Fall 2011 Edition

Keepin’ it wild!
WINTER 2011
A publication of the Zoological Society of Florida and Zoo Miami
Inside Our Green Issue:
NEW! Ron's Corner
Dr. Frank Ridgley's
Conservation Ar ticle
®
Donates Solar Array
®
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
- Native American Proverb
Ron’s Corner
My favorite saying has always been,
“Life is not measured by the number of
breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.” I’ve been
blessed to experience many of those
breath-taking moments in my 31 years
at Zoo Miami.
Some of the greatest Rewards of my
“job” have been the many wonderful
opportunities to travel around the
world to observe and study wildlife and
to participate in conservation programs
Keepin’ It Wild
is a quarterly Zoological Society of Florida
publication that provides information for the friends
and members of Zoo Miami.
For comments and donations send mail to:
Zoological Society of Florida
12400 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33177
call (305) 255-5551 or visit www.zsf.org
Zoological Society of Florida’s Mission
To encourage an appreciation for the world’s wildlife
and help to conserve it for future generations.
Zoological Society of Florida Board of Directors:
Chairman Robert W. Hudson, Esq.
Past Chairman & Secretary Daniel J. Licciardi
Treasurer William J. Gallwey, III, Esq.
Norma Jean Abraham
Minnie D. Bandel
Rep. Dwight M. Bullard
Harlan Chiron, MD
Jorge De La Torre, CPA
Lawrence S. Feldman, PhD
Pedro A. Fernandez
Carlos F. Garcia, CPA
Grizzel M. Gonzalez
Manny Gonzalez
Juliet Johansson
Gordon M. Joost
Susan M. Kahn
Michael E. Kavoukjian
Bernard Klepach
Irene Korge
Filemon Lopez
Sharon MacIvor, DVM
Katharine McDonald
Lee Middleton
Harve A. Mogul
Brian P. Mormile
Marc A. Osheroff
Flora R. Perez
Willie C. Robinson, PhD
Aliette D. Rodz, Esq.
Merrett R. Stierheim
Diana Udel
Ana VeigaMilton, Esq.
Andrew H. Weinstein, Esq.
President/CEO Benjamin H. Pingree
Zoo Director Eric Stephens
Zoo Admission Hours
Open 365 days a year from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
(ticket booths close at 4 p.m.).
Editor: Penelope Suarez
Contributing writers:
Eric Katz, Ron Magill, Dr. Frank Ridgley, Ron Stayton,
Jean Romanik, Danny Elfenbein & CeCe Lotierzo,
Intern: Natalie Torres
Layout & Design:
Photography:
E GRAFIX PLUS, Inc.
Ron Magill
On the cover:
Photo taken by Peter Dooling from Miami-Dade
Parks-for their Show Some Love to Your Community
Campaign that Help Keep Parks and Beaches Clean.
that make a difference.
My favorite region of the world to travel to is the magnificent continent of
Africa. I’ve been there over 40 times; I can say without hesitation that it never
gets old. Each trip provides unforgettable experiences that never cease to
amaze me. This past July, I returned
from an adventure to South Africa &
Zimbabwe as part of a vacation with
my family. Some of the goals of this trip
were to visit the mighty Victoria Falls
in Zimbabwe as well as the Cheetah
Outreach group in South Africa. Zoo
Miami has supported this outreach for
several years. In addition, I was hoping
to be able to observe and photograph
the rare sable antelope in the wild. I’m
happy to say that all of those goals
were met plus a whole lot more!
One of our first stops was the Cheetah Outreach just outside of Cape
Town, South Africa. For many years, this organization has dedicated itself
to educating the public about the cheetah and the many challenges it faces
in South Africa. They have been instrumental in managing a wonderful
program throughout Southern Africa that trains and places Anatolian
shepherd dogs on farms to guard livestock and dramatically reduce losses
to predators including cheetahs. This program has significantly reduced the
number of cheetahs shot by local farmers while educating the farmers about
the cheetahs and how to co-exist with them. On behalf of Zoo Miami, I
was proud to present a check for $1,000.00 in continued support of their
admirable programs.
The remainder of the trip provided
many fantastic sightings of some of
Africa’s most spectacular wildlife.
