Christopher de los Santos
Cameron Park Zoo’s new education center and veterinary hospital, which opened to the public Friday, will expand the scope of the zoo’s educational activities and improve veterinary care for the zoo’s animals, officials said.
Cameron Park Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said Friday that audiovisual connectivity across separate facilities under the same roof will enable two-way communication with classrooms and veterinarians located far away. The statement was made after the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Jaynes educational facility. Center and Carol Schmidhauser Animal Hospital.
“The technology built into this building will allow us to do remote programming and impact environmental education programs in schools throughout our community, whether they have access to the zoo or not.” said Wiley.
Wiley said audio-video streaming equipment built into veterinary clinics also allows for video conferencing with remote veterinarians and the sharing of training and research.
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“From the veterinary hospital here to the classrooms at Texas A&M to the local high school biology classes, we can share our research and tell our stories,” Wiley said.
The new veterinary hospital facility will allow staff to further improve care for the overall health and welfare of the zoo’s animals, said Dr. James Kusmieczyk, staff veterinarian.
Cameron Park Zoo’s new veterinary hospital will have a dedicated radiology room, allowing staff to perform radiology and endoscopy tests at the same time as other procedures.
Rod Aydelott, Tribune-Herald
“Currently, we have a treatment room, a separate radiology room and a separate sterile operating room,” Kusmieczyk said. “All of these things used to have to be done in one room.”
He said the new facility and its new equipment will expand the therapeutic activities that veterinary staff can provide to animals at the same time.
“We also have a number of animal storage areas that increase our space to quarantine newly arrived animals and hospitalize animals that require ongoing care,” Kusmieczyk said.
Cameron Park Zoo staff are preparing for Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Rod Idelot, Tribune-Herald
The total budget for the education center and veterinary clinic was $17.7 million, a combination of county, city and private funds, said Derrick Ortman, Waco facility director.
Approximately $9.4 million of the $14.5 million bond passed by McLennan County voters in 2019 went toward the project. The city contributed about $5.7 million more, and the Cameron Park Flora and Fauna Society contributed about $2.6 million, Ortman said.
The $14.5 million bond also funds a new hoof barn and part of the $12.8 million Gloria & FM Young Penguin Shores exhibit that opened in August, showcasing 11 pairs of South African penguins and one black-footed cat. provided.
The Corwin, Estes and Jaynes Education Center also includes classrooms, offices and event rental space. The Carol Schmidhauser Veterinary Hospital will feature operating rooms, medical storage, and environmentally controlled storage space for animals in care or observation, according to a City of Waco press release. The two new facilities are intended to provide a new home for public education and professional development in animal care for years to come.
The facility is named after Rosella Estes and Stephen Corwin, who supported the zoo’s move to its current location in 1993, and Larry Corwin, who supported the 2019 bond issue that partially financed construction. They include Mr. Janes and Lisa Janes.
See it now: With the recent arrival of 22 South African black-footed penguins, Waco’s Cameron Park Zoo now boasts the largest African penguin colony in Texas and the 11th largest colony in the United States. It will be ready for visitors when the Penguin Shores exhibit opens in August. 8.
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