METAZOO DISCOVERY CENTER
Meeting New Friends at the MetaZoo
Have you enrolled your little ones in a Louisville Zoo camp, class or other education program? It’s a great way
to keep young minds active and engaged during school breaks and summer vacation! Louisville Zoo education
programs allow kids to learn about the natural world and those who share it with us while being immersed in a
natural setting. Best of all — our MetaZoo Discovery Center educators have furry, feathery and scaly animal friends
for your child to meet. Let’s introduce you to our newest additions.
Virginia Opossum
Some people might find opossums a bit scary when
encountering them in their natural habitat. However,
we have a great ambassador for the species here at the
Louisville Zoo, ready to show your kids that opossums
aren’t so scary and are actually quite helpful. Ralphie
the Virginia opossum came to the Louisville Zoo in
August of 2016 and he has a very gentle disposition.
He’s one awesome opossum!
Did you know opossums actually help in the fight
against Lyme Disease? Opossums are meticulous
groomers, like cats. They eat more than 95 percent of
the ticks that try to feed on them. This means they may
eat approximately 5,000 ticks per season! They are also
the only marsupial native to North America.
Ralphie
Inland Bearded Dragon
Would your kids like to experience a real life
(though slightly miniaturized) version of “How to
Train Your Dragon”? Send them to camp to meet
Ozzy and his MetaZoo keepers. Ozzy is an inland
bearded dragon that came to the Louisville Zoo in
July of 2016 and has been a big hit with reptile-
loving campers. Ozzy is a great ambassador for
the species as he is very calm and doesn’t mind
perching on a keeper’s arm for all to see.
Bearded dragons are named for the rows of
spiked scales under their head which, when
puffed out, resemble a beard. Bearded dragons
can also change their color to help regulate their
body temperature as well as disguise themselves
from predators.
Ozzy
Along with opossums and bearded dragons, there are many other animals for campers to meet including
chinchillas, rabbits, hedgehogs, ferrets and even a screech owl — and that’s just the animals in the MetaZoo!
Educational camps and classes also include Zoo outings, animal presentations, and a ride on the train or
carousel, weather-permitting.
What are you waiting for? See our camps and classes
on pages 20-21. Enroll today and make some new friends!
Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Winter 2016 • 19