ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Because of the shutdown, families have been finding creative ways to keep their children entertained.
A couple in Royal Oak said they missed taking their daughters to the Detroit Zoo, so instead, they created their own using their stuffed animals.
Zoey and Josephine are proud to show off their very own "Orchard View Zoo" on Orchard View Dr. near Main St. in Royal Oak.
The Surowiec family has a yearly membership to the Detroit Zoo but because the shutdown — they can’t pay a visit to all the animals.
That’s when their dad, Jim, had this wild idea — taking the girls’ toys and making little enclosures — just like you would see at the zoo.
“That would be so fun because we have an avalanche of stuffed animals," Jim and his wife, Kourtney, said.
Not only is it fun to look at — this is learning experience! The girls learn which animal is which and learn which animals stay in which habitat.
“Them understanding the different climates the animals live in, which animals pair together, we are talking about geography, we say where is North America and then we look on the globe," Kourtney added.
They also have something you won't find at the Detroit Zoo – a very rare unicorn exhibit!
