News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
April 24, 2023
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Brookfield Zoo has Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Animal-loving Moms
  

Brookfield, Ill. — Mother’s Day is a celebration for those we call mom and for all the amazing ways mothers support, protect, and nurture. And, to show appreciation, Brookfield Zoo has a few unique gift ideas for anyone whose mom is an animal lover. Consider adopting Troody, one of the Zoo’s western gray kangaroos or honorarily naming a parakeet at Hamill Family Wild Encounters.
 
Adopt a Kangaroo
Troody, who became a first-time mom in 2022, is the Mother’s Day featured creature for Brookfield Zoo’s Animal Adoption Program. Several options are available:

  • For a $35 contribution, the recipient will receive the Basic Package that includes a 5-inch by 7-inch color photograph of Troody, a personalized certificate of adoption, a species fact sheet, an Animal Adoption decal, and an invitation to the exclusive 2023 Animal Adoption summer event.

  • The $59 Plush Package features a plush kangaroo mom and in-pouch joey plus all the benefits of the Basic Package.

  • A third option for $150 includes everything in the Plush Package plus four admission tickets and a parking voucher to Brookfield Zoo.


Kangaroo moms spend a lot of time nurturing their young. A gray kangaroo joey spends approximately 5 to 6 months inside its mom’s pouch, only occasionally venturing out, until it permanently leaves at around 10 months of age. Joeys nurse for a year and a half—the longest time of all the marsupials. What is truly amazing is that a kangaroo mom can produce two separate types of milk at the same time. One teat produces low-fat milk for a newly born joey and a separate one produces high-fat milk for the juvenile joey out of the pouch.

Donations for packages go towards the care and feeding of Brookfield Zoo’s western gray kangaroos. To order, visit CZS.org/FeaturedCreature or call (708) 688-8341. To ensure regular mail delivery, orders must be received on or before May 3. Packages may also be purchased at the Zoo during regular business hours.
 
Name a Parakeet
Another offer the Zoo is highlighting is “Name a Parakeet for Mother’s Day.” For just $10, moms will receive a Certificate of Naming that can be filled out and shared. Additionally, her first name will be featured on the 2023 Mother’s Day Parakeet Naming Board in the aviary at Hamill Family Wild Encounters. Proceeds go to Brookfield Zoo’s Annual Fund, a critical source of funding used wherever the Zoo needs it most.

To name a parakeet, go to CZS.org/NameAParakeet. For names to be included on the 2023 Mother's Day Parakeet Naming Board, donation submissions must be completed by May 4.


Visit Brookfield Zoo
On Mother’s Day, treat mom to a relaxing day at Brookfield Zoo. While strolling the walkways venture over to Australia House to see Troody and her joey in their outdoor habitat as well as visit other animal moms and their young, including the nyala, addax, and South American tapirs.
 

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Photo Captions (credit: CZS-Brookfield Zoo)
Animal Adoption Package: Brookfield Zoo’s Animal Adoption featured creature for Mother’s Day is Troody, a western gray kangaroo, who had a joey last year. For $59, a recipient will receive the Plush Package, which includes a plush kangaroo mom and in-pouch joey, a 5-inch by 7-inch color photograph of Troody, a personalized certificate of adoption, a species fact sheet, an Animal Adoption decal, and an invitation to the exclusive 2023 Animal Adoption summer event.
 
2099 and 5481: Troody, a western gray kangaroo at Brookfield Zoo, is this year’s Mother’s Day featured creature for the Zoo’s Animal Adoption Program.
 
9269 and Parakeets: For mom this Mother’s Day, consider honorarily naming a parakeet at Brookfield Zoo’s Hamill Family Wild Encounters. For $10, moms will receive a Certificate of Naming that can be filled out and shared and her first name will be featured on the 2023 Mother’s Day Parakeet Naming Board.

About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people to wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. The Zoo is also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association. Brookfield Zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and also is accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, and CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.

 
 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sondra Katzen
Director of Public Relations
Office: 708-688-8351
Cell Phone: 708-903-2071
E-mail: Sondra.Katzen@CZS.org

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