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| North Attleboro WWI Memorial Park feeling a little sheepish |
BY AMY DeMELIA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Friday, February 22, 2008 12:43 AM EST
Three Jacob sheep enjoy the cool afternoon at the World War I Memorial Park in North Attleboro on Thursday. From left, there are two females, Lilly and Esmeralda, and a male named Harry. (Staff photo by TOM MAGUIRE)
NORTH ATTLEBORO - Counting sheep has never been so exciting.
That's because the number of sheep at World War I Memorial Park Zoo is growing. The zoo recently added three Jacob sheep - which are on the watch list for endangered species - to its little menagerie. And with two of the Jacob sheep expecting, more are on the way.
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The sheep, named Esmeralda, Lilly and Harry, were acquired from North Carolina and are now making themselves at home at the zoo on Elmwood Street.
"They are very unique," Park Department Director Steve Carvalho said.
While several types of sheep have spotted lambs, Jacob sheep are the only ones that can remain spotted for life. The distinctive sheep also carry a gene that allows for multiple horns, and both ewes and rams can have up to six horns.
The sheep are now on the worldwide watch list for endangered species, but have existed for centuries. Though their origins are unknown, tradition says the animals are descendents of a flock owned by the biblical patriarch Jacob.
The new arrivals are just one part of a multi-tiered plan to revamp the zoo.
"Revamping isn't even the right word," Carvalho said. "We're bringing the zoo back to its roots so that it is more of a petting zoo.
"The zoo is really unique - it's one of the prizes of this town - and we're trying to bring it back to the way it was originally envisioned."
Thanks to donations from local residents, including the Nicholson family, a paved path will be installed around the pens to allow visitors to move throughout the area and interact with the animals. Work should be completed in early spring.
"The funds are all coming from donations. We've been blessed to have people in this town who want to help us make this work," Carvalho said.
When warmer weather arrives, the zoo plans to offer recyclable bags of grain and hay that visitors will be able to hand feed to the animals.
Also, 12 new picnic tables will be installed outside the Thomas Simms Educational Center, the zoo's main building.
Carvalho said visits to the park are up following the addition of Julia's Garden. The garden, which includes a unicorn statue, swing set and other amenities, has been installed by the Cekala family in honor of their daughter Julia who died several years ago.
"The rebirth of this zoo is thanks to the efforts of the Cekala family, who have done wonderful things for the park with Julia's Garden,"Carvalho said. "It has really enhanced the area. We went from having a zoo with a few visitors to having people come and see us by the busload. It's an incredible place to go."
Other changes are on the way this spring.
The zoo is exploring whether it will be able to offer pony rides, with the upcoming donation of two trained ponies from Susan Keith, and has recently started hosting birthday parties.
And the popular zoo camp program, which sold out for all six sessions last year, will be back with upgrades that will give youngsters even more hands-on experience with particular animals. The program might also be expanded to seven or eight weeks if demand remains high.
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Posted on Feb 22, 2008 17:04pm by admin
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