ROYAL OAK, Mich., December 26, 2007 – When the weather outside is frightful, the Detroit Zoo’s Wild Winter Weekends are sure to be delightful.  The annual series of events will be held on the second weekends in January, February and March, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Ford Education Center.

Wild Winter Weekends offer entertainment for the entire family and are a fun way to experience the magic of the Detroit Zoo in the wintertime.  Visitors can enjoy their favorite animal habitats, both indoors and out, as well as activities such as children’s music, keeper talks, games and crafts.

Wild Winter Carnival - January 12 and 13, 2008
Wild Winter Carnival kicks off the series of weekend events with face painting, carnival games, ice carving demonstrations by Henry Ford Community College and the roaming entertainment of Zeemo’s One Man Circus.

Wild Winter Mardi Gras - February 9 and 10, 2008
Celebrate Mardi Gras the Detroit Zoo way.  Live entertainment, storytelling and a colorful parade are just a few of the fun activities.  Kids also have the chance to create a special Mardi Gras mask for the parade and collect a few prizes, too.

Wild Winter Zoobilee - March 8 and 9, 2008
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  Come celebrate the animal kingdom at the Wild Winter Zoobilee.  Enjoy animal arts and crafts, face painting, animal enrichment activities and talks by the Zoo’s expert keepers.   Live performances by the Candy Band both days round out the weekend’s festivities. 

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 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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