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News Release

Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org

March 17, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Animals at Brookfield Zoo Receive St. Patrick’s Day Treats and Enrichment

Brookfield, Ill.—Several of Brookfield Zoo’s animals joined in the St. Patrick’s Day celebration today with shamrock-shaped treats and enrichment presented to them by their animal care staff.

The Zoo’s grey seals—Georgie, Kiinaq (pronounced Key-knack), Celia, Peanut, and Fisher—were treated to St. Patrick’s Day-themed ice and gelatin treats as were Owen and Taylor, two California sea lions.
Sophia and her 5-year-old daughter Heidi, two of the Zoo’s Bornean orangutans, enjoy their leafy greens and shamrock-shaped treats made of a complete-balanced biscuit and unflavored gelatin. To commemorate the day, staff also dyed the primates’ wood wool (bedding material) green.

Also receiving the green-colored nutritious biscuits were: the Nigerian dwarf goats; T-Mo, a 3-year-old Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth; and the Bennett’s wallabies, who additionally got green pine branches, one of their favorite enrichment items.

The animal care staff is always thinking of ways to physically and mentally stimulate the animals at Brookfield Zoo. One way is by providing them with enrichment items they normally do not receive on a regular basis, including holiday-themed treats.

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Photo Captions (credit Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo)
4933: Nigerian dwarf goats at Brookfield Zoo were treated to shamrock-shaped nutritious biscuits on St. Patrick’s Day.

5104: Brookfield Zoo animals, including Kiinaq (pronounced Key-knack), a grey seal, received St. Patrick’s Day treats on March 17.

5332: Brookfield Zoo’s California sea lions—Owen and Taylor—received St. Patrick’s Day-themed ice and gelatin treats on March 17.

5422: Georgie, a grey seal at Brookfield Zoo, with a shamrock-shaped gelatin treat on St. Patrick’s Day.

5469: Heidi, a 6-year-old Bornean orangutan at Brookfield Zoo, seemed to enjoy her shamrock-shaped nutritious biscuits and leafy greens on St. Patrick’s Day.

5574: Several animals at Brookfield Zoo, including a 6-year-old Bornean orangutan named Heidi, received St. Patrick’s Day-themed treats.

5825: T-Mo, a 3-year-old Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, eats a shamrock-shaped nutritious biscuit on St. Patrick’s Day.

About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people to wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. The Zoo is also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association. Brookfield Zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and also is accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, and CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sondra Katzen
Director of Public Relations
Office: 708-688-8351
Cell Phone: 708-903-2071
E-mail: Sondra.Katzen@CZS.org

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