiliated with the zoo sanctuary was happy
to keep such large creatures in this limited space. Friends immediately
started fund raising to expand the exhibit and double the room
for these amazing felines. The expansion area, opened in January,
2007, provides not only more room, but natural dirt floor, platforms
and a tunnel access to both areas. (Friends hopes to one day raise
funds to create a much larger area near the Canine Complex that
will house the tigers.)
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Wolf Hybrid Exhibit ($250,000)
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Lincoln and Rex, wolf-dog hybrids, were able
to move into their new home in June, 2007. These beautiful canines
had previously been housed in one of the oldest exhibits at the
zoo sanctuary, sharing 750 square feet of space. Their new facility
is 4730 square feet of oaks, grass and an efficient, state of
the art, night house area. A water feature is being designed and
will be added in the near future. (Their old home was upgraded
to provide for the smaller raccoons—a significant increase
for their living space.)
At left: Wolf Canid home |
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At left: Lincoln and Rex. |
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