Despite its size, the Kestrel plays a large role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem, the zoo member said. The kestrel feeds on insects as well as small mice, frogs, snakes and smaller birds. Thanks to a grant from TangerKids, the John Ball Ambassadors brought four animals for the high school students to study.
While showing the animals, the zoo ambassadors also talked to students about the important role of each animal in the ecosystem. They discussed the importance of wildlife conservation and protection to maintain a healthy balance in the ecosystem and ways everyone can help maintain that balance.
A northern water snake was content to curl around her ambassador’s hand while students got a closer look at the reptile. These snakes eat tadpoles, fish (alive or dead), large insects, other snakes, turtles and small mammals like mice.
A wood turtle, one of the 10 turtles native to Michigan, was also a guest in the classroom. Turtle eggs are especially susceptible to predators like raccoons, possums and skunks who dig up an entire clutch of turtle eggs and will eat them all. John Ball Zoo has helped turtles by bringing the eggs to the zoo to hatch in a safe place, and then returning the turtles to their natural environment.
The African bullfrog’s population was declining quickly in certain parts of the world, according to the zookeeper. Showing the bullfrog inside an aquarium, the ambassador told students the frogs drink through their skins, so pollution is very hard on them and water quality is a huge issue to preservation of the African bullfrogs.
Limiting pollution in streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, and natural habitat areas is one way everyone can help preserve wildlife, the ambassadors told students. They also said natural habitats need to be protected so there are places for animals to live and that everyone should follow government regulations and laws that are enacted to protect animals.