For the animals at the Montreal Ecomuseum, it's business as usual. The zoo in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the only one of its kind on the Island of Montreal, is posting regular updates on its social media pages, showing what its critters are up to while the gates are closed to the public. The photos and videos of animals blissfully unaware of the circumstances that surround them are a welcome escape from the dreary stream of bad news. The Ecomuseum first closed on March 16 in response to public health recommendations. It reduced its staff, but the well-being of its animals has remained a top priority, Director General David Rodrigue assured in an April 9 Facebook video. "Care is still there, so don't worry," he told viewers. "We will never reduce either the care or well-being of the animals who are our responsibility," he promised. In a video published on April 17, Chief Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Annie Guenette further explained that the animals are under surveillance by medical staff to ensure their health. Luckily for Montrealers, personnel are still able to capture some pretty cute images. "While some of the animals seem to miss the presence of visitors, others seem to be enjoying this calm period," museum Director of Communications, Émilie Sénécal, told MTL Blog. Gargamel = cette personne de votre entourage qui tient toujours sa caméra trop proche pendant l’appel vidéo! 😂 ————— Gargamel = this person you know that always holds the camera too close during a video call! 😂Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Monday, May 4, 2020 Saviez-vous que les loutres adorent prendre des "bains de sable"? Malgré ce qu'on pourrait croire, c'est une forme...Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Saturday, May 2, 2020 Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Thursday, April 30, 2020 Bon lundi matin! Êtes-vous dans le même "mood" que Soya, la martre d'Amérique ce matin? -- Happy Monday morning! Are you in the same mood as Soya, the American Marten this morning?Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Monday, April 27, 2020 Genie trouve le moyen de faire rire nos animalières tous les jours! 😂 — Genie finds a way to make our zookeepers laugh everyday! 😂Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 "They all have their own personality!" The situation has nonetheless presented financial difficulties for the non-profit organization. Lynx du CanadaLoki, le lynx du Canada, vous souhaite un dimanche doux et relaxant! Est-ce qu'il vous fait penser à votre compagnon félin à la maison? 😻 -- Loki the Canada Lynx wishes you a relaxing Sunday! Does he remind you of your feline companion at home? 😻Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Friday, April 17, 2020 On commence la semaine en riant! À écouter avec le son! 🌈 Les loutres de rivière ont reçu un enrichissement spécial pour leur déjeuner ce week-end: elles devaient aller à la pêche au poisson dans un gros bocal rempli d’eau! Disons qu’elles ont apprécié et qu’elles ont bien faire rire notre animalière, Alyssa! 😂 Comme vous pouvez le constater, elles déjeunent dans le bâtiment intérieur de leur aire de vie, permettant ainsi aux animaliers de faire des examens visuels rapprochés tous les jours pour assurer la santé des deux loutres, et de faire le nettoyage de leur aire de vie extérieure en toute sécurité, sans la présence de Pika et Williston. Elles sont donc à l’intérieur un gros 20 minutes par jour et le reste du temps, elles profitent de leur vaste espace extérieur! ——— We’re kicking off the week with a good laugh! Listen with the sound on! 🌈 The River Otters have received an enrichment for their breakfast over the weekend, where they had to fish for their meal in a large bucket filled with water. Let’s just say they appreciated the gift and made our zookeeper Alyssa laugh quite a lot! 😂 As you can tell, the otters take their breakfast in the indoor part of their living space, allowing our zookeepers to perform daily visual exams to ensure the health of the two otters. It also allows our keepers to maintain the outdoor living space safely, without the presence of Pika and Williston. They are indoors about 20 minutes a day, and they enjoy their vast outdoor space the rest of the time!Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Monday, March 30, 2020 Would-be visitors who want to help out can make a donation through Canada Helps or sign up for the Animal Sponsorship Program, where, according to the museum website, "every dollar received contributes directly to the cost of long-term care of the animals in our care." Surprises de Pâques pour les animaux!Êtes-vous prêts pour le 3 minutes le plus mignon de votre long week-end? 😍😍 Voyez en vidéo la réaction de plusieurs des animaux du zoo à leurs surprises de Pâques: ratons laveurs, porc-épic, mouffette et plusieurs autres ont reçu des présents de la part du lapin de Pâques et ont ADORÉ leurs cadeaux! N'hésitez pas à partager cette dose de "mignon" avec votre entourage, il ne fait aucun doute que c'est la façon parfaite de commencer la semaine (ou de terminer le long week-end!). -- Are you ready for 3 minutes of cuteness overload? 😍😍 In this video, watch the reaction of many of the zoo animals to their Easter surprises: raccoons, porcupines, skunk, and many others received gifts from the Easter bunny and LOVED it! Do not hesitate to share this daily dose of cuteness with your loved ones - it's always a good way to start the week (or to end the long weekend!).Posted by Zoo Ecomuseum on Monday, April 13, 2020 The Ecomuseum is dedicated to "environmental education, wildlife conservation, and animal well-being." The creatures in its care "were orphaned, rehabilitated or born under professional human care" and reside in spaces that represent "faithful replications" of their natural environments. Stay tuned for more news.
