Moncton — During a press conference on Saturday, Magnetic Hill Zoo official John Mitchell announced that the award-winning attraction will be welcoming a mosquito exhibit.
“We are always striving towards innovation and excellence at the Magnetic Hill Zoo, and this new exhibit is sure to bring us to the next level,” Mitchell said about the project.
The enclosure, built to host approximately 950 of the blood-sucking insects, will feature an array of lukewarm kiddie pools and freshly cut grass to truly capture the mosquito’s natural habitat. As for the insect’s diet, zookeeper Adrian LeBlanc is thrilled at the initiative the zoo’s staff have shown to help in any way possible: “Everyone was more than happy to donate a blood bag to ensure that the mosquitoes will be well-nourished,” he said. “We are still debating whether to dispense said blood in one of those hamster water bottles or to simply leave it in the bags and let the insects fend for themselves, but one thing’s for sure: our lovely creatures will not go to bed hungry.”
Although many agree that the new exhibit will be beneficial for Moncton tourism this summer, some strongly disapprove of the zoo’s new plan.
“This is outrageous!” cried Bathurst resident and mother of two Marguerite Arsenault. “How can we expect the zookeepers to handle close to 1,000 mosquitoes? What about the enclosure’s safety? If one of my children sneaks into the pen, will the zoo manager be forced to take serious measures and resort to squishing some of the mosquitoes taking my baby hostage? God only knows how many petitions will be signed then!”
In response to the concerns, Mitchell said there is nothing to worry about. “We will be working with the mosquitoes to ensure that they will be accustomed to humans,” he explained. “I want to assure everyone that safety is our priority.”
Mitchell also expressed during the press conference that, in all, the new project is an homage to the beauty of New Brunswick wildlife: “What would our province be without the omnipresent mosquito? By building this exhibit, visitors from all around will be able to truly witness New Brunswick as we know it.”
The exhibit should be completed by mid-July, and the decision to make the enclosure petting-zoo style will be discussed at a later time.