Forget a four-legged friend, how about an eight-legged one? Zelda is a Curlyhair Tarantula, native to the rainforests of Central America. And while she's usually a take-it-easy, Door Dash kind of gal, Zelda was beyond excited to be on the show today. After all, she had spider-themed jokes to share for Beggar's Night! Education team member Nikki Dunbar spun two on Zelda's behalf:
- The other night, my mom found a spider in the house and asked me to take it out. Turns out he's a pretty cool guy and wants to be a web developer!
- What do spiders like with their burger? French flies!
With less than a week before election day, the candidates for Mayor of Blank Park Zoo continue to keep the race interesting. Recent polling has revealed education advocate and sharp-witted candidate Oscar the Porcupine as the front-runner. Anne Shimerdla & Company report Oscar will earn an estimated 60% of the votes, giving him a 26 point lead ahead of runner-up Deuce the Lion.
Deuce is currently polling at 24%. It's a surprising development for many voters, who expected Deuce to take the crown with ease. For Kitsi advocates, the numbers make sense. Polling at 16%, Kitsi the Snow Monkey has been a dark horse in the race since the start and continues to appeal to a staunch base of passionate supporters.
But the race is far from over.
Before continuing, take time to review Iowa Live's mayoral candidate profiles:
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Endorsements continue to flow in from influential Iowa politicians, hoping to sway the voter base in favor of their candidate. Kitsi has received endorsements from Mayor Dean O'Connor of Altoona and Mayor Bob Andeweg of Urbandale.
"Kitsi's natural leadership skills unite his troop," praised Andeweg in a special video posted to the Blank Park Zoo Facebook page yesterday, "and make him the perfect ambassador for the conservation and enrichment efforts here at Blank Park Zoo."
Andeweg went on to describe Kitsi as a monkey of courage, compassion and tenacity.
Deuce has also received a recent endorsement. Mayor Tom Phillips has pledged his support to Deuce and his platform, the Expand the Impact Campaign.
"Deuce is the best candidate for mayor," states Phillips in a video posted to the City of Norwalk Facebook page, "because he'll uphold the zoo's constitution and rule of law so that all animals have individual freedoms and can be secure without having to fight."
Phillips adds that Deuce has made a powerful impression among the big cats and continues to rally supporters.
A mystery Oscar supporter is expected to release their endorsement later this week.
Voters have until Nov. 5th to cast their votes online or in-person. Each vote costs $1, enabling supporters to boost their favorite candidate to the top of the polls. Proceeds help support animal care and conservation at the zoo.