From endangered rhinos (both
black and white) and their calves
to majestic lions and cheetahs on
the hunt, we observed some of the
best Africa has to offer, including
all of the “Big 5” – elephant, rhino,
lion, buffalo and leopard.
However, for me, the most
memorable
sighting
was
a
beautiful herd of sable antelope coming to a water hole. It was an incredible
trip which was no surprise because Africa never disappoints!
Special Thanks to: Ana Veiga-Milton, Manny Rodriguez,
& Zoo Miami's staff, for without these extraordinary
people this publication would not be possible.
2
Holiday HoeDown
Have you heard? When the dust settles in
2015, FLORIDA: MISSION EVERGLADES will
immerse visitors in local ecosystems including
pine rocklands, coastal habitats and of course, the
Everglades. Signature local species represented
will include the Florida panther, black bear, bald
eagle and other native birds, all five of the area’s
venomous snakes, as well as the usual suspects like
crocs and alligators.
And let it be known now…that the true Wild of
Zoo Miami will meet the Wild West on Saturday,
December 3rd. The Holiday Hoedown at Ron
Bergeron’s Green Glades Ranch will also launch
the fundraising campaign for this bold new exhibit
at Zoo Miami. That’s right, cowboys are coming to
town this holiday season and we want you at this
Zoo Miami Celebration!
Should you have any questions about this
shindig, please contact ZSF (305) 255-5551.
You may also visit www.holidayhoedown.com for
more information.
SPOOKTOBER
2011 EVENTS AT THE ZOO
OCTOBER 15-31
.)
(11 a.m. – 5 p.m
N
S ZOO ADMISSIO
$5/PERSON PLU
with horror scenes
se will terrify visitors
-foot haunted hou
ters & more.
rac
cha
This 7,000-square
,
res
atu
depicting scary cre
OCTOBER 22
21+
(8 p.m. – MIDNIG
HT)
PRE-SALE $50/$6
5 AT THE DOOR
(SPACE IS LIMITED
)
CALL 305-255-5
551
An adults-only cos
tume party with ope
n bars, food, mu
dancing and a cos
sic,
tume contest.
AN AFTER-HOURS
FAMILY EVENT
& 29
OCTOBER 28
.)
(7 p.m. – 11 p.m
$10.95/PERSON
MEMBERS)
($9.95 FOR ZOO
ousel
rides, ghoulish car
use, spooky tram
lde's Creepy Ho
re!
mo
Features Dr. Wi
and
rides
OCTOBER 29 &
30
(11 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
INCLUDED WITH
ZOO ADMISSION
Trick-or-treating for
kids 12 and under,
animals receive Ha
costume contests,
lloween treats, mu
watch our zoo
sic, fun and gam
es with Radio Dis
AM 990 & The Co
ney
ast 97.3 FM.
SAVE MONEY AND TIME
BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
www.zoomiami.org
Zoo Miami goes
By Penelope Suarez
In June 2010, Zoo Miami’s Island Trader Gift Shop reopened their doors & decided to go
couture, “Wild” couture. Vice President Brad Smithling had wanted to revamp the shop
for awhile and give it a more modern youthful look and he thought the “couture”
line would be a perfect fit. Island Trader was the 3rd gift shop in the US to have
this “couture” line, from new plush animals, cool hats, and wild shirts it’s truly a
unique line that is sure to make great gifts for
any occasion.
Besides going “couture”, the Island Trader has
many great gift ideas for any type of consumer. Their
Bizarre Section has great African instruments and
recycled products from notebooks to great pieces of
art. There are tons of educational and activity books
for all ages, A “Pucker” Powder section where kids
and adults can mix powdered sugar into any flavor they
want, from 6-34 inch tubes available you are sure to get
your sugar rush! They also have a new Sweet Shop with all
varieties of great candy & chocolates.
The Island Trader supports conservation, from integrated biodegradable souvenir cups to crafted items which are 100% recycled
paper and even
75% made from Elephant pooh! Yes, believe it or not we are proud to have
Mr. Ellie Pooh in our gift shop they have very unique and non smelly items you can purchase. You can
actually check out how they make these amazing products on their website @ www.mrelliepooh.com.
So make sure you stop by the Island Trader at Zoo Miami. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at all
their unique gift items.
