SENDING A VALENTINE... to someone who is dear to you? That's just what the people who care for the animals at California's animal parks do each Feb. 14. But rather than penning a heartfelt missive, the kind we humans might receive via the mail, staff members deliver a variety of treats to the fur-rocking, scale-covered critters they care for, day in and day out. These goodies have been carefully chosen to tempt the animals' tummies, yes, but also to deliver engagement and enrichment, too, in some cases.
THE FURRY PHOTOS ARE IN, as Valentine's Day 2021 comes to a close. The animals at Santa Barbara Zoo enjoyed opening their gifts, including mealworms for the meerkats, while colorful packages were placed around the wallabies' habitat at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert. Penny and Bernadette, two North American porcupines, celebrated Galentine's Day on Feb. 13 at the OC Zoo with a variety of crunchy, leafy munchables. And other nature-minded destinations shared Valentine's wishes with fans at home, including this "PUNderful" offering from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
HOW DID YOUR LOCAL ZOO... honor the Day of Love in 2021? Were there treats for the animals, super-nifty enrichment toys, or some cuddles from staff members? Check their social pages now and see if some sweet snapshots don't add a few "awwws" to the end of your Valentine's evening.
