ROYAL OAK, Mich., November 3, 2008 – Detroit Zoo visitors can fill their ears with the sound of opera and feast their eyes on hundreds of butterflies when the Zoo hosts a free preview of musical selections from Madame Butterfly on Saturday, November 8, 2008, 12 noon to 2 p.m., in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery.

The one-time-only event will feature soprano Trish Shandor from the Michigan Opera Theatre performing selections from Giacomo Puccini’s beloved masterpiece.  Visitors can participate in butterfly crafts and register to win tickets to a performance of Madame Butterfly at the Detroit Opera House November 15-23.

Visitors can also immerse themselves in the tropical warmth of the Zoo’s Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, located in the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery.  The lush habitat features over 40 species of butterflies from Costa Rica and El Salvador and an assortment of Peruvian hummingbirds. 

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 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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