Starting November 1st – December 31st The Island Trader will take an additional 10% off your total
purchase. Which is GREAT! & Just in time for the holidays!
Members will enjoy 20% off during this time. So enjoy and thank you for your ongoing support to
Zoo Miami.
FOR
KIDS
The Zoological Society of Florida wishes to thank Trish & Dan Bell for their generous
contribution to the Wild for Kids Program at Zoo Miami.
Our Wild for Kids initiative is a unique extension of Zoo Miami’s Adopt-an-Animal
program which serves to connect our family of wildlife enthusiasts with organizations
that serve our communities children. Our supporters will now be able to personally
help spread the conservation message and present adoption kits, as gifts, to a group
of children at the charity of their choice, chosen from the ZSF affiliate list. At levels
ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, donors can design their own adoption experience.
On June 10, 2011, Trish & Dan Bell chose The Community Partnership for the
Homeless, Homestead Center as their charity. They positively impacted the
lives of 150 children with their generous donation.
The Zoological Society of Florida’s Education Department presented
“Creature Feature”, a 45 minute interactive program that focuses
on some of the most fascinating creatures found around
the world. The children discovered
how featured animals have amazing
specializations for survival in their
natural habitats. In addition each child
also received their very own Adopt in
a Box package, as well as a memorable
experience with this opportunity given
to them.
h o w
Special Thanks to Trish & Dan Bell
for such a great contribution !
Please call The Zoological Society of Florida to make a contribution 305-255-5551 or you can log on www.zsf.org
ky
c
a
W rn
Ba
Become a Proud Zoo Parent!
Pony up to Zoo Miami and mosey
on over to our membership cart to
“Adopt” our Shetland Pony for a
$25 donation, or pull up a chair and
purchase online at www.zsf.org.
Adopt Us Y
’all!
Choose from a brown or white
adorable plush pony and receive a
certificate with facts and a photo of
your adopted animal in a white handle
gable box. These donations support
our animals care.
Shop Early And Beat The Holiday Rush!
Our Animals Depend On People Too!!!
4
Carnival Kids Program
The Carnival Kids Program is a continuing success story
here at Zoo Miami. For the past fourteen years, through
the generous support of the Carnival Foundation, the
Education Department of the Zoological Society of Florida
has delivered this environmental education program to
over 6,000 elementary students and over 12 schools in
our community. The goal is to get students excited about
science through practical experiences regarding animals, the
importance of wildlife, the environment, and conservation. In
the beginning, this was accomplished by giving the students
an opportunity to attend seven outreached programs at
their school and two field study sessions, one was a trip to
Zoo Miami and the other was to Everglades National Park.
Eventually, we were able to make it a 2 year program in order
for the students to participate in the “Water” curriculum.
This part of the program discussed the water cycle, aquatic
animals in freshwater, saltwater habitats, and the recently
added topic of Global Climate Change.
By Jean Romanik
For many of the children it’s the first time they will visit
either location. At the end of the school year, the Carnival
Kids demonstrate what they have learned with presentations
recapping their experiences and showcasing projects. Their
creative projects range from drawings, dioramas, colorful
informative notebooks, photographs they’ve taken and art
projects made from recycled materials. Demonstrations are
vibrant and very animated. Some students write, perform
skits, poems and dances, while others create power point
presentations. The students learned that they have a valuable
role in protecting and preserving our planet.
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when students are
encouraged to participate in “hands on” learning and then
contribute their perspective. The Carnival program is an
awakening to their senses and awareness of the environment
around them. They come away with respect for conservation
of wildlife and other natural resources. This program is one
that tremendously benefits the community now and in the
future.
Our students enjoy live animals, dynamic program info,
interesting collection of biofacts (animal skulls, skins, teeth,
etc.) featured during 7 educational outreach programs to
their classes. They anxiously await the field trip day to Zoo
Miami and Everglades National Park and proudly wear the
t-shirts provided by Carnival Cruise Lines.
The Zoological Society of Florida thanks Linda Coll,
Director and the Carnival Foundation for enabling us
to carry out this unique program and inspire the future
conservationists of our planet.
Helping Save Tamarins and Painted Dogs, One Bite at a Time!
