CALENDAR LISTING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:      

CONTACT:    

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

Max Pulsinelli - 718-220-5182; 571-218-7601; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Steve Fairchild – 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org

Lunar New Year 2016 Events

At WCS’s Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo 

2016 is the Year of the Monkey  

Lunar New Year at the Queens Zoo: Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 20 & 21

Lunar New Year at the Prospect Park Zoo: Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 27 & 28 

New York  –  Jan. 19, 2016 – The WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo are celebrating the Year of the Monkey with special activities to ring in the Lunar New Year. 

At WCS’s Queens Zoo on Feb. 20 and 21:

Activities each day include: 

-          Lunar New Year Zodiac Scavenger Hunt – Visitors will use a scavenger hunt map to search for answers about zoo animals that might also be represented in the lunar zodiac. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

 -          Crafts – Visitors will make a special craft to take home in celebration of the new year. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

-          Calligraphy –Visitors will have a chance to try out their calligraphy skills. (1 to 4 p.m.) 

-          Chinese Theatre Works Performances – The Chinese Theatre Works will perform a special Year of the Monkey puppet show for visitors of all ages. (1 and 2:30 p.m.) 

-          Tea and Fortune Cookies – Visitors will warm up inside the zoo’s Wild Room and enjoy a snack of tea and fortune cookies. (11 to 4 p.m.) 

-          Sea Lion Feedings – The zoo’s daily sea lion feedings will take place at 11:15 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m.

At WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo on Feb. 27 & 28:

 Activities each day include:

 -          Hao Bang Ah Monkey Puppet Show – The Chinese Theatre Works will perform a special Year of the Monkey puppet show for visitors of all ages. (1 and 2:30 p.m.)

-          Monkey Treats – Visitors will make enrichment items that keepers will present to the zoo’s monkeys in celebration of the occasion. (12:30 and 3:30 p.m.)

-          Lunar New Year Zodiac Scavenger Hunt – Visitors will use a scavenger hunt map to search for answers about zoo animals that might also be represented in the lunar zodiac. Those who complete the hunt will receive a prize. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m)

 -          Calligraphy –  Visitors will take home a piece of the celebration by coloring monkey-themed bookmarks and have a Chinese calligraphy expert write on one side.  (1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m.)

 -          Lunar New Year Craft – Visitors will make a special craft to celebrate the new year. (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

-        Discovery Center – The zoo’s Discovery Center will be open and decorated for the new year. Education staff will introduce visitors to the zoo’s rabbit, another animal represented in the lunar zodiac. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

-          Sea Lion Feedings – The zoo’s daily sea lion feedings will take place at 11:30 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m.

 All event times are subject to change. For a complete schedule, visit www.queenszoo.com or www.prospectparkzoo.com.

Media Note: For further information on this story or to make an appointment to cover the activities, please contact Barbara Russo at 718-265-3428 or email brusso@wcs.org. Appointments only available on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Queens Zoo, and Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Prospect Park Zoo.

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.

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 53-51 111^th Street in Flushing Meadow’s Corona Park in Queens. For further information, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.queenszoo.com.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 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: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

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