A stint as a jack-o-lantern and an object of carving prowess makes the pumpkin the reigning star of Halloween every year. After Oct. 31, however, the fruit is often limited to lattes or candles. But Rosamond Gifford Zoo has an original way of repurposing squash.

At the end of fall several animals have a field day squishing, sniffing, eating or simply playing with pumpkins of all sizes.

On Nov. 6, the zoo’s annual Squishing of the Squash event will return for its 11th year. Squishing of the Squash is a guided tour through the local zoo, where guests can move from one preserve to another and view a variety of animals squishing pumpkins. This makes for an entertaining event for both the audience and the animals.

“It’s both a physical and mental enrichment,” said Jaime Alvarez, head of public relations at Rosamond Gifford Zoo. “Presenting (the animals) with unusual objects is for enriching their lives here.”

The event is free with zoo admission.

Every 15 minutes, a new animal is given a pumpkin. The gifting usually starts with the African lion in the Social Building, after which guests trail out to the outdoor zoo, then to the domestic animal barn, and finally up the wildlife trail. After a brief lunch break, guests move into the indoor section of the zoo.

The distribution of pumpkins across habitats is partly based on the ease of viewing. Some preserves have convenient viewing spaces for visitors, and so are dotted with pumpkins. Moreover, the popularity of the section factors in as well.

“We have species that are near and dear to a lot of our guests,” Alvarez said. “Our Asian elephants are very iconic.”

A herd of seven Asian elephants receives the largest pumpkin of the event.

“It’s really cool to see this huge pumpkin that almost actually looks dwarfed next to the huge elephants,” Alvarez said.

Besides the elephant preserve, animals in every other habitat will also receive pumpkins. African tigers, the Asian lynx, outdoor birds, guinea hogs, alpacas, and Cleo the octopus are all recipients of pumpkins.

The squishing is more than amusement for visitors and animals; it’s a learning experience that benefits the zoo animals.

“Our enrichment program is designed to present animals with unusual toys or objects so they have a chance to demonstrate these natural instincts, and it gives them an opportunity to explore something new,” Alvarez said.

About 55 recycled pumpkins are being “squished.” 

The event’s largest pumpkin has been donated by the same person for the last eleven years. Wally Merriam, a Fayetteville local, donates his prize pumpkin to Squishing of the Squash every year.

Merriam has been growing pumpkins on his front yard for about 10 to 15 years now. Gargantuan pumpkins are a recurring theme in his yard, and this year, the star pumpkin stands at a whopping 1,322 pounds.

“It’s a nice looking pumpkin — it’s not ugly,” Merriam said. “The front looks nice. It’s pretty solid; there’s no defects with it.”

Merriam is one of many locals who grow pumpkins every year to compete against each other at local competitions. They meet at weigh-offs, Merriam said, and over the years have formed a nationwide network through the internet and phone calls.

At a weigh-off in Oswego recently, Merriam’s pumpkin bagged fourth place. Merriam is confident that the pumpkin going to the zoo is from a high-quality seed, a crucial step to meeting the zoo’s high standards.

Merriam’s pumpkin at this year’s squishing will hopefully provide him an equally robust one next year. He said an important factor of pumpkin-growing is to replant the seeds, which is why he returns to the zoo to retrieve the seeds.

After the elephants squish the pumpkins, zookeepers collect the seeds scattered in the process, and they turn them back over to Merriam.

“I can dry them out and use them for planting a pumpkin next year,” Merriam said.

Merriam has been to one of the squishings, and described the amusement of watching a large pumpkin becoming the plaything of the elephant herd.

“As a person, you can’t move it or budge it, but the elephants just come in and roll it around like a beach ball,” Merriam said. “It’s fun to watch.”

Students at Syracuse University may also be familiar with the practice: Amber Ragunas, a sophomore broadcast and digital journalism major, has seen pumpkins being squashed by zoo animals in videos.

“CNN tweeted out a video of the Oregon Zoo once,” Ragunas said. “The elephants just looked so incredibly happy to be squishing 1,000-pound pumpkins.”

Though Ragunas cannot attend herself, students are welcome to visit the zoo on Sunday to watch.

Alvarez hopes that everyone, whether they are two-legged or four-legged, at the zoo on Sunday enjoys the fruit-filled fun.  

“We perceive that it’s exciting for the animals, and we think for our guests, it’s just as exciting,” Alvarez said.

Published on November 2, 2016 at 8:41 pm

Contact: dmurthy@syr.edu