Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

York Attends ,Zoo, School In Little Rock

Shannon York, son of Mary York of Rosston, recently attended the first Little Rock Zoo School for the Visually Impaired, held in conjunction with the summer program of the Arkansas School for the Blind and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This is the first such project in the United States.

During the five-day program at the Little Rock Zoo, students got an inside look at the zoo's daily operations. They got to play with Mahale, the 3-year-old chimpanzee; pet a rhinoceros and an anteater; and tour the zoo at night. Special focus was placed on possible job opportunities for students who are visually impaired.

"We started this basically as a service the zoo should do," said Bruce Roberts, a great ape keeper, who was the impetus behind the project. "This is a way to reach a population we hadn't reached before. We are already getting interest from other zoos. Within a matter of a few short years, there will be other programs around the country based on ours."

Roberts is pursuing grants to enhance the program.

For his zoo school project, York, who will be a junior this fall at Nevada High School, interviewed reptile keepers.

"I asked them things like how they handle the reptiles, and whether I could do it or not," York said. "It sounds like a possible future career. That's something I've never thought of before."

A highlight of the week was his visit behind the scenes at the reptile house, where he held a Baird's ratsnake.

"I've been interested in reptiles since I was little," York said. "They've always fascinated me."

A Zoo School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was held two weeks after the one for the visually impaired.