It’s quiet and peaceful, but it’s not supposed to be:’ Cape May Zoo staff maintains animal care, but misses the public – Press of Atlantic City

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Some of the primates were playfully swinging in their jungle gym Friday morning as the two lions, Lex and Bella, peacefully stretched out in the grass nearby, basking in the sun on the chilly spring day.

The bison roamed under the elevated boardwalk. The peacocks roamed the walkways squawking and ruffling their feathers. Its mating season.

Everything looked normal at the Cape May County Park and Zoo, except it was empty. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the zoo has been closed to the public since mid-March, but staff is still on site, albeit reduced, to care for the animals.

Typically, there are 17 to 20 staff members at the zoo, but that has been reduced to about 12.

We cut down the staff to a much smaller crew because were in an effort to obviously maintain social distancing and keep our staff healthy, said Alex Ernst, zoo veterinarian. If we can keep our staff healthy then we can keep the animals healthy.

He said the quality of care for the animals has not been compromised. No staff or animals have shown symptoms of COVID-19.

The zoo has about 500 animals. Ernst said the known susceptible animals that could contract the virus from humans are big cats like the tiger at the Bronx Zoo that tested positive or primates, due to their genetic similarities to humans. To further protect the primates, lions and tigers in the zoo, staff members have eliminated all close contact with them, but still maintain the same amount of care at a safe distance. Staff members are also wearing personal protective equipment and no longer work in pairs, for the time being.

Staff has also been split up into two teams. Only one team will work a single days shift to decrease the chances of a staff member spreading the virus to the entire staff. If an employee did test positive, they would no longer come to work and would be expected to self-isolate for 14 days. The animals they came in contact with would be closely monitored for symptoms as well.

Not only does care continue, but animal enrichment as well.

Because we cannot have as much contact with the animals, some of the species dont get their training that theyre used to, said Jen Berg, supervising animal keeper of carnivores and primates. A lot of the cats are used to having that time with us where they come to the fence and rub up, which theyre not getting. But we try to make up for it in other ways by still giving them their different treats. We just have to put it in their dens before they come in.

Training, she explained, is husbandry behaviors such as cleaning the animals space and veterinary care, such as oral medication or injection training.

She said some staff has also seen a change in animal behavior. The animals enjoy people watching, but there are no people around.

The cats ask for a lot more attention from me and are a lot more tuned in to little things, Berg said. They usually know when Im around, but if maintenance (staff) was doing something theyre especially tuned into them or little things that they wouldnt necessarily always notice when theres full public here.

Peter Cyr, senior zookeeper, said its sometimes hard to tell whether or not the animals miss the stimulus of having the public interacting, so staff members try to keep them entertained.

We put out their food, we give them toys and we have a number of different things for just visual distractions, he said.

But in some ways, he said, its been easier to care for the animals without the public in the zoo, because some people come in and think its a theme park and throw stuff.

The downside though, is that the public is our bread and butter, Cyr said. Its gratifying, working with the public. You can educate, you can reach out and actually make a connection with a little kid who is interested in animals.

And not only is foot traffic lacking, but visitor donations as well. The zoo is free to visit, but relies heavily on donations. It also receives funding from the county.

April and May, and the early part of June, we kind of call it field-trip season, Ernst said. We get school groups in from literally the entire region, and were obviously not getting that right now.

Spring break is also a busy week for the zoo, but not this year. Ernst said without the school trip fees and donations from visitors it usually gets between March and May, the zoo is losing at least $140,000.

The county counts on us to generate as much donations as we can so we can be as self-sufficient as possible, he said. Thats whats going to be the challenge going forward. This obviously appears as if its going to go longer than April and we could lose a good chunk of May, or maybe June. The uncertainty is whats difficult for us right now. Then once we do go back to normal, we still dont know exactly how thats going to impact visitation.

And when social distancing practices do start relaxing, Ernst believes the zoo will play an important role in going back to what we know.

I think that when we finally do start taking those steps to go back to normal, the Cape May County Zoo is going to be integral to this area, he said. Its an outdoor venue, its expansive. It would be very easy to visit the zoo and maintain your social distancing.

We want to conserve the wild populations and bring awareness of these animals to the general public, he added. And we cant get that message out there right now. I guess I do miss that ... and then just the general chaos and kids running and laughing and just all of that. Its quiet and peaceful, but its not supposed to be.

Peter Cyr zookeeper at Cape May Zoo caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Jen Berg, 30, of Cape May Court House, helps care for some of the approximately 500 animals.

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Peter Cyr, the zookeeper at the Cape May County Park and Zoo, cares for camels at the zoo in Cape May Court House on Friday.

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Alex Ernst, Veterinarian at Cape May Zoo talks about caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

Cape May Zoo zookeepers are caring for the animals amid COVID-19 Friday April 17, 2020. Edward Lea Staff Photographer / Press of Atlantic City

A peacock walks around the zoo on Friday. The zoo has been closed to visitors since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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It's quiet and peaceful, but it's not supposed to be:' Cape May Zoo staff maintains animal care, but misses the public - Press of Atlantic City