NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The animals will roll out the welcome mat when the zoo opens for its 44th season on Saturday, April 19.

“We’ve been working all winter to make this season extra-special for our visitors,” says Zoo Director Jim Anderson.  

Baby animals will take center stage this summer. The black-footed penguin flock has grown by four birds this winter, with two eggs hatching in November and two more in February. “The babies are easy to spot,” says   Anderson.  “The youngsters have brown feathers, in contrast to the black-and-white feathers of the adults.”

A brand-new herd of 2-month-old Nigerian dwarf goats – weighing just five to ten pounds each – will greet visitors in the Indiana Family Farm.  “We know that our visitors love interacting with the goats, and these little guys are as cute as can be,” says   Anderson.  The goats replace the herd of larger dairy goats that used to live at the farm. As adults, Nigerian dwarfs weigh only about 60 pounds.

The zoo’s wallabies have new babies to show off this spring. The Bennett’s wallabies have at least three babies in the pouch, and the   Parma wallabies in the Australian Adventure have a joey, too. 

Four rainbow lorikeets hatched at the zoo this winter, and they will join their parents in the Australian Adventure’s Walkabout Aviary this summer. 

Several new exotic bird species will alight in the Indonesian Rain Forest Dome this season, including the silver-eared mesia, cotton teal, white-rumped shama, emerald dove, and magpie robin. 

In the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium, Atlantic sea nettle jellyfish will take up residence in one of the zoo’s specially-built 500-gallon jellyfish tanks. The tanks feature a unique circulation system to protect the delicate tentacles of the jellies.  Next door, visitors will continue to be mesmerized by the colony of moon jellies.

The all-new Rover’s Corner in the Wild Things Gift Shop will offer dog- and cat-themed gifts for pet-lovers.  “Zoo visitors can take home a gift for their dog or cat!” says   Anderson.  Proceeds from all gift shop sales support the zoo’s operations. 

From May 24 through September 1, the zoo will feature Maze-A-Palooza, a 1,000-square-foot walk-through maze.  Visitors will be able to explore more than a dozen mind-boggling mazes in this special temporary exhibit.  Maze-A-Palooza is suitable for all ages and is free with zoo admission.

An array of new visitor amenities have been added for the 2008 season, including a mini-sprayground near the Little Poof train, live animal shows, keeper talks, on-site birthday parties, professional face painting, and upgraded food concessions. 

Construction continues on the largest capital project in the zoo’s history, the African Journey.  The zoo’s African animals will stay behind-the-scenes this season as animal exhibits, fences, and landscaping are installed across the 22-acre construction site. The Sky Safari ride will open for the second year, offering views of the African Journey construction.  Nearly 90,000 visitors rode the Sky Safari in 2007.  The new African Journey will open in 2009.

The zoo is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever:  Attendance during the 2007 season was the second highest in the zoo’s history, with 531,739 visitors. “We are looking forward to another exciting year,” says   Anderson.

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is one of the area’s major attractions and was named one of the country’s “Ten Best Zoos for Kids” by Child magazine. 

The zoo is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April 19 until October 12.  Admission is $9.50 for adults, $6.50 for children age 2-14 and $8.50 for seniors over age 60. Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.

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