While
some people may be political animals, there are some animals at Connecticut’s Beardsley
Zoo that are getting into politics.
The
race is on at the zoo for the next mayor of the Bridgeport animal kingdom.
Animals in the race include Clara, a North American bison. She may be an early
front-runner partly because of name recognition. After all, the bison is the
nation’s national mammal.
“She’s
one of those huge conservation success stories, almost being extinct in the
wild and brought back with the help of zoos,” says Gregg Dancho, the zoo’s
director.
Zari,
the African grey parrot, is also a contender who is not afraid to speak up on
the issues.
“When
she’s feeling super comfortable, Zari is super chatty,” says Chrissy Shore, the
zoo educator. “She makes a ton of different noises, I always say she likes to
communicate.”
K-man,
a yacare caiman (part of the alligator family) has the thickest skin of the
candidates. He's looking forward to really sinking his teeth into the job if he
wins.
Jolene,
the whistling duck, is back on the ballot -- the only competitor who ran in
last year's election.
Last
on the list is Harry the guinea hog piglet – a real mud slinger.
“Harry’s
actually been taught how to sit and stay. A lot of people don’t realize how
smart pigs can be,” says Dancho.
Voting
runs through Thursday, Nov. 18 on
the zoo's website. Site visitors can vote as
many times as they like at a cost of a $1 donation. The money is going toward
the zoo’s conservation and education programs, as well as the health and
welfare of the animals.