News Release
August 4, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sondra Katzen
Public Relations
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org
Note: Images of animals at Brookfield Zoo, may be downloaded at www.CZS.org/pressroom.
Free Kids’ Days at Brookfield Zoo
Meijer Sponsors Free Days on August 16, 17, and 18
Brookfield, IL—Before the kids go back to school take, them on an end-of-summer adventure to Brookfield Zoo for FREE. Free Kids’ Days, presented by Meijer, feature free admission for children ages 11 and under on August 16, 17, and 18. (Admission for adults and parking fees still apply.)
Those who have not visited the zoo this summer can come out on Free Kids’ Days and enjoy the antics of Hudson, the zoo’s 3-year-old polar bear, as he dives into his pool at the new Great Bear Wilderness exhibit. The National Park-like experience, which encompasses 7.5 landscaped acres, also features bison, Mexican gray wolves, grizzly bears, and a bald eagle. Great Bear Wilderness opened in early May and has been a popular addition among guests of all ages.
In addition, the zoo’s revamped dolphin presentation features not only the star attractions themselves—Tapeko, 28; Chinook, 27; Spree, 8; Noelani, 6; and Allison, 4—but also focuses on marine life conservation and the zoo’s 50-year history of dolphin care. Guests who have been coming to Brookfield Zoo’s dolphin presentation for years will be taken down memory lane with music and highlights from the past five decades as well as some new additions, including aerobatics, all in the new vibrantly colored Caribbean-themed Dolphinarium.
Butterflies will be fluttering away at the end of the summer season. Hundreds of winged beauties native to North America such zebra swallowtails, great southern whites, gulf fritillary, eastern comma, and painted ladies can still be seen in the screened-in, landscaped exhibit that also features a window into the “pupa room,” where guests can view the transformation of these creatures from pupa to caterpillar to butterfly.
In addition, stingrays will be swimming away soon, but before they do, guests of all ages are invited to experience what it feels like to get up close and touch these creatures at Stingray Bay. The 16,000-gallon pool, complete with its own waterfall, is less than two feet deep and features more than 40 cownose rays. To ensure the safety of visitors, caretakers who carefully monitor the stingray exhibit also trim the animals’ barbs—the whiplike tail parts that can sting—in a painless process that is similar to trimming human fingernails.
On Free Kids’ Days, Brookfield Zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission for adults is $13.50 and parking is $9.00. For further information, visit www.CZS.org.
The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service.
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