Zoo receives special gift from Birmingham Barons

The Birmingham Barons baseball team is helping to further the important mission of animal conservation at the Birmingham Zoo with a gift of material from Regions Field.

On Friday, May 1, Barons personnel assisted animal care professionals from the zoo in laying down portions of some donated infield clay from the ballpark in the newly renovated flamingo habitat. 

The clay will serve as nest-building material for the birds and improve flamingo husbandry.

“We are excited to bring a bit of Regions Field to the Birmingham Zoo while contributing to the growth of its animal family and conservation efforts,” said Jonathan Nelson, Barons president and general manager, in a news release.

The infield clay is a “unique and important gift,” said Chris Pfefferkorn, president and CEO of the zoo.

“The donated materials are very well suited for flamingo nest building and will encourage breeding in the newly renovated flamingo habitat,” he said.

“The Barons are supporting the conservation of wildlife and wild places by helping the Zoo to fulfill our mission,” Pfefferkorn said.

The Barons — Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox of the American League — have a longstanding partnership with the zoo.

Family Sundays at the Barons are co-sponsored by the zoo and include appearances by the zoo’s Ambassador Animals at various home games, and teaching guests about wildlife and wild places.

Emergency Animal fund

The Birmingham Zoo, which was forced to close temporarily on March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is also in the midst of an important fundraising drive.

The Zoo has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue during the closure due to a loss in ticket sales, said Pfefferkorn told Iron City Ink recently.

That revenue is critical to maintaining daily operations and infrastructure, he said.

In response, the zoo announced in late April that it had established the Emergency Animal Fund and was soliciting donations from the public.

The money in the fund is to help the zoo feed its more than 700 animal residents, including endangered species. 

In addition to nutrition, it cost the zoo about $30,000 per day to operate the facility and provide animal care even while closed to the public.

To get more information or to make a donation, go to birminghamzoo.com.