Zoo Atlanta, GORILLA HOLIDAY AND MORE!

2012-12-15 — /travelprnews.com/ — Santa comes early to the bachelor pad, and even more Zoo primates join a festive tradition

WHO: No gift wrap department is a match for a 380-pound gorilla, but at Zoo Atlanta, half the fun is in the unwrapping. On Saturday, December 15 at 2:30 p.m., the western lowland gorillas get their annual chance to tear into holiday boxes packed with festive treats.

WHAT: The lucky gift recipients are Charlie, 16, Stadi, 21, and Kekla, 23, who comprise one of two of the Zoo’s all-male bachelor groups. Charlie, who has a penchant for stealing food from his older half-brothers, is likely to steal the show this Saturday, too.

Previous holiday extravaganzas have proved so popular that this year, the event will expand to include even more members of the Zoo’s primate collections. Orangutans will receive holiday enrichment at 2:15 p.m., and the African monkey species of The Ford African Rain Forest will kick off the day’s festivities with pecial treats at 10 a.m.

Word to the wise: Arrive at or before the specified times, as gifts don’t stay wrapped for long at the Zoo. The event is free for Zoo Atlanta Members and children under 3; free with general admission. Activities are weather-permitting.

WHEN: Saturday, December 15, 2012
2:30 p.m. – Gorillas, Gorilla Habitat One
2:15 p.m. – Orangutans, Orangutan Habitat Two
10 a.m. – Monkeys, Ford African Rain Forest

VISUALS: Gorillas, orangutans and monkeys opening gifts and enjoying holiday trees and surprises

WHERE: Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30315

CONTACT: Keisha N. Hines, Director of Public Relations and Communications
404.624.5980 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
khines@zooatlanta.org

ABOUT: About Zoo Atlanta
An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,500 animals from around the world. A slate of new up-close-and-personal experiences opened in spring 2012: giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and Wild Encounters, three new behind-the-scenes adventures with African elephants, giant pandas and Komodo dragon. Other highlights include the nation’s largest collection of western lowland gorillas, the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans and a global center of excellence for the care and study of vanishing reptiles and amphibians. The Zoo is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, call 404.624.WILD or visit zooatlanta.org.

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