Atascadero zoo celebrates 60th anniversary
The Charles Paddock Zoo’s Celebration Weekend starts Sept. 5
– The Charles Paddock Zoo invites everyone to celebrate its 60th Birthday this year. Kick off Labor Day weekend celebration on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. by joining Atascade
A baby prehensile-tailed porcupine was born at Charles Paddock zoo at the end of June and is now ready to receive visitors. Courtesy photo
ro Mayor O’Malley and council members with complimentary birthday cake and ice cream at the zoo. The fun continues throughout the afternoon with the animals opening their birthday presents.
As part of the celebration, the zoo will be giving out a limited number of free children’s backpacks. The first 20 adult guests to be admitted during the three-day weekend will receive a free drawstring back pack with paid adult admission to the Zoo (limit one per paid Adult admission, while supplies last). Only 60 free drawstring back packs will be given out, with a limit of 20 per day, Sept. 5-7. The backpack is sure to be a favorite amongst the kids and just in time for back-to-school storage needs. Additional drawstring back packs will be available for purchase in the gift shop.
The Charles Paddock Zoo has quite a bit to celebrate for its 60th Anniversary. Since 1955, the Charles Paddock Zoo has grown and improved into a fully accredited zoo exhibiting over 100 animals on five park-like acres. In May, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) again awarded the Zoo with full accreditation status, which puts the Zoo among an elite group of only 229 AZA accredited zoological institutions in the United States out of over 3,000 licensed facilities.
Charles Paddock is remembered in bronze, unveiled to the public July 4. Photo by Paula McCambridge
Located near the zoo entrance there is a recently unveiled statue of Charles Paddock, which honors the local park ranger who established the Zoo in 1955. Chuck was well known for nursing injured wild animals that he came across during his daily park duties back to health. The statue features Ranger Paddock together with his first rescue, an opossum named Cosmo Topper. The statue encourages children to rub Cosmo Topper’s nose for good luck as they enter the Zoo. The statue will soon include a plaque which will honor Charles Paddock’s son, Michael Paddock, a U.S. Marine who died fighting in the Vietnam War and who was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for Valor.
This year there are new Zoo babies being born. In May, the zoo had its first Caribbean Flamingo chick hatch, which was followed by a second chick in July. The zoo had expanded its Flamingo Exhibit in 2013 and then added another dozen flamingos acquired from the Hollywood Park Raceway. “In their natural habitat, flamingos tend to breed only when there are large groups of them, so these recent changes at the Zoo have now resulted in our second flamingo chick hatchling,” Alan Baker stated in a previous press release.
The Prehensile-tailed porcupines also have a newborn porcupine to add to the excitement. Almost immediately after the baby porcupine was born, it knew how to climb and move on its own. They are nocturnal and spend the days sleeping, so visitors can usually see the baby lounging on a variety of branches.
Over 100 animals call the Charles Paddock Zoo home, including red pandas, monkeys, meerkats, parrots, a Malayan Tiger, a variety of reptiles and more.
The Charles Paddock Zoo is open Daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Regular admission is $7 for Adults 12 and over, $5 for children 3-11, 2 and under are free and Seniors 65+ are $6. For more information, please visit charlespaddockzoo.org.
