PORTLAND, OR - Move over Maui. Forget about Fort Lauderdale. The Oregon Zoo is the latest spring break destination du jour. At the sixth annual Zoo's Gone Wild celebration, March 23 through April 5, spring breakers can go wild with elephants, polar bears, black bears, chimps, sea lions and more.
"Portland may not be the Caribbean, but Northwest residents have great imaginations," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "We can all put on our Hawaiian shirts and just pretend."
Zoo's Gone Wild features two weeks of tropical vacation activities for the animals as well as for zoo visitors. Guests can watch as black bears party at the beach, lorikeets receive fruit leis, and sea otters relax by the pool.
"Our great volunteers and staff have been planning these events for months," Vecchio said.
This year, visitors can party with a real "Caribbean amphibian" when Wendy Whitten, the "Singing Scientist," brings her friend Flumpa the tree frog to the zoo for two shows on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. This duo will have everyone movin' and groovin' to songs about oceans, rain forests and, of course, frogs! All spring break music shows will be free with zoo admission.
Animal enrichment activities and keeper talks take place from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. daily from March 23 through April 5. Visitors can learn about animal training from the keepers and get a more intimate look at sea lions, elephants, crocodiles, ocelots, penguins, river otters and tide pools.
Zoo's Gone Wild is designed to showcase the Oregon Zoo's internationally renowned animal enrichment programs. Animal enrichment is designed to challenge animals with complex tasks that require problem solving. Activities are themed by day. For details, visit www.oregonzoo.org/Events/springbreak.htm.
The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.
The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
