Charles Paddock offering virtual tours, limited-capacity re-opening
–Following all State of California and San Luis Obispo County guidelines for reopening, the Charles Paddock Zoo has announced that it will reopen daily to the public beginning Wednesday, June 17, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This reopening will only allow 30-40 guests into the facility at a time, in keeping with social distancing and safety guidelines.
Although the Charles Paddock Zoo has been closed for a few months now in order to comply with state and county orders related to COVID-19, the dedicated staff members of the zoo have carried on much as usual, working behind the scenes to care for all of the animals and the facility. While physically closed, the zookeepers have been coming up with some innovative ideas to help keep the members of the community and the zoo’s animal residents virtually connected, from anywhere at any time, so that anyone could continue to learn more about and enjoy seeing their animal friends.
The Charles Paddock Zoo now offers virtual tours, field trips, birthday parties, camps, and Cub Club! To book one of these programs, visit www.charlespaddockzoo.org, send an email to [email protected], or call (805) 461-5080. Everyone is also encouraged to visit the zoo’s website and the Facebook and Instagram pages to be entertained by the really fun and educational Zookeeper Video Series.
The Charles Paddock Zoo is also very pleased to announce the Wild Fields Brewhouse “Ring-Tailed Red” brew. This new beer was created to honor former zoo Intern Bradyn Bronkowski, who passed away May 5, 2020. Bradyn’s love for animals led her to begin volunteering at the zoo at the age of 16. Despite suffering from chronic pain, she gave tirelessly to the animals in her care. According to Zoo Director Alan Baker, “Bradyn was a real sweetheart for all of our staff to work with.” A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated towards the construction of a new Lemur Habitat.
