What do a python (named Neo), a chinchilla (Parcours) and an elongated tortoise (Felix) have in common?  

They were all the live part of an “Endangered Species” program by Nicole of the Toledo Zoo, for the Maple Crest men’s banquet on June 19. 

PHOTO LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY.

Nicole also brought along bio-facts, skins or parts of animals that had passed away at the Toledo Zoo. The bio-facts included an American alligator skull, the foot of a female polar bear, the skin of a snow leopard, the ear hide of an African elephant and a rhino horn. 

Maple Crest men and their invited guests got a big kick out of examining the bio-facts and touching the live creatures. They learned that animals usually become endangered or vulnerable due to habitat destruction, being over-hunted, or getting taken out of the wild for the popular and lucrative pet trade. 

The chinchilla, for example, is hunted in the Andes Mountains of South America for its incredibly soft fur. Three hundred chinchilla furs are needed to make one coat (an illegal activity). 

Other interesting tidbits gleaned through Nicole’s presentation were:

•  The python is not endangered, but is classified “an invasive species” which causes other species to be endangered.
•  A polar bear’s fur is labeled “clear,” not “white,” and its skin is actually black, which helps the polar bear absorb warmth.
•  The snow leopard’s tail is as long as its body, which is necessary for balance.
•  Elephants use their ears to cool themselves (and an ear hide is in the shape of the African continent).
•  A rhino horn is made of the same substance as human fingernails.
  
The Toledo Zoo’s outreach program made for a fascinating and fun men’s banquet, and will certainly be a part of next year’s campus-wide activities at Maple Crest. 

To view photos from the event CLICK HERE.

Special thanks also goes to the MHCO volunteers and staff who made the banquet “We Brought the Zoo” possible:
Decorators – Sandy Schroll and Marilyn Shelly
Grass Centerpieces – Corinne Lee
Photographer – Nancy Thomas
Banquet Meal – Patricia Arendorf
Servers – Chuck Amstutz, Don Flory, and Mahlon Geiger
Table-Setting – Gloria and Rich Bucher
Ironing – Lucille Bucher