TMCnet News
It's an Adventure: Zoos offer wintertime animal watching(Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 21--You can still talk -- and walk -- with the animals this winter even though it might be with chattering teeth. Area and regional zoos are offering reduced rates, special exhibits and programs or just a chance to get a look at animals in less-crowded conditions. Some animals indigenous to cold climes or adapting to them might even look back at those willing to bundle up and get out, said Jim Bartoo with the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Animals are indifferent to a steady stream of visitors in warm weather, but not in the winter when people shy away from cold weather, the marketing/public relations director said. Tigers and other animals become more active when they see someone, Bartoo said. At Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden in Evansville, the exercise-conscious visitor can win prizes for wintertime walks. The zoo Jan. 5 started its "Polar Bear Walking Club," which offers a stuffed polar bear, animal-shaped light switch plate and gym membership discounts after a walker's fifth visit. Under the program, which lasts until Feb. 28, walkers get a card stamped after they walk at least a mile on the zoo's marked trial, marketing director Charlotte Roesner said. The one-mile trail goes around the zoo, which has gray wolves, bald eagles, a bobcat and other animals likely to be active in the winter, Roesner said. "Usually, the North American animals are going to be out in the cold temperatures," she said. "Seeing some of the animals outdoor can be quite fun," said Diana DeVaughn, media development coordinator with the Louisville Zoo. "Some of the animals adjust better than you think" beyond the seals, sea lions and two polar bears, DeVaughn said. Elephants, lions, giraffes and camels sometimes get out in the cold as long as it's not too cold, she said. Bartoo said the Nashville zoo can change the feed of some animals -- such as zebras, gazelles and horses -- to bulk them up and make them more tolerant of colder weather. Kate Bowley, 6, of Owensboro attempts to get her mother's attention while standing in the bat mural Jan. 7 at Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden in Evansville. "The animals are more active this time of year," said Kate's mother, Debbie Bowley. The zoo's Bengal tigers, cougars, clouded leopards and swans like the cold, he said. So do the red pandas, which are native to the Himalayas, and the red-crown cranes from China. But "some animals don't acclimate well to the colder temperatures," such as primates and tropical birds, Bartoo said. They and other warmer-blooded animals stay inside, he said. Some can be seen by visitors, but some can't, Bartoo said. At the Louisville Zoo, some of the more than 1,300 animals have indoor and outdoor quarters, DeVaughn said. But the zoo also has four indoor exhibit areas, including one of three "animal in the round" habitats in the world, she said. The glass-enclosed area lets viewers stand in the middle of a sectional, 360-degree habitat to watch the zoo's 11 gorillas and other animals. The zoo also has a tropical pavilion with a walk-through bird trail, Komodo dragons and orangutans, DeVaughn said. An interactive exhibit that opened this summer allows visitors to feed lorikeets, a large Australian parrot, as it sits on their arm or shoulder, she said. On Feb. 4, Mesker will resume its Family Zoo Adventure Series program called "Summer Down Under" that will teach youths ages 5 to 12 about Australia, where it is summertime. They can make Australian crafts, including a dilly bag -- a cross between a backpack and purse used to tote stuff, Roesner said. "This program is designed for kids and the parents who bring them," she said. At the St. Louis Zoo, Sundays will be Delta Dental Winter Zoo from noon to 3 p.m. On Feb. 5, the program will highlight the American Burying Beetle, a bright red-orange insect the zoo has been helping to breed and sustain wild populations for the Midwest. The Feb. 12 program will feature the near-extinct Humboldt penguins, which prefer the tropics of Peru and Chile. On Feb. 19, the focus will be on the cheetah, the world's fastest land animal. The zoo is helping to save the remaining populations in Africa. Feb. 26 will be a family zoo-style Mardi Gras celebration with mask-making, beads, face painting and grand finale parade. Zoo Facts Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden in Evansville is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For more information, call (812) 435-6143 or visit http://www.meskerparkzoo.com. The Louisville Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST daily. For more information, call (502) 459-2181 or visit http://www.louisvillezoo.org. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the winter. For more information, call (615) 833-1534 or visit http://www.nashvillezoo.org. The St. Louis Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, call (800) 966-8877 or visit http://www.stlzoo.org. |