NORFOLK, Va. — Each day this week, Virginia This Morning is taking you on a virtual visit to add a little adventure to your day. Today, we head to Norfolk where The Virginia Zoo is hosting daily Virtual Voyages for animal lovers.
While the Zoo is currently closed to visitors to help combat the spread of COVID-19, thousands of people have tuned inonline to get up close with tiger cubs, help feed giraffes and see how zookeepers and staff train the animals there.
“When people tune in, we hope they learn something. We have so much information to share and so many animals to highlight. The learning is never going to stop,” said The Virginia Zoo marketing manager Ashley Grove Mars. “We hope, by showing you what we do and how we do it, it inspires you to make a difference at your home, in your backyard and across the world.”
Mars says she hopes digital visitors find comfort in the furry friends.
“The outpour of comments and shares and likes of all of our content has been so encouraging,” she said. “I think in a time that you can feel kind of lonely during isolation and sad, it’s great to see these cute, adorable animals. It’s amazing to see the work The Virginia Zoo continues.”
Virtual Voyages will continue through April. They’re posted each Monday through Friday at 2:00 p.m. on the Zoo’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The temporary closure is putting a financial strain on the Zoo. They have opened an Emergency Operating Fund to help replace funds normally generated through ticket sales, memberships and event. To learn more about how you can contribute, please click here.
To learn more about The Virginia Zoo, click here to visit their website.
