FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                              June 30, 2010

JULY HAPPENINGS AT THE OKC ZOO 

CONTACTS: 

Tara Henson (405) 425-0219 or (405) 919-9038, cell, thenson@okczoo.com

Candice Rennels (405) 425-0298 or (405) 412-6172, cell, crennels@okczoo.com

NOW–OCTOBER:  ANIMAL FEEDS

Join our keeper staff for regularly scheduled animal feedings now through October, and learn more about our wild residents! All feedings are weather permitting. The schedule is as follows: 

 SATURDAYS:

• 10:30 a.m. Spectacled Bear (Wild Dog Drive)
• 11:00 a.m. Children’s Zoo (Barnyard)
• 1:30 p.m. Andean Condor (by  picnic pavilions)
• 1:30 p.m. Great EscApe
• 2:00 p.m. Indian Rhino
• 2:30 p.m. Beaver/Otter (Oklahoma Trails)
• 3:00 p.m. Grizzly Bears (Oklahoma Trails)
• 3:30 p.m. Upper Aquarium (Noble Aquatic Center)
• 4:00 p.m. Alligators (Oklahoma Trails)

 SUNDAYS:

• 10:30 a.m. Giraffe
• 11:00 a.m. Children’s Zoo (Grandma’s Porch)
• 11:30 a.m. Galapagos Tortoise (Island Life)
• 1:30 p.m. Andean Condor (by picnic pavilions)
• 1:30 p.m. Great EscApe
• 2:00 p.m. Indian Rhino
• 2:30 p.m. Beaver/Otter (Oklahoma Trails)
• 3:00 p.m. Grizzly Bears (Oklahoma Trails)
• 3:30 p.m. Lower Aquarium (Noble Aquatic Center)
• 4:00 p.m. Bird Aviary (Oklahoma Trails)

TUESDAYS:

• 11:00 a.m. Alligators (Oklahoma Trails)

NOW–SEPTEMBER:  SATURDAYS EQUAL MORE TIME TO PLAY AND DISCOVER!

Now through September 4, the Zoo will be open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Exhibit buildings close at 7:45 p.m.

NOW–AUGUST 31:  OBI AND ZOO SUMMER PARTNERSHIP

Feel wild. Give blood. The Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) and the Zoo are teaming up for a good cause. When you donate blood at any OBI drive now through August 31, you will receive two free adult admission tickets to the Zoo, an OBI T-shirt, health screenings and Members for Life Points. For more information, visit www.obi.org.

JULY:  WILD TUESDAYS STORY TIME SAFARIS

Hey kids, it’s story time! Join the fun every Tuesday in July with Wild Tuesdays Story Time Safaris. Children ages 11 and under will enjoy hearing popular story books from volunteers with The Junior League of Oklahoma City, get to meet a zoo keeper, participate in a craft project and receive a free juice drink. Story times take place at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on Grandma’s Porch in the new Children’s Zoo. This event is free with regular admission.

 JULY:  WAY BACK WEDNESDAYS

Flash back in time this summer with the Zoo’s Way Back Wednesdays! Every Wednesday in July and August, Zoo guests of all ages will receive admission for only $1. Children two and under are free. Take advantage of other great dollar deals on Wednesdays including regular hotdogs and small fountain drinks available at various concession stands and carousel rides. Plus, there will be special sea lion shows on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Admission to these shows will be a dollar per person. Can you dig it? These far out prices apply on Wednesdays only and are not valid with any other discounts. Way Back Wednesdays are brought to you by 92.5 KOMA, Little Caesar’s Pizza, the Zoo and OZS ZooFriends.

JULY:  BEHIND THE SCENES–AN ENRICHING EXPERIENCE

 From the inside out, discover first-hand how the Zoo cares for its animal collection. Enroll in our Behind the Scenes:  An Enriching Experience program and meet the faces of conservation by working with Zoo keepers from various areas. See how we safely work with animals to keep them active and healthy! These experiences take place every Tuesday in July from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and participants must be 14 or older.  The cost per day is $100 for ZooFriends members and $120 for non-members, and advanced registration is required.  Participants may choose one of two options (one option per date):

• Option A: Herpetarium, Sea Lions, Aquaticus and Children’s Zoo areas
• Option B:  Pachyderm, Cat Forest, Antelope, Great EscApe and Giraffe areas

For information or to register, please contact the Zoo’s Education Department at (405) 425-0218.

JULY 1 –AUGUST 15:  MORNING ZOO RISE

Wake up with the Zoo and beat the summer heat. From July 1 through August 15, the Zoo will open at 8 a.m. daily. Take advantage of the early hours and go wild! Wake up with 92.5 KOMA in the mornings to learn more about zoo happenings and a chance to win wild prizes during Morning Zoo Rise.

JULY 4:  INDEPENDENCE DAY

See our “spots” and “stripes” this Independence Day! The Zoo will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with exhibit buildings closing at 4:45 p.m.

JULY 12 – AUGUST 13: CAPTURE THE WILD PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Each summer, the Oklahoma Zoological Society (OZS) hosts the "Capture the Wild Zoo Photography Contest" and requests photos of mammals, landscapes, reptiles, birds and more from the Zoo. Photos are categorized and judged in both youth and adult divisions, with a separately judged contest for Zoo employee entries. Entries are due August 13. After the contest, several of the photos, including the year's winners, comprise the annual OZS ZooFriends calendar. The full-color calendar is one of the benefits of ZooFriends membership and sells in the Zoo gift shop to help support special projects and needs at the Zoo. For more information about the contest and to view the categories, visit www.zoofriends.com.

JULY 17:  SALES TAX APPRECIATION / FREE DAY AT THE ZOO

The Zoo is celebrating Sales Tax Appreciation Day and offering all guests free admission on Saturday, July 17. Hours on this special day will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with exhibit buildings closing at 7:45 p.m. July 17 marks the 20th anniversary since Oklahoma City citizens passed a 1/8 of a cent sales tax to support the Zoo. Thanks to the support of this sales tax, the Zoo has been able to complete major projects including the new Children’s Zoo, Oklahoma Trails, Cat Forest/Lion Overlook and the new Elephant Habitat, opening 2011–all made possible with support from sales tax funds. Thank you Oklahomans for all you ZOO!

Happening next month…

• Wednesdays in August – Way Back Wednesdays
• August 6 – Art Gone Wild: Paintings by OKC Zoo Animals Art Show begins at In Your Eye Studio & Gallery in the Historic Paseo Arts District

Visit the Zoo, the state’s #1 attraction and one of the top three family-friendly zoos in the nation–the wild is calling! Located at the crossroads of I-35 and I-44 in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Adventure District, zoo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with buildings closing at 4:45 p.m. As of July 1, the Zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily for Morning Zoo Rise. Continuing through September 4, the Zoo will remain open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays only with exhibit buildings closing at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children ages three to 11 and seniors ages 65 and older. Children two and under are admitted free. For more information on Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.com.

-okczoo-