Geocaching is a high-tech outdoor treasure hunting game in which players use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to hide and seek containers.  The only thing a prospective treasure hunter needs besides a sense of adventure is his or her own handheld GPS unit or GPS-enabled mobile phone.  Participants log on to one of several geocaching Web sites to download the GPS coordinates of cache locations and the search begins.

“The Detroit Zoo is the ideal venue for a treasure hunting adventure,” said Detroit Zoological Society Executive Director Ron Kagan.  “Our desire is to enhance the well-being of people while we enhance the well-being of animals by providing a fun outdoor activity for families to enjoy together as they explore the many treasures of this wonderful place.” 

The GPS coordinates of the six Detroit Zoo caches can be found on www.geocaching.com.  All of the Zoo caches can be reached from public pathways.  None are buried underground but they are camouflaged.

Geocaching can be played by people of all ages and abilities.  Once a Zoo cache is discovered, participants open a container, record their names on a log and replace the container in the exact place they found it for subsequent geocachers to discover.  Later, they log on to a geocaching Web site and complete a process to earn a point for each cache they find.

Geocaching began in 2000 and has rapidly grown in popularity, with over 2,100 active caches within a 50-mile radius of the Detroit Zoo’s 48067 zip code and over 460,000 worldwide.  For more information on the game, go to www.geocaching.com.

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 5 p.m. April through October – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  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 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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