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Spend the night at the zoo

Posted by: Robin Christy, Zoo Adventure Instructor


What goes on at the zoo after the gates close? Wouldn't you like to know?

Well, here is your chance to find out—sneak on in to the zoo to have a peek behind closed doors at a Zoo Overnight Adventure.

Ok, so I work at the zoo and you might think that spending the night here would be, well, just a few too many hours! Oh, but you would be wrong! I recently had the opportunity to become one of the few elite members of the Wilderness Survival Skills Zoo Adventures Overnight Special Services Team (yes, it’s a mouthful). And let me tell you, this small group of carefully selected individuals puts on an evening to remember!

There is nothing like grabbing a special red-lens flashlight and heading out for a private adventure on zoo grounds as the sun slowly disappears from the sky. Imagine visiting the animals and taking your time to relax and observe without the thousands of other zoo visitors who have now gone home for the night! This, as far as I am concerned, is the best part of the experience. No crowds! Can you even imagine?

Then, on top of that, you get to go behind the scenes to check out who eats what (or who) with a visit to the commissary, the culinary center of the zoo. This is where we learn about the discerning palates of the zoo resident! After you have spent the night in your cozy sleeping bag, you will awaken to a BIG pot of coffee and set off on yet another private tour of the zoo grounds. Keepers arrive in the wee hours of the morning and you may get the chance to see them at work, getting the animals up and going for the day. Animals that can be a bit shy may actually be out and about because, guess what? There are no crowds!

So get together a group of friends, family or total strangers and make a visit to the zoo for an overnight and find out what goes on after the crowds depart!

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