During the 2011 summer the Education Department staff and volunteers held weekly
fundraising events during the Zoofari summer camp to help, conservation efforts for
the endangered species represented here at
Zoo Miami.
ZSF fundraising and conservation efforts
supported two organizations Save the Golden
Lion Tamarins & Proyecto Tití that protect two
of the world’s most endangered primates— golden lion tamarins & cotton-top tamarins.
During this summer project, this effort also
helped raised much needed funds for one of
the most endangered African carnivores—the
painted dog (African wild dog or cape hunting dog). The Painted Dog
Conservation strides to educate the local community about the plight of
one of Africa’s most charismatic carnivore. Your support of the ZSF and
Zoo Miami helped our important conservation mission.
For more information or to volunteer please visit our website www.zsf.org
5
CONSER
Zoo Miami and ZSF strive to
integrate conservation work into all
of our internal and external activities.
You are probably aware of our many
successful efforts at the Zoo in the
breeding of rare and endangered
species such as the Giant River Otter,
Helmeted Curassow, and Puerto
Rican Crested Toads as part of our
contribution to forming sustainable
captive populations. But, you are
probably not aware of how much our
culture of conservation permeates
everything we do here at Zoo Miami.
From simple things like changing an
incandescent light bulb to an energy
saving LED or compact fluorescent
bulb when it burns out, to raising and
contributing hundreds of thousands of
dollars to conservation centers around
the world. We try to make conscious
meaningful choices in our day to day
activities.
Zoo Miami and The ZSF have
made many contributions in recent
years to projects benefitting the
conservation and preservation of such
species as Rim Rock Crowned Snakes,
Eastern Hellbenders, Pantanal Otters,
Tree Kangaroos, Grevy Zebras, Thai
Hornbills, African Crowned Cranes,
Clouded Leopards, African and Asian
Elephants, Okapis, Koalas, Komodo
Dragons,
Gorillas,
Chimpanzees,
Orangutans, Flamingos and Caribbean
Iguanas in their native habitats. We
choose programs that not only ensure
the captive populations of some of
these species in our collection are
sustainable, but that the habitats and
local communities that they originate
from are supported and preserved.
Zoo Miami’s Green Team is
made up of volunteers from many
different departments at the Zoo
and ZSF. It has helped to reduce
our internal consumption of natural
resources. Through their efforts, they
have developed multiple recycling
programs for paper products, plastics
and batteries. An energy audit of our
6
facilities has helped shape strategies
on how we can reduce our energy
consumption. This audit helped guide
us on taking energy saving steps
like installing energy saving lighting,
motion switches on lights, installing
programmable thermostats, putting
timers on hot water heaters and
electronic devices that use energy
even when not being used. Did you
know that our carousel had all its lights
replaced with LED lights and now uses
the same amount of energy as a hair
dryer! A water usage audit is planned
next. These measures are not only
good conservation practices but will
save the Zoo and Miami-Dade county
taxpayers over a $100,000 a year in
operating costs.
The plant life at Zoo Miami
plays a role in our natural resource
preservation. Our horticulture staff
recycles plant waste and animal feces
into mulch and compost to enrich
our extensive botanical collection.
This equates to thousands of dollars
a year saved in transportation and
disposal costs. Native endangered
and threatened air plants are picked
up off the ground after storms and
secured in new suitable trees to
increase these rare plants’ numbers.
Invasive plant species are controlled to
a degree by utilizing them as browse
material for the animal collection to
eat. In addition, we are working on
cooperative projects with Miami-Dade
County’s Natural Areas Management
pythons and lizards in the Everglades,
Zoo Miami also does fundraising for
conservation projects like “Bowling for
Rhinos”. Ron Magill has been a one
man fund raising machine! Through
the Ron Magill Conservation Fund he
has made significant contributions
to the preservation of species such
as the Bald Eagle, Harpy Eagle,
Cheetah, White Rhino, and Sloth
Bear in their native habitats. These
activities demonstrate how we not
team to remove invasive plant species
on Zoo grounds and the adjacent pine
rocklands. We replace them with native
or non-injurious plants that can be
utilized by our animals.
Staff continues these activities
outside of their normal work hours by
participating in the care of Pilot Whale
strandings, band wild flamingo chicks
in Mexico to aid researchers studying
population numbers and migration
patterns, pine rockland habitat planting
and restoration, coastal trash cleanups, survey and removal of invasive
only work diligently, but help foster
good conservation practices in the
surrounding community.
