Shared from the 3/23/2020 The Providence Journal eEdition

JUST HANGING AROUND

With the lack of visitors, animals at Roger Williams Park Zoo know something’s up

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Howler monkeys at feeding time at the rain forest at Roger Williams Park Zoo. [THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL PHOTOS / SANDOR BODO]

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Keeper Tom Clifton feeds African elephant Alice some treats at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

More online

Find the Roger Williams Park Zoo online and on social media at the following links:

Website: www.rwpzoo.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RWPZoo

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/RogerWilliamsParkZoo

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The toucan in the rain forest at Roger Williams Park Zoo. [THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL PHOTOS / SANDOR BODO]

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This golden lion tamarin seems to regard visitors with as much curiosity as the visitors have in him in the rain forest at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

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Hyacinth macaws, Amy and Angel, wait for a treat in the fain forest at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

PROVIDENCE — The Roger Williams Park Zoo has been closed for over two weeks due to concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus, but do the animals miss the visitors?

“They notice the quietness,” Jennifer Warmbold, who manages the zoo’s elephants, said of the highly-intelligent, 4- to 8-ton mammals. “They know something’s up, something’s different.”

On Friday, zookeepers tossed produce into the elephants’ mouths and ran through exercises with them.

“Elephants are all about routine, so as long as you keep that, they’re pretty good,” Warmbold said. “We're keeping them busy.”

But even as the animals went about their daily business, the zoo, which would normally be bustling with visitors on a mild afternoon, was eerily quiet Friday.

“I’m not sure if the zoo has ever been closed longer than possibly a couple of days after a major storm,” said Jeremy Goodman, the zoo’s executive director. “This is really unprecedented. Especially this time of year.”

April is the zoo’s busiest month, when it pulls in about $1.5 million on average, Goodman said.

Now, the zoo might not be able to reopen until Memorial Day, Goodman said, but the future is still uncertain.

“We have absolutely no revenue coming in,” he said. “It’s definitely a major challenge.”

And unlike other businesses that have had to close and lay off employees because of the coronavirus, the zoo can’t just shut down completely, Goodman said.

“We have to feed all these guys and take care of them everyday,” he said. “It’s not like we can shut the door and come back in two months.”

The zoo, which costs around $1 million a month to operate, has cut expenses where possible, eliminating travel and professional development and placing a freeze on hiring, he said. It is also relying on donations from the public, Goodman said.

Most staff members are working from home, except for the animal keepers and vet technicians who have been divided into two groups to minimize the interaction between people, Goodman said.

In an effort to keep visitors engaged, zookeepers are posting live videos of the animals on social media and hosting online classes on the zoo’s website every Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m.

“People miss us,” he said. “They want to be here. They miss the animals. We miss them too.”

And for anyone out there wondering, the animals are likely missing you, too.

Well... most of them, said Anthony Polite, the lead keeper for the rain-forest exhibit.

“The tucan, Kazoo, he likes to interact with people,” he said. “I’m pretty sure he misses seeing people around.

“Our giant otters, they’re constantly peeking to see who’s coming, so they definitely miss the visitors,” he said. “I believe the primates in some cases do love seeing the visitors.”

Some of the rain-forest critters, though, seem to be enjoying the peace and quiet, he said.

“It’s been rather relaxing for some of the animals,” he said. “They come out more, explore more and seek out spaces that they otherwise can’t when the public here.”

At least someone is having a good time during all of this. mlist@ providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7121

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@madeleine_listw

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