Zoo gets calls on April Fools’ Day

MINOT, N.D. – It’s happened for many years when April Fools’ Day comes around some unsuspecting person gets a message to call Mr. Lyon or perhaps ask for another name. But when they make that call they find out they are calling Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo and asking for one of its inhabitants.

“We do get calls,” said Jennifer Kleen, executive director of the Greater Minot Zoological Society. She said they get around “a handful of calls but it’s the signature of the day.”

Besides Mr. Lyon she said they’ve had calls for Mr. Don Key, Mr. Al Gator and Mr. Baer.

Some have called, asking for Harry (Hairy), a name that can lead to various animals, Kleen said.

In years past, callers have also asked for Mr. Fox, Mr. G. Raffe, Mr. Wolf, Mrs. Ella Phant, and Mrs. Teresa Llama.

She said all zoo staff members answer the phone saying, “Roosevelt Park Zoo,” so often people figure out right away that they’ve been fooled.

When a staff member answers such a call, she said it is easy to tell by the look on their face it is a caller asking for one of the zoo’s animals.

April Fools’ Day was early this year for one person from a local business who called the zoo recently and asked for Mr. Lyon. Another person called this week and asked for Harry.

One of the years with the highest number of April Fools’ Day calls was in 1982 when the zoo received 196 such calls.

Zoo gets calls on April Fools’ Day

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