Zoo To You in Paso Robles is hosting a holiday event this weekend to celebrate its community and some recent improvements to the facility.
Those improvements include an otter playground and a bear den, both of which will be shown off at the event.
Zoo Director David Jackson shared how the community plays a critical role in the well-being of every creature that lives here.
“This is not a single-person effort. This is a huge undertaking… We’ve got the need for community involvement and fundraising activities,” Jackson said.
Support in the form of volunteering and donations helps keep the animal rescue running.
“It’s not cheap to feed a bear and take care of these animals medically as well as just you know, general husbandry, so we need the community’s involvement,” Jackson said.
Some volunteers include John and Mary Ellen Nowel who are offering their support by singing at this weekend’s holiday event.
“We love animals, right? Who doesn’t like animals? So anything that helps to support what they’re doing here with the animals is good with us,” John Nowel said.
He added that he and his wife even serenade the monkeys.
“The monkeys were having a little hard time. I think it was toward the end of the day, so when we started playing, now they all came to listen,” he said.
It’s unique experiences like these that Jackson says the community will get this weekend.
“We’re not open to the public, so we have rare opportunities for the public to visit here, but we think it’s really important that they see where the animals are living, see how they’re cared for, see what we do,” Jackson said.
Zoo to You's Wild Holiday event takes place Saturday, December 16 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 2445 Adobe Road in Paso Robles.
Only 300 tickets are available and cost $75 for adults and $65 for children.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
For those who are unable to attend this Saturday, you can reserve a private encounter at Zoo To You.
