Courtesy photo.
MOORPARK — Moorpark College invites veterans, active-duty military members, and first responders to experience America’s Teaching Zoo, free of charge on Saturday, July 6th. Guests and their families will experience wild animal encounters and presentations as well as big cat feedings and animal training demonstrations. Visitors will also enjoy Tiger Splash, a live-action presentation where the Zoo’s tigers will engage in natural behaviors while romping and splashing in an outdoor pool. These demonstrations provide unique opportunities to witness operant conditioning and the student/animal bond.
America’s Teaching Zoo is also home to an important program that trains the next generation of animal stewards. The Exotic Animal Training and Management program (EATM) provides students with high-quality instruction in exotic animal care and training, giving them hands-on experience while caring for nearly 200 animals at the Zoo.
Refreshments and entertainment will be available for guests, including vendors such as Mister Softee ice cream and children’s author, Noel Colby, who will read from her book, “The Zoo Vet and the Otter.”
“We want our community to know that we appreciate our fine servicemen and women. What better way to do that than invite them and their families to visit our Zoo for free?” says Mara Rodriguez, a spokesperson for America’s Teaching Zoo. “Since the 2003 Simi Fire, America’s Teaching Zoo has maintained a close working relationship with local fire, police, and sheriff departments who have helped evacuate our Zoo’s animals from threatening fires.”
Zoo operation hours and animal presentations:
Public Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wild animal encounters and presentations: 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Tiger Splash presentation: 3:30 p.m.
For more information, please call (805) 378-1441 or visit www.moorparkcollege.edu/zoo. Moorpark College and its America’s Teaching Zoo are located at 7075 Campus Road Moorpark, California.
MOORPARK COLLEGE, one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District, was founded in 1967. It is set on 150 beautiful acres, nestled in the foothills on the southeastern flank of Ventura County, about 40 miles from UCLA, and approximately 75 miles from UC Santa Barbara. It is also a short drive from CSU Northridge, CSU Channel Islands, and California Lutheran University. Moorpark College was recognized in the Huffington Post in March of 2015 as the fourth-best community college in the nation. It has an excellent reputation for university transfer preparation, and its signature career/technical programs include nursing, radiation technology, biotechnology, and exotic animal training, which incorporates the world-renowned America’s Teaching Zoo. The college also offers a dynamic range of classes and programs in the visual and performing arts, and its pristine athletic fields and mild climate provide an excellent home for student athletes.