NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Contact:

Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; 917-494-5493; brusso@wcs.org

Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Breakfast with the Animals Series Kicks Off at WCS’s Zoos and Aquarium

  • Breakfast sessions give participants the opportunity to talk with zoo keepers and see animals such as tigers, bears, penguins, and more enjoy their morning meals
  • Programs are available for adults and children of all ages
  • Register online at: wcs.org

WCS Newsroom: http://newsroom.wcs.org/

@WCSNewsroom: https://twitter.com/WCSNewsroom 

New York –– Oct. 19, 2016 – The WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society’s) Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium have opened registration for this fall’s Breakfast with the Animals series.   

These programs start early and allow guests to have breakfast at the zoo, talk with animal care staff, and see the animals in their exhibits enjoying their morning meals before the zoos and aquarium open.

Additional information about these programs can be found online at each facility’s website.

Breakfast with the Animals at WCS’s Bronx Zoo:

October 23 from 9 to 10 30 a.m.: Waking up with Big Cats (All ages; $50 members; $65 nonmembers)

Participants will learn more about the zoo’s big cats and get early access to watch them wake up on exhibit. After the program ends, participants can stay at the zoo to enjoy Boo at the Zoo. This program is for children of all ages. Ticket price includes one adult and one child.

December 3 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.: Breakfast with the Penguins (All ages; $60 members; $65 nonmembers)

Participants will learn more about the zoo’s penguins, meet their keepers, and watch the penguins eat their seafood breakfast. This program is for children of all ages. Ticket price includes one adult and one child.

Breakfast with the Animals at WCS’s Central Park Zoo:

December 3 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Breakfast with the Bears (Adults only; $40 members; $50 nonmembers)

Following light breakfast fare, participants will chat with an Animal Manager and learn all about resident grizzlies Betty and Veronica. The group will then head over to the grizzly exhibit to watch the keepers the bears some delicious morning enrichment.

December 17 from 8:30 to 10 a.m.: Breakfast with the Penguins (Ages 4 to 8 with adult; $40 members; $50 nonmembers)

Participants will learn about polar life and the special adaptations penguins need to survive in their environment. The zoo’s actor-instructor team will lead the class in hands-on activities, games, drama, and puppetry to explain all there is to know about penguins. After bagels and pastries, the group will head to the penguin exhibit to meet a penguin keeper.
Ticket price includes one adult and one child.

November 20 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Breakfast with the Birds (Adults only; $40 members; $50 nonmembers)

After a light breakfast, participants will meet an Animal Manager to learn all about the zoo’s feathered friends and then head over to the Tropic Zone to help the keepers feed the birds and conduct the morning census.

Breakfast with the Baboons at WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo:

November 12 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. (Ages 4 and up with adult; $40 members; $50 nonmembers)

Participants will have breakfast alongside the zoo’s baboon troop, watching as these playful monkeys get a special breakfast, too. They will also learn about what animals eat, take a tour of the animal kitchen, and meet a special animal up close.

Breakfast with the Animals at WCS’s New York Aquarium:

November 12 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.: Breakfast with the Penguins (Ages 3 to 8 with adult; $40 members; $45 nonmembers)

Participants will enjoy a light breakfast along with child-focused activities while the penguins enjoy their own morning meal. The program includes an animal encounter.

December 10 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.: Breakfast with Marine Mammals  (Ages 3 to 8 with adult; $40 members; $45 nonmembers)

Participants will enjoy a light breakfast along with child-focused activities while the marine mammals, including sea lions and otters, enjoy their own morning meals. The program includes an animal encounter with sea creatures such as horseshoe crabs or urchins.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 p.m. weekends from April to October; 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m November to March. Adult general admission is $16.95, children (3-12 years old) $12.95, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14.95. Parking is $16 for cars and $20 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo - Open every day of the year. General Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for senior citizens, $7 for children 3 to 12, and free for children younger than 3. Total Experience Admission is $18.00 for adults, $15.00 for senior citizens, and $13.00 for children 3 to 12. 4-D theater admission is $4.00 for members and $7.00 for non-members. Zoo hours are 10am to 5:30 pm, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November through April. Tickets are sold until one half-hour before closing. The zoo is located at Fifth Avenue and 64th Street. For further information, please call 212-439-6500 or visit www.centralparkzoo.com

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – Open every day of the year. $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com.

Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium is open every day of the year. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Fall/winter/spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Tickets are $11.95 per person (ages 3 & up), and include Aquarium admission plus one admission to the new 4-D Theater; children age 2 and under are admitted free. Fridays after 4 p.m. in the summer and after 3 p.m. in the fall, Aquarium admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation.  The aquarium is located on Surf Avenue at West 8th Street in Coney Island.  The New York Aquarium is located on property owned by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. For directions, information on public events and programs, and other aquarium information, call 718-265-FISH or visit our web site at http://www.nyaquarium.com. Now is the perfect time to visit and show support for the WCS New York Aquarium, a beloved part of Brooklyn and all of the City of New York. Due to Hurricane Sandy we are partially opened. Check our website for more information. www.nyaquarium.com.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia  Follow: @thewcs.

Note to the Media: If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a Web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to www.wcs.org

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