Visitors Have More Time to Enjoy New Animals and Favorite Attractions

ROYAL OAK, Mich., May 22, 2008 – The Detroit Zoo opens half an hour earlier Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays in July and August.  The Zoo’s expanded hours allow visitors more time to enjoy the animals, including some recent additions.

• Twelve-year-old polar bear brothers Neil and Buzz, namesakes of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, have touched down at the Arctic Ring of Life for a two-year stay while their habitat at Minnesota’s Como Zoo is being renovated. 

• Arctic foxes Alexandra, Anana and Ice also are chilling out at the Arctic Ring of Life.  The siblings will celebrate their first birthday on June 1.

• Two aardvarks are digging a whole new life at the Detroit Zoo.  Michimbaji (Swahili for “one who digs for a living”) and Lily moved from their home at the Minnesota Zoo when their habitat closed.  They join aardvarks Amybob and Rachaael in their African Grasslands habitat.

• A coati named Sid, a former “exotic pet” found abandoned in a barn in Missouri, now resides in the Zoo’s South American area next to the giant anteaters.  “Exotic animals don’t make good pets, and often end up in compromised conditions in need of rescue by zoos and other animal welfare organizations,” said Scott Carter, Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare.

• Lil’ LaRoo, a Matschie’s tree kangaroo, has joined the Detroit Zoo and can be found near the Arctic Food Court.  An agile climber, the energetic marsupial has the ability to leap to the ground from a 30-foot height.

• Zahara, the Grevy’s zebra foal born in December and named in an online poll, is strutting her stripes for guests this summer.  She can be seen with the Zoo’s four other Grevy’s zebras in the African Grasslands.

• Three Chilean flamingos hatched in the fall are also making their first public appearance.  The chicks’ fluffy gray feathers distinguish them from the rest of the pink flock in the Zoo’s South American area.

The warmer weather also means Detroit Zoo visitors can enjoy their favorite attractions. The Giraffe Encounter is open daily, weather permitting, allowing visitors to view and feed the giraffes.  Hours are Monday at 11 a.m. and Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.  The $5 tickets are limited to 100 per day on a first-come basis. 

The Tauber Family Railroad is back on track, operating daily.  The locomotives recently received a complete restoration from the inside-out, including rebuilt engines, gears, gauges, wheels and bodies.   The one-way fare for all rail passengers is $2.  A “Ride the Wild Train” card, good for 10 one-way rides, can be purchased for $16.

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 (open at 9:30 a.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day) – 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 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 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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