Zoomobile brings animals and smiles

Students meet animals and a representative from the Utica Zoo during a visit to the Student Center.

In the hustle and bustle of daily life on campus, things can sometimes get a little stressful. And sometimes, the best way to unwind is a nice walk over to the Student Center to go pet a rabbit and a turtle.

Yes. A rabbit and a turtle.

It was all part of an October 25 visit by the Utica Zoo’s own world of animals on wheels – The Zoomobile. Rolling onto the Utica campus, the animals were greeted by crowds of smiling faces, and loving hands that wanted nothing more than a chance to shower a little love on these creatures, be they furry, shelly, or scaly.

Although garnering particular affection was April, a 3 year old, ten pound gray rabbit.

A representative from the Utica Zoo shows off a snake to a SUNY Poly student during a zoomobile visit to the Student Center in Ocotber 2016.

“Everyone always seems to like the animals,” said Kathleen McGill, Education Program Coordinator for the Utica Zoo. “A lot of the questions I get at college campuses are more intricate than at say, elementary schools. I get questions about the animals’ biology, care, etc.”

Freshman Lexie Carey was one of many students clamoring around the zoo’s display, smiles across their faces, to see the turtle and snake, sitting as comfortable around a crowd of young adults and a busy Student Center as they might be sitting in their own habitats back at the Utica Zoo.

“I love animals. I grew up adoring every animal I could get my hands on,” Carey said.