FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        July 8, 2009

CONTACTS:

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

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

OKC ZOO THANKS OKC TAXPAYERS WITH ANNUAL FREE DAY

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden will grant free admission to all visitors on Friday, July 17, to celebrate the 1/8 of a cent sales tax passed by the citizens of Oklahoma City to support the Zoo.

The sales tax, passed in 1990, has lead to numerous improvements in the Zoo over the past 19 years. The Great EscApe, Cat Forest/Lion Overlook and Oklahoma Trails exhibits are all major additions funded by the sales tax. These remarkable exhibits meet the Zoo’s promise to taxpayers to focus on the ABC’s of the animal kingdom–apes, bears and cats. Our current project, a new Children’s Zoo, will open in 2010. It is a place where children can explore, touch, and immerse themselves in a natural environment that will stimulate their imagination, encourage exploration and give them a greater appreciation for nature.

“We will continue to express our gratitude and commitment to the citizens of Oklahoma City by building on the foundation of the past 19 years,” said Executive Director/CEO Dwight Scott. “We’re excited for what our future holds including the new Children’s Zoo and our state-of-the-art elephant exhibit designed to house a larger herd of elephants including bulls. This will allow for the Zoo to further its conservation mission by participating in the reproduction of these outstanding, yet endangered species.”           

Come see us grow! Visit the Oklahoma City Zoo today, Oklahoma’s #1 attraction and one of the top three family-friendly zoos in the nation. The wild is calling! Located at NE 52^nd and Martin Luther King Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111, in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Adventure District, Zoo hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during Morning Zoo Rise from July 1 to August 16. Through September, the Zoo will remain open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays with exhibit buildings closing at 7:45 p.m. Standard admission is $7 for adults and $4 for children ages three to 11 and seniors ages 65 and older. Children two and under are free.  For more information, call (405) 424-3344 or visit www.okczoo.com.  

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