Our Response to COVID-19

*Updated as of March 25, 2020 at 1:00PM*

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. 

Moving forward, the Animal Park is suspending and closing public tours during the duration of the stay-at-home orders issued by Governor Roy Cooper. During this time, we will surely miss all of our visitors here at the Animal Park, but this will be a great time for all of you to follow our animals adventures on our social media platforms. We will be sure to keep you up to date on our animals welfare, fun projects around the park, and of course ways you can continue to support us to ensure the success of the Animal Park. 

We have started coming up with fun, interactive ways to provide educational experiences for people of all ages such as our newly launched 25 virtual puzzles that are a great way to learn more about our animals. You can find these puzzles here. Make sure to follow our website and social media platforms! You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and now on TikTok!

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. 

In recent days we’ve had many people reach out and ask, “How can I help?”

We have a variety of options that not only benefit the Animal Park, but also you, our supporter. 

1. Food Donations: With the current high demand of certain food products, we have reached out to our adopters, donors, and larger community to assist us with obtaining food for animal diets. We are currently in need of unseasoned and raw meats, (fresh or frozen), such as: seafood (shrimp, salmon, and other cuts of fish); chicken (whole, legs, breasts, boneless or bone-in); beef (all cuts, boneless or bone-in); pork (all cuts, boneless or bone-in), as well as deer and other local fowl. We are also accepting donations of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as: dark leafy greens (kale, spinach); romaine lettuce; cucumbers; zucchini; carrots; tomatoes; squash; radishes; beets; string beans; celery; and sweet potatoes. Fruits: blackberries; strawberries; bananas; pears; apples; oranges; melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon); and kiwi.
2. A general monetary donation: We are always grateful for donations to our Animal Park! Donations help us sustain our organization and maintain the highest animal welfare standards.
3. 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. You can book now at the discounted rate and plan your tour tentatively for the warmer months of May, June, or July..or move it up if the Park gains the clearance to reopen by middle of April
4. 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. 
5. Animal Sponsorships: Sponsor an animal, for either $50-$250 dollars, which helps offset the cost of their care. You also get the benefit of receiving a picture of the animal that you sponsor, as well as other perks depending on the sponsorship tier that you pick!

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.