Our Response to COVID-19

As we are all aware, we are currently dealing with the international outbreak of the pandemic novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. We wanted to reach out to our Animal Park community to let you know that we always take the safety of our animals, staff, visitors, and community very seriously. 

The Animal Park at the Conservators Center is committed to providing a safe and educational experience for every person who enters our Park. With that in mind we have been attentively listening to the advice provided to us by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the USDA, the North Carolina Department of Health, and of course our local government officials on the precautions to take and protocols to follow for limiting the spread of COVID-19. 

We want to reassure you that, at this time, we plan to continue to operate our regular tours. 

The CDC currently suggests limiting events and mass gatherings of 50 people or more within confined spaces, but here at the Animal Park we are located on a sprawling 45 acres! This space provides the ability for our guests to choose to engage in social distancing practices that they feel comfortable with. Our small indoor Education Room is closed at this time, but fortunately the rest of the park is available for visitation. Our weekend Adventure tours have a maximum of 25 people on each tour, plus one tour guide. These tours also provide our guests ample room to spread out and be comfortable along our tour paths as our guide educates you about our animal residents. 

Due to the nature of our work here at the Animal Park, the ability to telecommute or remote work is not generally possible since these animals depend on us to provide them all that they need, including meals, medications and housekeeping services. It’s important to us that their quality of life not change during this time, so they are still receiving enrichment and attention, as always. That being said-  we are encouraging all of our paid staff and volunteers, who are feeling ill, who have recently traveled outside of the country, or attend large events (i.e. concerts, performances, etc.) to stay home and to seek proper medical treatment. 

If you still feel uncertain about venturing out for a regular tour but still want to show your support for the Animal Park, here are a variety of other ways to support us during this time:

1. Private Tours:  While we always offer private tours, we’ve decided to offer a great discount! From now until April 1st, we’ve dropped our private tour price from $275 to $150! This is the perfect opportunity for families and friends in groups of up to 15 people looking to venture out thoughtfully while some schools and businesses are closed. By booking a private tour, you have the ability to ensure who is in your tour group, as well as decide the path and route of your tour.
2. Gift Certificates: Gift Certificates are a great way to ensure that your support is felt immediately here at the Animal Park while also guaranteeing your ability to experience our tours or events for yourself at your leisure. 
3. Animal Sponsorships: Sponsor an animal for either $50-$100 dollars, which helps offset the cost of their care. You also get the benefit of receiving a picture of the animal that you sponsor. 
4. A general donation: We are always grateful for donations to our Animal Park! Donations help us sustain our organization and maintain the highest animal welfare standards.

In this time of uncertainty, the Animal Park strives to continue to properly educate our community with our mission of educating people about our animal population, caring for our animals, and of course, advocating for these wild species. 

As an organization based in science and education, we encourage our community to visit the CDC & WHO websites to read factual, data-supported updates about COVID-19.