All of these efforts are just the
beginning for Zoo Miami and The
ZSF.
With the launching of the
new Conservation and Research
Department, we hope to provide
many exciting and fun opportunities
for you, your family and the local
community to participate in making
South Florida an even better place to
live and cherish through preserving our
natural resources. Consider becoming
By Dr. Frank Ridgley
VAT I O N
a volunteer in our new FrogWatch
USA chapter and you can conduct
scientific fieldwork, yourself! We invite
you to become part of our culture
of conservation and take measures in
your own life to aid us in our efforts.
To make a contribution, please
call The Zoological Society of Florida
at 305-255-5551 or you can log on
to www.zsf.org
Are you aware that even the cups, plates and silverware that you get at our concession stands are recyclable or compostable?
This is thanks to efforts by Service Systems Associates that provides many of our visitor services at the Zoo.
How are you helping conserve our planet and animals? Tell us about it!!! [email protected]
Write an essay 250 words or less. The best essay will win a family annual pass to the Zoo!
And Story will be featured on the next Keepin’ it Wild newsletter. (Ages 6-12)
Caribbean flamingos hatch at Zoo Miami!
The 3rd Caribbean flamingo to hatch at
Zoo Miami this year. Caribbean flamingos
are one of several species of flamingos
and considered by many to be the most
beautiful. Both the mother and father
incubate the single egg for approximately
30 days after which they both take part in
raising the chick. The chick is born with a
white or gray fluffy down and won’t begin
develop its beautiful salmon pink coloration
until it is over a year old. Visitors to Zoo
Miami can get a great look at the new chick
as it is towards the front left of the exhibit
when you first enter the park!
During the spring of 2011 keeper Kevin Kopf enjoyed remarkable success with the Zoo’s captive amphibian
breeding program. Kevin was able to bring 139 tadpoles through metamorphosis. This includes five species
of poison dart frogs (Golden, Golfodulcean, Yellow-and-Blue, Yellow-Banded, and Blue) as well as the Dwarf
Surinam Toad. This represented a 45% increase in the Zoo Miami’s total amphibian population.
KIDZOODLE
Why is Conservation of Wild Places Important?
Phrase: Conservation of wild places protects our wildlife.
Unscramble the words. Then copy the letters in the numbered cells to other cells below with the same number.
Visit our facebook
page on October 14th
for your answers and
be the first to enter
our “secret message”
and you could win free
passes for
you and
your family
to visit our
great ZOO!
Word Search- Leftover letters will reveal a message!!
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Conservation
Conservation
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Ecofriendly
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Animal Funnies!
How does a penguin feel when it’s all alone?
Ice-olated!
How does a polar bear stop a DVD player?
He just presses the paws button!
What’s the difference between a tiger and a lion?
The tiger has the mane part missing!
What’s black and white and never in flight?
A penguin!
Got good clean jokes??
Send them to us: [email protected] and you may be
on our next Animal Funnies section.
(Must have parent permission, name will be
posted on newsletter, must be in good taste
and about animals.)
Rhino
Tamarin
Tegu
Threatened
Tiger
Toad
Warthog
Zebra
Gibbonto pair all the letters
Tamarinyou didn’t circle for a secret message.
Make sure
Giraffe
Tegu
Gogreen
Gorilla
Habitat
Threatened
Tiger
Toad
9
NOTES
FOR
MEMBERS
THE ANNUAL PASS
Holiday Deals! 50% off the Annual Pass as a gift, plus savings with the NEW 2-Year Renewal!
Back to school season has come and gone and now it’s time to go back to the zoo! As we kick-off
the holiday season on October 1-2 with Pink Days and then jump into Spooktober and Zoo Lights,
we are excited to be welcoming members, old and new, BACK TO THE ZOO with special offers
and events just for members.
New! Give the Annual Passas a gift at 50% OFF! It’s the holidays, and what makes
a better gift than 365 days of admission to Zoo Miami? Purchase or renew your Annual
Pass between October 1 – December 20, 2011 and get an Annual Pass as a gift for your
friends and loved ones at 50% OFF! Get your coupon on the back of this issue.
