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Our visitors love live animals!!  It was the one consistent request we 
got in our Comments book in reply to the question there "What would you 
like to see new at the Sciencenter?" prior to our expansion 5 years ago.

It's the one space where I hear kids and parents read labels all day 
long;  we keep them short with some most-interesting tidbits that 
surprise visitors (corals that have symbiotic algae living inside, or 
that propagate by dropping branches, etc.)  And of course "Which one is 
Nemo?" as we have a pair of clownfish.

They do take time to maintain of course- we've got a 1/4-time FTE set 
aside for their care.

We've got some beautiful salt-water reef tank displays, and added a 
wonderful "Touch Tank" area (with some private funding) where visitors 
can touch sea stars, urchins etc.-- we get to reach out to rural kids 
who may never get to the Ocean, and share a conservation message about 
reefs and oceans and watershed issues.  

In addition, we've got Corn Snakes, turtles, millipedes and hissing 
roaches and large display with frogs and toads and newts...  Some of 
these are taken out by trained volunteers for visitors to see up close 
and touch. Turtles, frogs and toads are not generally handled however 
(salmonella is a real concern that you cannot test for).  I do have to 
say that the middle school/teen audience especially like the "creepy 
crawlies" altho' a few adults are squeamish about the snakes in 
particular.  

We're also "centrally isolated" in upstate New York, so serve a broad 
audience without local aquarium or zoo.

Kathy Krafft
Exhibit Projects Director
Sciencenter
Ithaca, NY





Hello,
I am curious about the role of live animals in science centers.  If you are
not an aquarium or zoo, do you still have live animals?  If so, what kind of
animals do you have?   What type of programming do you do around them?  Are
they always on display or only on display under direct supervision by a
staff member or volunteer?  Does anyone keep reptiles?   Do you have
problems with visitors being upset by having animals on display out of their
natural habitat?  Any information would be appreciated!

Thanks,

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