CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Cincinnati Zoo is developing a plan for reopening, and to do that, safety for staff members and guests is the top priority.
And while they don’t have a full plan in place just yet, one requirement is that employees wear a mask. To ensure that safety measure is carried out, staff and volunteers have sewn more than 1,000 masks for team members to wear throughout the park.
- In total, over 1,000 masks have been made and donated by employees and volunteers
- The aunt of a keeper on the zoo’s bird team has donated 800 masks
- Some masks are animal-themed, some celebrate the botanical side of the Zoo
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Cincinnati Zoo Volunteer Manager Mollie O’Neil is one of the staff members that helped make the masks, and said the project allowed the team to tap into their creativity.
“Our volunteers have so many talents and truly want to help the zoo in any way they can,” O’Neil said. “Since they can’t be at the zoo right now, sewing masks is a great way for many to stay engaged, use their creativity, and know they are making a difference.”
She applauds the help of the volunteers who spent their free time to help keep the team safe.
“So this is all a donated effort, everybody working out of the kindness of their heart. In fact one of our bird keeper’s, her aunt, the wonderful an amazing Darlene Koenig, has made at this stage well over 800 masks for the zoo,” said O'Neil.
O’Neil said the masks will go a long way toward protecting the keepers and handlers healthy once the Zoo does decide to reopen because their work simply cannot be replaced or backfilled.
She said the zoo is excited to see its guests again, but making sure the safest measures are in place is the top concern.
“It takes a village, and we’ve got one,” Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard said. “We appreciate our staff, volunteers and everyone in our community who has supported us through this very difficult time.”