My Little Garden Zoo 2023: Overview

BACKSTORY:  This whole little mania began 9 years ago when I wandered into a locally owned little toy shop and discovered the world of little animal figurine.  I bought 4 on my first visit, and then went back and got 3 more.  The idea of a "zoo" hadn't occurred to me.  Instead I made of little planter with them--response to a fad I'd seen in Fine Gardening magazine with little benches, bridges, houses, fairies and the like.

This began my animal figurine collecting.

Over the Autumn, Winter and Spring, I continued to pick-up more little figurines, and at some point in the Spring of 2015, I decided to turn them into a little zoo.  The rest is, as they say...history!

MLGZoo 2023:  To give me a little challenge, this year I am attempting to organize the habitats/planters in geographically proximate areas around my deck and stoop.  At the point, I have over 180 different species (Mammal, Bird, Reptile, Amphibian, Fish, and Insect) and about 650 separate figurines. There is no way I can put everything out, so I try also to vary the offering from year to year now, even as I continue to collect.  The Regional Themes this year are" 1) ASIA, 2) AFRICA, 3) AUSTRALIA, and 4) the AMERICAS.  I share these with my Facebook friends, as well.  In those posts, I'm also including the Conservation Status as determined by the IUCN as a way of promoting understanding about the critical role zoo's (REAL ZOOS) play in the survival of endangered species.

This is just the beginning of this year's MLGZoo.  I will be adding to it.  For now, I will share the species presently on view by those 4 regional themes.