ROYAL OAK, Mich., December 22, 2006 – When T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo is all tickled out, PlayStation 3 is no longer being played, and snowboards are sidelined due to lack of snow, parents looking for a cure for their kids’ post-holiday cabin fever need look no further than the Detroit Zoo.

In anticipation of an unseasonably mild forecast for the Metro Detroit region next week and tens of thousands of school children on holiday break, the Zoo is offering a special discounted admission price of $5 for all children ages 2 to 12 from December 26 to 31, a savings of $2 per child.

While a number of the Zoo’s animals seek shelter when the temperature drops, others take the opportunity to play.  The Japanese macaques, or snow monkeys, can often be spotted enjoying their outdoor hot tub in the winter months.  The Amur tigers, wolverines, red pandas, Asian wild horses, elk and bison also adapt well to colder temperatures.
 
A popular attraction any time of year is the Arctic Ring of Life, featuring the 70-foot Polar Passage with its spectacular views of swimming polar bears and seals.  When it’s time to warm up, visitors can head over to the Butterfly Garden – where the temperature is always a balmy 75 degrees – and enjoy over 40 species of butterflies from Costa Rica and El Salvador.  Other indoor experiences at the Zoo include the National Amphibian Conservation Center, Penguinarium, and Holden Museum of Living Reptiles.

Kids of all ages can enjoy the Wild Adventure Ride, an educational, action-packed thrill ride which offers a unique you-are-there experience from the comfort of a specially equipped, motion-simulated big-screen theater seat.  Located in the Ford Education Center, the Simulator is open during regular Zoo hours; show times vary.  Tickets are $4 for all passengers.

The Detroit Zoo is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
 
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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