Bronze Tiger on the Move at the Charles Paddock Zoo!
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The Charles Paddock Zoo is delighted to announce that as a part of an exciting makeover of the Caribbean flamingo habitat, the Zoo’s iconic bronze tiger sculpture was moved to the Thelma Vetter Red Panda Experience.
The Zoo is renovating the Caribbean flamingo area to represent the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot. “We have a large breeding flock of thirty-nine flamingos, and removing the tiger will provide this group more room for nesting,” said Zoo Director, Dr. Cynthia Stringfield. In the wild, tigers are found in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot area, so the tiger sculpture was moved to this area of the Zoo, next to the red panda habitat. The move also creates a special photo opportunity for guests visiting the Zoo. The tiger sculpture is surprisingly hollow and made of 100% bronze with a total weight of 1,700 pounds. The last time it was moved took place seven years ago when artist Susan Beatie arranged for it to be cleaned by Genesis Bronze of Paso Robles. A special thank you to Lucas Porter Construction who moved the tiger statue quickly and efficiently!
The Charles Paddock Zoo specializes in animals present in biodiversity hotspots. Around the world, biodiversity hotspots represent just 2.5% of Earth’s land surface, but they support nearly half of all bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species that are found nowhere else on earth. The Zoo’s hot spot habitats are an opportunity to learn about the different species that inhabit hot spots and why biodiversity is so important to us all. As part an accredited Zoo of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Charles Paddock Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species. Over 300 animals call the Charles Paddock Zoo home, including red pandas, monkeys, fossa, meerkats, parrots, a Malayan Tiger, a variety of reptiles and more.
The Charles Paddock Zoo is open daily and located at Atascadero Lake Park on Hwy 41/Morro Road, one mile west of Hwy 101. For information, go to www.charlespaddockzoo.org or call (805) 461-5080.