New! Save $20 on 2-year renewals + save a tree: Members will now be able to
renew for 2-years at a time, saving $10-$20 depending on your level. Right now, this will
be possible in-park or through the mail, but soon you will be able to do it online too! With
a 2-year renewal, you still get all of your benefits but you also help us reduce the use of
paper for mailing.
Fun Things to reMEMBER:
•• Renew your Annual Pass early & add months to
your next year.
•• Renew 2 months early, get a 14 month Annual
Pass.
•• Renew 1 month early, get a 13 month Annual
Pass
•• Show your Annual Pass and SAVE 10% on food,
drink and gift purchases at Zoo Miami.
•• BONUS! Spend $50, get $5 to use in the gift
shop with Member Rewards.
•• Never wait, head straight for the gate with your
Annual Passes and photo ID.
•• LOOK at the back of your membership card
sheet for a FREE SOUVENIR CUP coupon!
Like us today at
Facebook.com/zoomiami
Florida Power & Light Donates Solar Array to Zoo Miami
Written by: Ronald Stayton, Director of Foundation & Government Relations
Zoo Miami and the Zoological Society of Florida are proud to partner with Florida
Power & Light Company (FPL) in an effort to expand our green initiatives! Through
a generous grant from the NextEra Energy Foundation, we will be installing a solar
array (solar panel field) in the zoo’s Amazon & Beyond exhibit. The panels
will be located on top of the trellis area in the main plaza.
Eric Stephens, Zoo Miami Director, said, “Zoo Miami is a leader in
conservation and we see it fitting to partner with FPL in this very exciting
project. We are proud and very fortunate to have this partnership with
FPL in our efforts to become sustainability leaders among our peers in the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums”.
ZSF President & CEO Benjamin H. Pingree applauded this project and
is thrilled to know that FPL is helping us further our conservation efforts.
“These solar panels will produce, on average, 617 kWh of energy a month.
That will represent significant savings for the Zoo’s energy costs."
Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight directly into electricity. The solar array
will produce enough power to run your computer, dishwasher, microwave oven,
refrigerator, television, water heater, clothes washer and dryer each month – at
the same time!
What’s happening @ the
Animal Tales
?
Pine Rockland Guided Tour
Animal Tales at the Children’s Zoo Theatre will let you meet and greet some
amazing creatures.Presentations take place daily at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and
3:00 p.m.
Take a Pine Rockland guided tour and walk through this fire-dependent habitat
that the gopher tortoise, great horned owl and the Florida panther call home.
Overnight Adventures (Zoo Inns)
Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2, Zoo Miami will be hosting
Pink Days. The Zoological Society of Florida and Susan G. Komen (Miami/
Ft.Lauderdale) are collaborating to kick-off breast cancer awareness month
for all of South Florida to be a part of. This is the Inaugural Pink Days event to
enhance the presence for awareness and prevention efforts in the community.
Bring your scout group, school group, or just a group of your friends for an
unforgettable adventure as you spend the night at the Zoo! Pre-registration is
required.
Behind-the-Scenes Evening Tours (Wild Nights)
A Wild Night tour is an evening adventure that takes you "up-close" to selected
wildlife in a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo. It begins with a pizza dinner
followed by a guided 2 to 3 hour walking tour. Pre-registration is required.
Education Programs
Pre-K –K: Zoo Tots: Bring your toddler to our popular parent and child
program. 5-12 years old: Young Naturalists: For children who are interested
in animals, nature and conservation. Families: You and your family will have a
terrific time at the Zoo discovering more about the animals and the world that
we share with them
Zoo Winter Break Daze
December 19-23 and December 26-30th. Winter break camp is designed to
immerse children ages 6-10 into the world of wildlife and conservation. Preregistration is required and space is limited.
Safari Photo Club
If you are a photography buff and you love animals, come and enjoy the best
of both worlds on Saturdays: September - December. Safari Photo Club (SPC)
is open to photographers at all levels who will be given exclusive opportunities
to be in the Zoo either before or after the Zoo’s normal operating hours. To
participate in this photo club you must be a ZSF member and fees are in
addition to the ZSF membership.
