First-of-Its-Kind Collaboration Brings Animal Kingdom to the San Diego Public Library

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Rio, the double yellow-headed Amazon parrot, and his sidekick Zookeeper Rick captivated young children during the launch of San Diego Zoo Kids—an innovative closed-circuit television broadcast channel that features entertaining ad educational programming about unique and endangered animal species.

Animals and kids were brought together today (Monday, Sept. 14) at the San Diego Central Library to unveil a pioneering collaboration, designed to entertain and educate children and their families about wildlife. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Zoo Global, and the San Diego Public Library announced the arrival of San Diego Zoo Kids—an innovative closed-circuit television broadcast channel that features entertaining and educational programming about unique and endangered animal species—funded through a generous gift by businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford.

“When the idea came to my attention, to have the San Diego Zoo Kids channel available at the Library, I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with the Zoo,” said Misty Jones, director of the San Diego Public Library. “I’ve seen the magic and excitement for learning on the faces of children who watch the programs. Having San Diego Zoo Kids on site also opens many other programming opportunities to connect children to nature and instill in them a passion for stewardship of our planet.”

San Diego Zoo Kids offers up-close video encounters with popular animals, all hosted by San Diego Zoo’s national ambassador Rick Schwartz and San Diego Kids host Lauren Ayres. Viewers can observe clips from the Zoo’s famous Panda Cam and other online cameras, as well as content from zoos across the country.

“San Diego Zoo Global has a wealth of animal stories to tell,” said Rick Schwartz, San Diego Zoo’s national ambassador. “Through the generosity of Denny Sanford, we are able to bring these stories to kids who visit the San Diego Public Library, and hopefully inspire a new generation to help in the fight against extinction.”

The channel will be shown in the storytime area of the Sanford Children’s Library, and a future location will be added in the I Can Too! Center for children with special needs.

San Diego Zoo Kids debuted in 2013 at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Since then, it has been added at 16 other children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald House centers across the country.
About the San Diego Public Library

San Diego Public Library, which is the largest library system in the region, serves a population of more than 1.3 million people. Its mission is to inspire lifelong learning through connections to knowledge and each other. The Sanford Children’s Library is a fun and engaging Dr. Seuss-themed library with primary and intermediate grade collections, child-sized and specialized computer work stations, and colorful spaces for storytime, crafts and programs. Learn about other programs and events at the San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common and 35 community branch libraries, find links to numerous additional resources, or search for materials in the Library’s online catalog at sandiegolibrary.org.

About San Diego Zoo Global

Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is made accessible to children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the Internet and in children’s hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.

Photo taken on September 14, 2015, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Global

CONTACT: SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL PUBLIC RELATIONS, 619-685-3291