The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is currently closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and will remain closed until further notice.
But since you can't go to the zoo, the zoo is coming to you.
The institution will be offering digital alternatives to connect with its audience during this time, including hosting a series of Home Safari Facebook Live sessions, which will feature online animal encounters and an activity you can do at home.
These will be offered at 3 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, March 16. The zoo says the first "safari" will feature Fiona the hippo.
“We’re bringing the Zoo to people who are stuck at home,” said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “This Zoo is so important to the community and not being able to visit will create a void that we’re trying to fill. The goal with the daily live sessions is to provide fun and educational content to people who are stuck at home.”
The zoo says to watch live, "just visit the Zoo’s Facebook page at 3 p.m. The Zoo will also post the safaris on its website and on YouTube so everyone can view."
(You can also watch Fiona splash and play in her pool in a video the zoo provided.)
“We announced the safaris on Facebook yesterday, and the response was phenomenal. That post has reached more than 18 million people and has been shared 283,000 times,” said Maynard in the release. “I’m not a social media expert, but I’m pretty sure those numbers are off the charts.”
Find more info at facebook.com/cincinnatizoo and cincinnatizoo.org.
