Ever been to a birthday party where the snacks were pork chops and flavored ice? Visitors to Wheaton’s Cosley Zoo get to be part of out-of-the-ordinary celebrations throughout the year as zoo team members mark animals’ special day with favorite treats and festive decorations.
The pork-chop buffet was a highlight of a birthday party for Sage and Poppy, Cosley Zoo’s Canada lynx sisters. In June, North American porcupines (and Cosley Zoo guest favorites) Mabel and Sable savored a birthday snack of fruits, vegetables and nuts in celebration both of their 4th birthday and their 1-year anniversary at Cosley. And earlier this spring, American guinea hogs Tater and Tot celebrated their first birthday not with a smash cake but with ice cakes, presents and plenty of streamers.
"Celebrating our animals' birthdays is a great way to connect with our visitors and have a chance to share a little more about some of our residents and what makes them special," says Angie Musselman, animal curator at Cosley Zoo. "Kids can relate to the fun of a birthday party. In their excitement, they ask more questions and engage more with the zookeepers. It's a really fun way to connect them with the animals on a more personal level."
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Ready for some Cosley Zoo trivia? Cosley Zoo’s oldest residents are a trio of four-toed box turtles, one around 40 years old and the other two about 30 years old. Did you know that you can estimate a turtle’s age by looking at its shell? Count the number of rings inside one of the scales on the shell and divide that number by two to get a rough estimate of the turtle’s age.
Celebrating their 21st birthday this year at Cosley Zoo are Captain Jack, an Eastern screech owl, and Orville, a turkey vulture who was received from the Texas State Aquarium. Over at the Cosley Zoo farm, Elmo the miniature donkey turned 25 in February.
Cosley’s youngest residents are just getting ready to make their public debut later this summer! A group of six baby chicks, hatched on June 17, will join the zoo’s other chickens in Cosley Zoo’s chicken coop by August.
You can meet Elmo, Captain Jack, Tater and Tot, and lots more of the zoo’s more than 200 residents on your next Cosley Zoo visit! The zoo is open 362 days a year, and children age 17 and younger and Wheaton Park District residents receive free admission every day.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, head on over to Cosley Zoo between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to help celebrate the zoo’s 50th anniversary! The first 100 families to visit that day will receive a free swag bag, plus guests will get to enjoy a scavenger hunt, history chats, refreshments and more.
For more information, including hours and nonresident admission fees, visit cosleyzoo.org, and be sure to follow Cosley Zoo on Facebook and Instagram for a bevy of fun facts about the zoo’s residents, plus news you can use in planning your next zoo trip.
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