Penguins, cats and tortoises: SCETV to release series teaching about zoo animals

COLUMBIA — Anyone who’s longed for a closer look at a zoo animal and its habitat will get that chance with a series of videos created through the state’s public broadcasting network.

Starting Friday, SCETV will release educational and immersive videos featuring animals and habitats at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens. The goal of the series, titled “Zoo Minutes,” is to find a new way to get children interested in conservation, according to the state-funded broadcaster.

“This collaboration is a powerful opportunity to inspire the next generation through dynamic and immersive storytelling,” Riverbanks President Tommy Stringfellow said in a statement.

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Each installment will include a short video about the animal, a 360-degree video allowing people to explore a habitat, an interactive video with information to click on and discover, and quizzes to test what people learned. SCETV will also release behind-the-scenes videos showing how teams filmed footage of habitats and creatures.

The first two installments will focus on the zoo’s penguins, fishing cat and radiated tortoises, according to a news release. Later episodes will include poison dart frogs, jellyfish and squirrel monkeys.

“Education is at the heart of ‘Zoo Minutes,’ and the series is designed to give students and educators multiple ways to engage with the same story,” said Salandra Bowman, chief learning officer for SCETV.

Bowman’s educational team designed the videos and quizzes for students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, but anyone can access them. Zoo employees in the videos talk about conservation, biology and animal care, including veterinary care, according to the agency.

The broadcasting agency, which also runs the state’s public radio station, has similar educational programming available for teachers.

Other shows include “Corine & Celestine,” which tells the story of the fight for civil rights through the experiences of two Black women, and “Echoes and Insights,” which pulls from SCETV’s archives to teach about history.

“’Zoo Minutes’ builds on SCETV’s legacy of connecting South Carolinians with the animals and their caretakers across the state while using today’s technology to create new ways for audiences to explore and learn,” SCETV president Adrienne Farewell said in a statement.

Riverbanks, which bills itself as the state’s largest gated tourist attraction, receives regular funding in the state budget. This year, legislators split $2 million between the zoos in Columbia and Greenville as part of a supplemental spending bill.

The work with SCETV can help broaden the zoo’s message of conservation and give people who might not get to visit the zoo essentially a virtual field trip, said Greg Peccie, vice president of animal care.

“My hope is that this window into the world of animal care will inspire interest in wildlife for learners of all ages — and maybe even future zookeepers,” Peccie said.