It’s the holiday season, and the Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 West Girard Avenue, is in the giving mood. During “Guest Appreciation Days,” Wednesday, December 26th through Friday, December 28th, the Zoo will give each child 12 and under a free toy gift (while supplies last) upon Zoo entry as its way of saying thank you for visiting and enjoying America’s first zoo. For Philadelphia Zoo members, free hot chocolate will be available inside the Zoo’s Treehouse during the Zoo’s normal daily winter operating hours 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Guests of the Zoo are in for holiday treats as they can explore the many heated areas of the Zoo which include:
The Dodge Rare Animal Conservation Center - home to a wide variety of unique and endangered animals. Among tree-climbing kangaroos, bats with a three-foot wingspan, monkeys with vibrant orange fur, there's no telling what guests can discover.
The Zoo's Reptile and Amphibian House - designed in 1971 by the world-renowned herpetologist and former Philadelphia Zoo director, Dr. Roger Conant, the Reptile and Amphibian House allows visitors to step, slither and slide through 47 naturalistic exhibits. After visiting rainforests, deserts and aquatic destinations, guests will definitely want to explore the King Cobra's Temple with its 15-foot, hand-carved sculpture. Plan your trip right, and you just might experience a thunderstorm in the Everglades (it actually rains inside the alligator and crocodile exhibit - check the schedule inside the Reptile and Amphibian House for show times).
PECO Primate Reserve - Imagine for a minute that a group of primate conservationists have taken up residence in an abandoned timber mill to help save primates from around the world. All over the two and a half acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits, guests will hear stories of real people who dedicate their lives to saving some of the world's most endangered primates including Sumatran orangutans (one of the great apes and among the largest, and most endangered, of all primates), the Zoo's gorilla troop including Jabari, the silverback, two young males, Louis and Kuchimba, and three females, Kivu, Nne Kizazi and Honi, Golden Lion Tamarins and much more!
Small Mammal House - Although it's true that mammals come in all shapes and sizes, a majority of them are small and are active mostly at night (nocturnal). But guests don't have to stay up past their bedtime to see nocturnal animals at the Zoo! The Small Mammal House features creatures of all shapes and sizes, including meerkats, Vampire Bats, aardvarks and a family of two-toed sloths, just to name a few.
Visiting the Zoo also brings an extra special surprise – a chance to see Dmitri, the male Amur tiger, who is now on exhibit in the AZA award-winning Bank of America Big Cat Falls exhibit. Guests can also see many other wintry animals including polar bears, penguins, the Scottish Highland cattle and more.
The Philadelphia Zoo is located at 34th Street and Girard Avenue, just minutes from the historic downtown area. In December and January the Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $12.95 per person. Zoo members are free. America’s first zoo and one of the region’s foremost conservation organizations, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many of which are rare and endangered. The Zoo, fulfilling its mission of conservation, science, education and recreation, supports and engages in conservation efforts to protect endangered species around the world. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, tickets or to make a contribution, log on to www.philadelphiazoo.org.