WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Lunar New Year is here, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, it’s the Year of the Fire Horse.
Zoo New York held an event Saturday to celebrate. There weren’t any equestrian attractions, but the festivities did feature a dragon.
A bearded dragon, that is. She was the star of the show at Zoo New York’s Lunar New Year Celebration. Her name is Sahara. Specifically, she’s an Eastern bearded dragon and she was capturing hearts at the same time as she was trying to capture bugs.
“It’s just good to see her get some attention,” said Sahara’s handler, Alexa Haugen. “She’s a very good girl.”
Throughout the event, Haugen made it her goal to teach folks a thing or two about bearded dragons, and clear up any misconceptions about the species.
“She is actually a really calm animal,” said Haugen. “She’s really good at being handled. Also, not many people can tell the difference between different kinds of lizards. Someone just came in here and called her a gecko.”
Sahara wasn’t the only attraction, however. Folks could try their hand at traditional Chinese calligraphy. Take part in various arts and crafts, making things like fortune tellers, and even sample from a snack board meant to imbue them with good luck for the year.
“We’ve got games and traditional treats,” said the zoo’s interim director Mark Irwin. “We’re just leaning into the celebration of it.”
It’s an event Irwin says wouldn’t have been possible without the help of his team.
“Largely our team of staff has come come up with the ideas,” he said. “Traditionally we have done this event the last several years. Members of our community will come out, advise, and set it up. This year we’re excited to celebrate the year of the horse.”
Irwin tells us the next big event the zoo has planned is the Spring Fling. That’ll be in late April.
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