Posts Tagged ‘Tampa’

Tampa Mom, Katie Guice, was concerned about the potential dangers the unsafe playground equipment at her neighborhood park posed for her young son.  A sign posted at  the entrance of Ballast Point Park warns parents that a fall to a hard surface from the playground equipment could lead to death for a child. Parents have reported incidents of  fall accidents on the playground.

This was troubling to Guice whose  three year old son, Rylan, enjoys playing with his friend at the park on equipment intended for older children (ages 5-14), not toddlers like Rylan.

A recent post to our Florida Child Injury website describes this young Mom’s determination and efforts to gather local community support  and to provide a safe and  developmentally appropriate  area for toddlers to run and play.

 “Presents for Primates” at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa took an unexpected twist when a chimpanzee grabbed an orange and tossed it at a young girl watching the festivities. 

 Employees of the zoo immediately rushed to the girl and got her an ice pack.  The young girl luckily was not injured. 

 The incident unfolded when zookeepers tossed wrapped presents filled with food in the primate’s exhibit area.  ‘Alex’, the chimp who threw the orange was upset after another chimp had stolen his present.  According to the Lowry Park Zoo, events like “Presents for Primates” are intended to encourage physical and mental activity of the apes and monkeys, while energizing the animals’ senses and behaviors. 

 Parents Magazine rated Lowry Park Zoo as the best zoo in the United States last year. They are also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.