general ▁of ▁the ▁zoo ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁" O ur ▁moral ▁right ▁to ▁exist ▁comes ▁from ▁educ ating ▁and ▁raising ▁the ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁our ▁visitors ." ▁ ▁Many ▁Israel is , ▁both ▁Jewish ▁and ▁Arab , ▁are ▁not ▁familiar ▁with ▁zo os ▁and ▁get ▁" over ex c ited " ▁at ▁seeing ▁the ▁animals ▁on ▁display . ▁Do z ens ▁of ▁zoo ▁personnel ▁man ▁the ▁displays ▁during ▁peak ▁hol iday ▁times ▁to ▁stop ▁visitors ▁from ▁throwing ▁food ▁and ▁other ▁items ▁at ▁the ▁animals . ▁The ▁animals ▁do ▁have ▁a ▁preference ▁for ▁B amba , ▁the ▁popular ▁children ' s ▁pe an ut - and - c orn ▁sn ack ▁( though ▁it ▁gives ▁the ▁mon keys ▁di arr he a ); ▁other ▁common ▁project iles ▁include ▁bott les , ▁pl astic ▁b ags , ▁and ▁children ' s ▁sho es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁a ▁to co ▁tou can ▁was ▁found ▁dead ▁in ▁its ▁c age ▁next ▁to ▁pieces ▁of ▁av oc ado , ▁a ▁known ▁bird ▁to x in . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁a ▁hi pp op ot am us ▁died ▁after ▁sw allow ing ▁a ▁tennis ▁ball ▁toss ed ▁into ▁its ▁en closure . ▁Over ▁the ▁past ▁de cade ▁and ▁a ▁half , ▁the ▁zoo ▁staff ▁claims ▁that ▁public ▁aw aren ess ▁has ▁improved . ▁ ▁Through ▁visit ing ▁school ▁groups , ▁after - school ▁groups , ▁special - ed uc ation ▁groups ▁and ▁summer ▁cam ps , ▁children