Santa Claus will visit the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo this Saturday, Dec. 6. He will be at the Ed Shed from 1-3 p.m.
Hot cocoa and cookies are being provided by the Great Bend Zoological Society, Zoo Director Ashley Burdick said. “We will also have some of our animal friends for the public to meet and greet while they wait for Santa!”
Aquarium additions
“We recently welcomed some new finned friends to the saltwater tank,” Burdick said. “We have some new Pajama Cardinalfish, Blue-green Chromis, Freckled Hawkfish, as well as a Sand-sifting Seastar.”
TheCoralReefTalk on YouTube notes that the Blue-Green Chromis is an easy reef tank fish for beginners. It is easy to care for, beautiful and peaceful. LiveAquaria adds that “Chromis viridis” is one of the preferred marine reef fish amongst aquarists. The Pajama Cardinalfish displays a rainbow of playful colors, while Freckled Hawkfish, also known as Forster’s Hawkfish or Blackside Hawkfish, undergo color changes several times during their lifetime.
As its name implies, the sand-sifting seastar is a starfish that serves as a wonderful sand-cleaner for an established aquarium. TopShelfAquatics notes, “These echinoderms spend the majority of their time buried beneath the surface of the sand. The Sand Sifting Star’s brown/beige bodies can blend in simply by sitting on the surface of some sandbeds. Similar to many other starfishes, these stars are omnivorous, and they can quickly and effectively consume large amounts of uneaten food, algae and detritus, making them a great addition to many cleanup crews. Sand Sifting Starfish are also very peaceful and will not harm corals or other invertebrates.”
“Maintaining fish tanks is a fair amount of work and requires us to make sure we provide the proper water parameters for the fish to thrive,” Burdick said. “Saltwater is a little more difficult than a freshwater tank because we have to ensure the salt levels, pH and other parameters are in the appropriate ranges for the fish we house. Saltwater fish and invertebrates are more sensitive to changes in environment than freshwater fish as well.”
Bald Eagle ER
“We also took a Bald Eagle into the rehabilitation program this month,” she said. “The bird is a juvenile and was found on the ground unable to fly. The good news is that the bird does not have any fractures in wings or legs; however, bloodwork indicates issues in the liver consistent with some sort of toxin. We tested for lead poisoning and the bird has low levels of lead in its blood, even though it is still very young. Blood lead levels at lower amounts are extremely common in eagles and vultures due to their scavenging behaviors, but higher levels begin to affect the birds neurologically and can result in death. It is important to use alternatives to lead when hunting and fishing, especially in states where it is illegal to use in many instances.
“Rodenticides also pose danger to birds of prey because they can receive secondary poisoning from consuming poisoned rodents.”
The zoo has not had a Bald Eagle exhibit since the death of “Mrs. B” in 2023. Mrs. B came to the zoo through the Raptor Rehabilitation Program in 1979. She had an injury to her left foot that made it difficult for her to be able to hunt properly, so she was given a permanent home at the zoo. She lived to be at least 49 years old.
Asked if this juvenile will go back into the wild after rehab or if it could become the next Mrs. B, Burdick responded, “We aren’t sure yet. Currently we do not have the necessary enclosure or federal permit to house an eagle. We are unsure of whether it will be releasable or not at this time, but that is our hope for it. That is always our goal for the rehab program.”
Re-doing the entry
Staff at the zoo are also re-doing the concrete entry to the Raptor Center to make it more accessible for humans, Burdick reported.
“In the winter it has started buckling with extreme cold and making it difficult to open the front doors properly. We are getting the entry re-graded to allow for better drainage to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. This will ensure we are always accessible to everyone, even in the winter when it's chilly!”
Zoo News is a monthly feature of the Great Bend Tribune. Send questions about the zoo to Susan Thacker at sthacker@gbtribune.com.
