New exhibit at the Dallas Zoo officially opens Friday

by PegNews wire

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$5 camel rides!

DALLAS — The Dallas Zoo announced Thursday that the new Giants of the Savanna habitat at the Dallas Zoo will officially open Friday. Guests are invited to come see firsthand what many are calling a game-changing habitat for the Dallas Zoo at the grand opening festivities on Saturday, May 28.

“The new Giants of the Savanna is a game-changer for the zoo. It will be an incredible experience for our visitors and wonderful home for our animals. The Giants of the Savanna is an activity-based experience that works on many levels. For the children and families of Dallas, it’s a place to learn about animals and conservation and have a lot of fun. And on a professional level, the Giants of the Savanna positions the Dallas Zoo among the top zoos for natural, wildlife experiences. Our staff and partners include some of the most respected animal experts in the world,” said Gregg Hudson, executive director and CEO, Dallas Zoo and The Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park. “In addition, the Savanna has inspired us to make other changes, too. Guests will see a new Dallas Zoo when they visit, a place that is constantly evolving so every visit is a new experience. We’ve added camel rides, an interactive, seasonal butterfly habitat, African pygmy goats, and many ambiance features throughout the Zoo.”

Every visit will be a new experience, with interactive guest encounters built around the many different species of animals who will call the Giants of the Savanna home: elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, ostriches, lions, warthogs, red river hogs, guinea fowl, and cheetahs. From the Elephant Watering Hole to the Simmons Safari Base Camp and Levy Family Lookout, guests can see elephants engaging in behaviors as they might in the wild. At the Serengeti Grill, lions will spend the afternoon watching you eat your lunch with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. At the Giraffe Ridge, guests can see eye-to-eye with giraffes from an elevated observation deck and they eventually will be able to feed giraffes by hand.

“Giants of the Savanna is the biggest and most exciting addition to the Dallas Zoo in over 20 years,” said Michael Meadows, president and CEO, Dallas Zoological Society. “We are deeply grateful to the City of Dallas, our many private partners, and generous donors who helped us take the Dallas Zoo’s new Giants of the Savanna from dream to reality in just 17 short months. Our focus is on increasing and enriching guest experiences while we maintain a natural, healthy and stimulating environment for the animals that call the Dallas Zoo home. With the addition of Giants and our privatized management structure, we truly believe the Dallas Zoo has the opportunity to become one of the best zoological parks in the country.”

Changes to the Dallas Zoo:

Camel Rides. Camel rides are now available daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ride: $5. Souvenir Picture: $5.

iPhone App. The Dallas Zoo is the first zoo in North Texas, and second zoo in the state, with an iPhone app, and the first zoo in the U.S. to offer guests information in both English and Spanish.

Butterflies presented by Kimberly-Clark Corporation. The seasonal habitat features more than a dozen native Texas butterfly species in a walk-through screen house located in ZooNorth and is open through July 4.

African Pygmy Goats. Named for towns in Texas, 11 new, little goats recently moved into the petting area of the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo.

Source: Dallas Zoo

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