SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Rosamond Gifford Zoo will distribute Halloween pumpkins to its animals on Saturday, November 6 at the annual Squishing of the Squash animal enrichment event.
The public is invited to watch animals from tigers to camels to elephants romp, stomp, and chomp pumpkins of all sizes throughout the day.
The event’s most popular highlight – the 1,010-pound “Pumpkin of Pachyderm Proportions” – will be presented to the zoo’s elephant herd at 12:15 p.m. Saturday. The giant pumpkin was grown and donated to the zoo by Dr. Walter Merriam of Fayetteville.
This is the first in person enrichment event since the Sweet Treats Valentine event in February 2020.
For the Squishing of the Squash event, zookeepers collect pumpkins used to decorate the zoo for its October weekend Zoo Boo events to give to the animals in their care throughout the day.
The Squishing of the Squash runs 10 a.m. to 3:30 November 6 p.m. and is free to zoo members or with zoo admission.
The full schedule of pumpkin squishing events is found below, and is subject to change.
- 10:30 a.m. Lemurs, Siamangs, Golden Lion Tamarins – Social Animals wing
- 10:45 a.m. Amur leopard – Zalie and Bob Linn Amur Leopard Woodland
- 11:15 a.m. Contact Barn and Outdoor Birds – outdoor zoo
- 11:30 a.m. Bactrian Camels, Gray Wolves – Wildlife Trail
- 11:45 a.m. Takin and Markhor – Wildlife Trail
- Noon: Amur Tigers – Wildlife Trail
- 12:15 p.m. Asian Elephants – Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve
- 12:45 p.m. Snow Leopard – Wildlife Trail
- 1 p.m. Red Panda – Wildlife Trail
- 1:15 p.m. Andean Bear – Wildlife Trail
- 1:30 p.m. Komodo Dragon – Social Animals wing
- 1:45 p.m. North American River Otters – Animal Adaptations
- 2 p.m. Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloths – Animal Adaptations
- 2:15 p.m. Giant Pacific Octopus – Upper lobby
- 3 p.m. Indoor Birds and Radiated Tortoise – Diversity of Birds aviary