Zoo hosting Children’s Turtle Day
–To help kick off the summer, the Charles Paddock Zoo is extremely pleased to present their very first Children’s Turtle Day on Saturday, June 3, 2017 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the zoo, located at Atascadero Lake Park on Highway 41/Morro Road, one mile west of Highway 101.
This inaugural Children’s Turtle Day event at the zoo will offer interactive adventures, hands-on activities including a meet and greet with the animals, zookeeper talks, a raffle and more! This fun filled opportunity to learn about turtles and tortoises will be covered with the cost of the regular zoo admission! General admission tickets are $7 for adults age 12 and over; $6 for seniors age 65 and over; and $5 for children ages 3-11. Children age 2 and under get in for free!
The story of today’s turtle and tortoise species is one of a remarkable evolutionary success. They have existed for about 220 million years, remaining virtually unchanged with their basic shelled body form. There are around 330 recognized living turtle species worldwide and more than half of these species are now threatened with extinction. Turtles and tortoises face a higher extinction risk than any other highly endangered vertebrate group including primates and amphibians.
As part of its ongoing commitment to conservation, the Charles Paddock Zoo has a program designed specifically to aid in the long term research and propagation of turtle and tortoise species in the hopes of helping save these animals from extinction. Currently, the zoo is home to over 30 different species of turtles and tortoises and was the first Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institution to have ever bred the endangered Serrated, Hinge-back Tortoise. The Zoo works with several critically endangered turtle species and has an off-exhibit Turtle Lab which houses several species that are threatened of extinction.
For information, visit our website at www.charlespaddockzoo.org or call (805) 461-5080.
