Winter Food Drive for Animals at Sierra Safari Zoo

Don't toss out your unwanted food just yet, the Sierra Safari Zoo is looking for donations to help feed its hungry animals. 

You can donate hay for bedding, food items like meats and vegetables and even give cash during the zoo's annual winter food drive. With Sierra Safari only open during winter break this time of year, the zoo simply cannot afford meals without help. 

Over the past twenty years, hundreds of animals like Merlin the camel, Romeo the cat and Zeus the zebra have called Sierra Safari their home.

"It has become family," said co-founder Jimmy Martin of the Sierra Safari Zoo. 

Each and every day, the staff fill up bowls of meat, vegetables and fresh fruit, depending on the animal's diet. "The ones that are outside all get more and stronger amounts of food," said Martin. 

But operations slow down in the winter time, causing the zoo to rely heavily on donations. Martin said, "We're closed most of the time in the winter so it's always a struggle to keep money flowing to keep them fed and warm."

Alfalfa to munch on and hay to sleep on are among the items on the list for the winter food drive. Anything can help. 

Emily Baran, a visitor at Sierra Safari Zoo said, "Donate food to the animals so they can have more food so they don't run out in the winter."

Visitors like Baran and her family made some friends at the zoo. Her favorite animal happens to be a tiger though. "Their stripes are just really cool," said Baran. 

Martin adds, "They get winter coats but they still have to eat more food."

It can be quite costly to feed these creatures. For example, the carnivores eat about 100 pounds of meat each day."The cats, the carnivores, that's probably our biggest expense," said Martin. Adding up all of this food, it's more than $10,000 dollars a month.

"Thank you for the community for helping us. We're doing okay. But we need everybody's help to do so," said Martin. 

Sierra Safari Zoo is a non-profit organization. Donations can be sent to 10200 North Virginia St., Reno NV 89506

Or head to their website to donate: http://www.sierrasafarizoo.org/

The zoo is hoping to raise at least $30,000 dollars to supply enough food for the winter.