WCS holiday toy drive continues through December 31

Bronx, N.Y. – Dec. 4, 2014 – Animals at WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo will receive treats hidden inside holiday-themed enrichment items each weekend in December during the annual Presents to the Animals.

*The schedule at the WCS Prospect Park Zoo is:
Weekends in December:
Dec. 6/7: dingoes-11 a.m.; Pallas’ cats -2:30 p.m.
Dec. 13/14: North American river otters-11 a.m.; dwarf mongoose-2:30 p.m.
Dec. 20/21: Hamadryas baboons-11 a.m.; meerkats-2:30 p.m.
Dec. 27/28: Hamadryas baboons-11 a.m.; Geoffrey marmosets-2:30 p.m.

*The schedule at the WCS Queens Zoo is:
Weekends in December:
Dec. 6/7, 13/14, 20/21: Puma-1 p.m.; mulefoot pigs-2 p.m.; Andean bears-3 p.m.

Continuing another holiday tradition, WCS is collecting toys at all five of its wildlife parks – the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and New York Aquarium. Toys collected will be donated to families in need within the communities they serve. Those donating an unwrapped toy at the Prospect Park Zoo and New York Aquarium will receive a ticket to the New York Aquarium; those donating at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, or Queens Zoo will receive a ticket to the Bronx Zoo. Visit http://www.wcs.org/toydrive/ for more information.

*Members of the media wishing to cover these activities should make an appointment in advance. Contact Barbara Russo at brusso@wcs.org or 718-265-3428.

Disclaimer: ONE general admission ticket to the Bronx Zoo will be provided for a donation of one new, unwrapped toy at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, or Queens Zoo. ONE general admission ticket to the New York Aquarium will be provided for a donation of one new, unwrapped toy at the New York Aquarium or Prospect Park Zoo. Limit of four tickets per family, valid 1/01/14–6/30/14. All WCS decisions final. Promotion available from 11/15/13 - 12/31/13. May not be combined with any other offer

CONTACT:
Barbara Russo - 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli - 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $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.The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo – Open every day of the year. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10am to 5pm weekdays, and 10am – 5:30pm weekends, April through October, and 10am – 4:30pm daily, November through April. The Queens Zoo is located at 53-51 111th Street in Flushing Meadow’s Corona Park in Queens. For further information, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.wcs.org.

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.

Special 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 wcs.org.