New York, N.Y. – Fruit cake, ties and perfume may be OK for some folks, but if you really want to give a unique present this year, visit the Wildlife Conservation Society’s zoos and aquarium for some wild gift ideas – at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium.

The gift of a Wildlife Conservation Society membership is sure to please any animal lover. A WCS membership gives families and individuals unlimited admittance at all 5 WCS facilities in New York plus other member benefits. More information can be found on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Web site at www.wcs.org.

WCS gift shops are another place to find unique gift ideas. There are no long lines or the usual holiday hustle and bustle. Gift shops are conveniently located throughout the city at the Bronx and Central Park Zoos and the New York Aquarium.  
 
The Zootique at the Central Park Zoo, which allows access from outside the zoo, is the perfect place to buy sophisticated presents for family and friends, such as sterling-silver jewelry, artfully decorated pottery, clothing, and accessories.  Gifts for kids include conservation themed toys and a wide selection of stuffed animals.  The world-famous Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium in Coney Island are ideal places to pick up t-shirts, sweatshirts or last minute toys.

Of course, just visiting the zoo is always an exciting experience—a gift in itself. There is an array of wonderful wildlife at each WCS facility. Visitors can escape the cold by warming up in the Central Park Zoo’s Rainforest, home to a beautiful, exotic collection of birds and reptiles, as well as a playful troupe of lemurs. Winter is also the perfect time to see the zoo’s new snow leopard exhibit and famous polar bears Gus and Ida.

At the Queens Zoo, enjoy an outdoor experience in a quaint, bucolic setting while watching animals like Andean bears, pumas, endangered thick-billed parrots, and other wildlife native to North and South America.
 
At the Prospect Park Zoo, a holiday experience can be found at many exciting and exotic exhibits. The zoo is home to animals from around the world, including meerkats, baboons and Pallas cats.

All four WCS zoos will be continuing its annual holiday event, “Presents to the Animals” on Saturday and Sunday, December 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free with zoo admission. At the event zoo-goers can watch various zoo animals receive festively decorated gifts stuffed with all their favorite tasty treats.

The Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium are exciting places to visit during the holidays. There are many indoor exhibits where visitors can stay warm while experiencing beautiful wildlife from around the world.

The Bronx Zoo , a Wildlife Conservation Society park, is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Martin Luther King Day.  Adult admission is $15, children (3-12 years old) $11, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $13. Parking is $12 for cars and $16 for buses. WCS’s 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 www.bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.