Alaska Zoo in critical need of frozen fish donations

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Alaska Zoo put out a name for assist Tuesday on social media, asking residents who might need some further fish of their freezers to think about donating it.

Curator Sam Lavin stated that whereas the zoo turns to the group sometimes for donations, it’s been some time since they’ve needed to ask for frozen fish.

“Yearly we get loads of meals donations from individuals in Alaska. We’ve a very supportive group,” Lavin stated. “This yr, we ran low on fish and our bears are usually not fairly asleep but, so we began to get just a little anxious as a result of we began seeing the bottoms of our fish bins within the freezer.”

It’s the right alternative for Alaskans to wash out their freezers after filling them up with this yr’s salmon. The Alaska Zoo asks that the fish be no older than two years, sealed, unsmoked, and unseasoned. Any species of fish are accepted, as completely different animals eat completely different varieties together with salmon, halibut, cod, and hooligan.

Whereas the necessity for frozen fish is at present important, the zoo does settle for donations year-round.

“It’s a very large walk-in freezer and we’ve bought house for all of it — like we are going to pile that fish to the ceiling and use it subsequent summer time,” Lavin said. “We’re right here one year a yr, so if you wish to drop fish on Christmas we are going to discover it.”

In keeping with Lavin, something the zoo can’t use resulting from rules gained’t go to waste and will probably be put aside for Alaska mushers to make use of for his or her groups.

Donations might be dropped off inside a freezer positioned on the west aspect of the zoo’s car parking zone close to the greenhouse fence. Alaska Zoo staff take the donated fish to their fundamental walk-in freezer a number of instances a day. The gates to the car parking zone are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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