By Kamryn Anthis | Intern
It’s a new era at the Cameron Park Zoo as new camels and ostriches bring change and hope for a brighter future in wildlife conservation.
This March, Waco’s Cameron Park Zoo introduced four new camels and two new ostriches to the zoo community. The staff hopes to encourage hands-on care and compassion for these animals to inspire a heart for conservation and animal activism in younger generations of zoo-goers.
By the end of the summer, the zoo will launch its immersive Camel Encounter, allowing guests to interact with the animals up close. According to Zoo Director Brendan Wiley, these hands-on experiences are designed to create lasting memories while fostering a deeper connection to wildlife.
“These encounters result in a person’s attitude, beliefs or behaviors changing,” Wiley said. “Touching an animal, like a rhinoceros, creates a very different experience than just seeing one.”
The decision to introduce these new species was not made lightly. It followed the loss of Tembo, the zoo’s beloved 49-year-old elephant. When deciding what to do with her former space, Wiley and other leaders carefully considered how best to honor her legacy. They landed on camels and ostriches, which they believe offer a unique impact on the zoo.
Mammal Keeper Chloe Baker believes the animals’ unique personalities will play a critical role in connecting with visitors.
“They’re really people-going, camels are,” Baker said. “They love attention. So we just hope that the guests can have a fun time interacting with them.”
At the heart of the zoo’s mission is a commitment to conservation through connection. Wiley and Baker hope that by creating memorable, personal encounters, visitors develop a stronger sense of empathy for animals and a greater desire to protect them.
“As an industry, we’ve learned about the value of creating empathy,” Wiley said. “You’re going to see more of those experiences at Cameron Park Zoo.”
The new exhibit was designed with both animals and guests in mind. Camels and ostriches, though distinctly different species, share similar diets, habitats and social behaviors, making them well-suited to cohabitate, Wiley said.
“They were selected specifically from a place that encourages positive interactions between animals and people,” he said.
The zoo staff named most animals after characters from the 2004 film “Mean Girls.” Each animal’s personality was assessed and assigned to the character that they best fit.
Zoo-goers are encouraged to pay attention to each animal’s name and how it may relate to its behavior. The animals include Gretchen, Regina, Karen, Aaron, Cady and Veronica. Baker hopes getting to know each animal’s flare will instill deeper care and compassion in guests.
“They’re very personable,” Baker said. “They all have their different personalities.”
With new encounters coming soon, Baker and Wiley encouraged guests to get to know the zoo’s newest residents. As the Cameron Park Zoo continues to evolve, its mission remains to create meaningful experiences that inspire visitors to care about wildlife and protect those who share the planet.
