This Ultra Unique Animal Is Your 2024 PreZooDent Of Utica Zoo
After an extremely close race, Central New Yorkers have voted the world's grumpiest animal as the next PreZooDent of Utica Zoo.
Put Your Paws up for Tate!
After dutifully serving as leader of the Utica Zoo animals, Mei Lin the red panda is handing the PreZooDency over to Tate the Pallas's cat.
Mei Lin ran on a promise that she'd introduce nap times at work and school, as well as making sure everyone had plenty of snack breaks. Her popular policy allowed her to win the 2023 election in a landslide.
However, it seems looks were the kingmaker of the 2024 election, with the ultra-expressive Tate taking a decisive lead in the polls with 221 votes. Unlike his predecessor, he kept his opinions to himself and just vowed to "Tate" one for the team.
The competition for the 2024 race was incredibly fierce - there was even a baby in the race! Tate had to square off against the 1-year-old Dooku, the white-handed gibbon. Competition also heated up when Briar the river otter threw her hat in the ring.
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However, in the end, Tate stole the show and was the only candidate to secure over 200 votes.
All the animals vying for the PreZooDency earned votes in several ways. One was through collecting donations from ardent supporters, with every $10 donation adding five more votes to the tally, while another option was in-person voting at the zoo between February 17 and February 19. The election was designed to help raise money for the zoo while engaging the community in a whimsical winter event.
In the end, Tate secured 221 votes, with some last-minute donors pushing him over the edge. Dooku placed a distant second with 156 votes while Briar finished in third place with 123 votes.
Other candidates included Furlow the Bactrian camel and Boomer the ostrich, with both respectively finishing the 2024 election with 105 and 47 votes.
Tate is probably patiently awaiting his rightfully deserved bevy of congratulations and winner's dinner. So you might want to swing by and salute the zoo's next animal leader!
All About Tate
Tate will now serve as the next ambassador of the Utica Zoo and help spread the good word on the important work zoos do to protect endangered species, support conservation, and encourage more people to learn about the fantastical animal kingdom.
Tate was born in 2017 at the Hogle Zoo in Utah and came to Utica in 2019. Fans can spot the elusive Pallas's cat on the North Trek Trail on the zoo's grounds. The zoo described his species on their website:
Named after naturalist Peter Pallas, Pallas’s Cats are found in the Eurasian grassy steppes from the Mongolian deserts to the Himalayas. They have been called the most expressive – or grumpiest – cats in the world due to their snaggly teeth and rounded pupils making it easy to anthropomorphize them. However, they are not actually perpetually upset.
Although Pallas's cats are considered non-endangered at this time, their overall population is on the decline "due to human expansion shrinking their habitats and limiting their food supply."
You can primarily find Pallas's cats in Northern Asia, with their territory spanning from the Mongolian deserts to the Himalayas.
The Utica Zoo is currently open from 10am to 4:30pm ET every day, and is only closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Click HERE to see ticket prices and a full lineup of all the animals you can find at the zoo.
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