Holiday Magic returns to the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero
–On Saturday, Dec. 17, the annual Holiday Magic event will return to the Charles Paddock Zoo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Santa will welcome visitors and deliver special holiday packages to the animals. Zookeepers have stepped in to serve as Santa’s elves and are preparing some great gifts for the animals to tear into and enjoy.
Come watch as all the animals – from the meerkats to the monkeys to the tiger – tear into their beautifully wrapped gifts. Santa’s gift delivery is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and goes through 2 p.m. There will be fun activities for the whole family to enjoy throughout the day, and the zoo will be decorated for the holidays.
There are new animals at the zoo for Holiday Magic this year. Check out the variety of animals at the new Madagascar Exhibit which include Radiated Tortoises, Spider Tortoises, Big Headed Turtles, Black Parrots, Tomato Frogs, Pardalis Chameleons, Phelsuma Geckos, and Collared Iguanas, most being brand new to the Charles Paddock Zoo. The zoo is extremely proud to be home to six rare Radiated Tortoises, four adults and two young tortoises which were born at the zoo. These tortoises are considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful tortoises and are endangered, mainly due to poaching and destruction of their habitat.
The Charles Paddock Zoo has enjoyed quite a year, beginning with the newly remodeled Aviary Exhibit, to the new Madagascar Exhibit, to the addition of three female meerkats and then the exciting ground breaking of the new Red Panda Exhibit. The zoo has also celebrated 25 years of accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Charles Paddock Zoo has been continually accredited since 1991 and is among an elite group of only 230 accredited zoological institutions in the United States, out of over 3,000 licensed facilities.
For more information about the Charles Paddock Zoo, please visit the website at charlespaddockzoo.org.