Guided Walking Tours
PRE-K – K: The Little Wonder Tour: This one hour walking tour is geared for
our littlest zoo goers to see the wonders of the zoo. Group size is 20 persons.
GRADES 4-12: Zoogeographic Walking Tours: Schedule a walking tour to one
of the zoo’s geographic areas, Asia, Africa or Amazon and Beyond.
Carousel Sponsorship
A
re you looking for a unique opportunity to honor
or commemorate someone special in your life?
Consider sponsoring one of the endangered animals
or chariots on our newly
renovated Wildlife
Carousel! The
honoree’s name(s)
will be engraved in
a plaque that will
be placed at the
base of the animal
of your choice for
2 years. Proceeds
directly benefit our
conservation and
education programs.
Please contact The Zoological Society of Florida at
(305) 255-5551 or visit www.zoomiami.org
for more information.
Pink Days
The Monster Masquerade
Saturday, October 22 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Come out and enjoy open
bars, food from the lab including troll fingers to feed your hunger, costume
contests that will have you dying for awesome prizes and music that will keep
the zombies dancing all night long.
Spooky Zoo Nights
October 28 and 29 from 7 – 11 p.m. The $10.95/person admission ($9.95 for
Zoo members) includes entry into Dr. Wilde’s Creepy House, spooky tram
rides, ghoulish carousel rides, and chilling story-telling around a fire pit.
Zoo Boo
October 29 and 30 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Included with zoo admission, families
and kids ages 12 and under are invited to trick-or-treat in costumes, participate
in costume contests, watch special performances, make Halloween crafts, see
our wild animals get their Halloween goodies, and more! Music and games with
fun prizes will be provided by Radio Disney AM 990 and The Coast 97.3 FM.
Alligator Ron’s Holiday Hoedown
December 3 at Alligator Ron’s Holiday Hoedown benefiting Florida: Mission
Everglades from 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. (VIP Cocktail Reception starts at 6:30 p.m.).
Come saddle up at the bar or dance the night away. There will be a live band,
great BBQ and much more. For ticket information visit holidayhoedown.com
Zoo Lights
December 18 – 23 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Holiday favorites like hot chocolate,
holiday songs and more will make this the family gathering place of the season.
Beastkeeper VIP Party
Feast With The Beasts Beastkeeper VIP Party on Saturday, January 28th
will be held at the beautiful residence of Irene and Chris Korge- featuring
tantalizing tastings from Miami’s high end restaurants, fabulous entertainment,
wild animals and a silent auction filled with fantastic items to bid on. The
Beastkeeper Passport is $500 per person and includes admission to the
Beastkeeper VIP Party AND the Beastkeeper Cocktail Reception at 7 PM, 1
hour prior to Feast With The Beasts as well as the main event held on Friday,
March 2nd, 2012 also. Safari Chic attire is encouraged.
Feast With The Beasts
Feast With The Beasts on March 2nd from 8 p.m. - Midnight will have over
1,200 guests walking the moonlit pathways of the zoo with fabulous tasting
from 40 amazing restaurants and chefs, 8 open bars, and entertainment unlike
any other party- wild animals and great entertainment, a full dessert and
coffee buffet and the Ron Magill’s Spectacular Dance Party.
Whether a casual company picnic, formal corporate
meeting or fun team-building, a dream wedding or festive
holiday party for your employees, Zoo Miami’s Group Sales
Department and Taste of the Wild Catering will provide an
unparalleled experience which focuses on an exotic backdrop,
detailed event planning, incomparable cuisine, sensational
adventures, and superlative service.
To request a brochure or to reserve your next event, contact
the Group Sales Department at 305-251-0400 ext. 84939.
NOTE: Calendar events and dates are subject to change. Please visit www.zoomiami.org or call 305-251-0400 or 305-255-5551 for more information.
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information,
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tickets,
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50% OFF ANNUAL PASS AS A GIFT
When you Buy or Renew your Annual Pass from
October 1 – December 20, 2011.
Purchase or renew an
Annual Pass, get a
Gift Annual Pass of
equal or lesser value for
50% off. We will provide
you with a special gift
card for the holidays
that can be redeemed at
Member Services.
Offer valid October 1 –
December 20, 2011. Can not be
combined with other offers.
For more information on this offer
call 305-255-5551 or email [email protected].