Did you know our zoo is having a birthday soon? I spoke with Chelo Grubb with the Reid Park Zoo about the 60th anniversary plans. She told me that Reid Park Zoo was started in 1965 by Gene C. Reid. It started with just a few animals such as pheasants, peacocks and other birds. A few years later it grew into a Prairie Dog town and over time it grew into the Zoo that we know today. Gene  C. Reid was Tucson's Parks and Recreations director in the 1960s. Reid Park and Reid Park Zoo are both named after him.

Now, let’s have some fun! Reid Park Zoo’s 60th anniversary is on Saturday and Sunday, March 1 and March 2. The times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The celebration will include cookies, arts and crafts, special animal presentations, music, and photos of the zoo throughout the decades. And because of the Zoo’s celebrations, the tickets will be discounted to $6!

That's not all! New animals are at the zoo including storks, axolotls, and two new members of the squirrel monkey group. The Reid Park Zoo is also home to a giraffe calf and an elephant calf, who are both a year old.

According to Grubb, the best part of working at the zoo is getting to spend time with the animals and learning what each species is for special. She also likes that the zoo works conserving animals in the wild. Her favorite habitat is the elephant enclosure.