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Blessings Given To Denver Zoo Animals In Church

DENVER (CBS4) - Things got "wild" in church in Denver on Sunday when animals from the Denver Zoo were brought in for a special Blessing of the Animals service.

Blessings Of The Wild Animals
(credit: CBS)

The non-denominational service took place in the morning at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church. It was meant to be a celebration of life and all animals.

Blessings Of The Wild Animals
(credit: CBS)

"Our mission at the zoo is to secure a better world for animals through human understanding," said Denver Zoo spokeswoman Megan Deffner. "So whether we're making those connections with a community church or a school, a library, it's just a way for us to get out into the community."

Workers from the zoo's Animal Ambassadors program brought a monitor lizard, turtle, opossum, hawk, parrot, snake and more to the church, to the delight of children and adults in attendance.

Blessings Of The Wild Animals
(credit: CBS)

Church services in which animals are blessed usually consist of parishioners bringing their pets to church. In Sunday's case, the zoo asked that it be just the wild animals present for the service.

PHOTO GALLERY: Blessing Of The (Wild) Animals Service

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