New Jersey Herald
WANTAGE Local children got a chance to step into the shoes of animal handlers in a safe, fun way Saturday during the annual Junior Zookeeper Day at Space Farms Zoo & Museum.
Roughly 100 children ages 5 to 15 and their parents attended the annual event, where they took part in hands-on activities and learned more about the variety of animals at Space Farms. The demonstrations were led by Lori Space Day, part of the zoo s third generation of owners, with help from her brother, Parker, and Parker s son, Hunter.
At the end of the three-hour program, all the children received a Junior Zookeeper certificate in recognition of their work for the day.
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Space Day remembered her father for his years of hard work at the zoo, where he remained a regular presence until shortly before his death. He was an expert on many animals but was especially knowledgeable about bears, as he displayed in a Herald article about the birth of two Kodiak bear cubs at Space Farms last year.
The late Space relied on his animal expertise for the first of two non-fiction books he authored, Facts About Snakes of the Northeast United States, in 1965. His second book, titled Ralph Space, the Legend and Tales of Beemerville was published in 2007 and detailed various historical facts about Space Farms and the surrounding area.
Parker Space called his late father an icon in the community and a wealth of knowledge about anything involving animals. He also cited his father s relationship with his grandson, Hunter, as the two were best buddies.
A post on Hunter Space s Facebook page paid tribute to his grandfather by calling him the source of everything I know.
In a Facebook Live video shared by Space Farms in April, Fred Space recalled growing up in Sussex County during the Great Depression. He would wear his clothes until they were shreds before his mother would patch them a sharp contrast, he pointed out, from kids today who purposely wear jeans with holes in them.