Zoo Mama visits Leisure Club

VERNON — Lori Space Day a.k.a. Zoo Momma of Space Farms visited the Vernon Leisure Club’s monthly meeting on May 17.
Spring is the season for baby animals and Space Day’s main job at the zoo is to care for and raise baby animals, hence, the nickname Zoo Momma.
“I have 19 babies on the bottle,” Space Day quipped, “ and that’s enough to make me want to hit the bottle.”
Space Farms is celebrating it’s 90 years as a family owned business. Started by Ralph Space in 1927, Space Day referenced several, upcoming anniversary celebratory programs taking place during the week of July 4th.
The excited seniors couldn’t wait to meet the furry visitors. One baby was a gray fox that yipped and whimpered as Space Day said the fox was indigenous to the New Jersey area. It seems the kit was bothered by the bright lights and loud sounds. Zoo Momma was able to calm and reassure the baby as only a mom can.
Four-week-old baby raccoons followed, enjoying their dog formula from bottles. Space Day explained the human raised animals are somewhat more mellow than animals raised with the parents in the wild. That was also true with the baby groundhogs she brought.
“One of my raised groundhogs actually bit Mayor Bloomberg one Groundhog Day,” Space Day chuckled. “So truth be told, wild animals are just that and can be unpredictable.”
The last visitors, two Nubian goats delighted the senior group as two volunteers bottle feed the babies. Imprinted to Space Day, the baby goats followed her through the room and interacted with the seniors. Space Day displayed and signed her two books which journal her life — Zookeeper’s Daughter and Zoo Momma. She encouraged everyone to explore the wild side and visit Space Farms.
The Vernon Leisure Club holds monthly meetings on the third Wednesday. President Lorraine Kraus welcomes new members and guests.