My wife, Mally, and I have a favorite bird. Naturally, our favorite bird lives in Australia, the land of our birth. Do you know its name? Here’s a hint: When we lived in Australia, we would often hear its characteristic “laugh” early in the morning.
Okay, what’s our favorite bird? It’s called the kookaburra! Now for some great news. Do you want to see our favorite bird? Well, we have now welcomed Silas, the laughing kookaburra, to our Ararat Ridge Zoo at the Ark Encounter!
The kookaburra is native to Australia. It’s a carnivorous bird and is the largest species in the kingfisher created kind. The kookaburra is named for its distinctive call, which is used for marking territory, attracting mates, establishing hierarchies, or reinforcing familial bonds. These calls are possible because our Creator designed them with unique syrinxes (the vocal organ of birds) that have two sources of vibrations, so they can make two simultaneous frequencies with multiple harmonics. Zoo staff named him as a reference to Silas (and Paul) singing hymns to God while imprisoned in Acts 16:25. As long as it’s over 40 degrees, you can see Silas on exhibit at the Ark Encounter’s Monument Walk where we have other birds in special enclosures.
Come visit the Ark Encounter (and our sister attraction, the Creation Museum) soon. We have other Australian animals at our zoo, including kangaroos and emus. Ararat Ridge Zoo has about 200 animals and is a popular part of our Ark Encounter attraction (and it’s included free with Ark Encounter admission). Our attractions are in N. Kentucky, not far from Cincinnati. And, if you like singing, like Silas our kookaburra, or enjoy listening to music, be sure to visit the Ark between August 1 – September 9, 2023, during 40 Days and 40 Nights of Christian Music, the largest Christian music festival in the world (over 120 concerts from 150 artists!)—each concert is included free with your Ark admission!
Oh, and if you enjoy our zoo animals at the Ark Encounter, be sure to like, follow, and share our new Ararat Ridge Zoo Facebook page! You’ll stay up-to-date with all the zoo’s activities, learn awesome animal facts, and enjoy adorable animal photos. You’ll also get lots of fun facts about our animals in particular, and, of course, all the content will be consistent with a biblical worldview instead of the usual evolutionary terminology you see at most zoos. Check out our new zoo page: Facebook.com/araratridgezoo.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken
This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.
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