ASHEBORO, NC – Celebrate Easter weekend the “wild way” at The North Carolina Zoo. “Egg-Stravaganza,” Saturday, March 26 and Sunday March 27, is the Zoo’s annual tribute to Easter featuring special egg shaped treats for the animals to enjoy.
North American animals will be treated to eggs Saturday while African animals will enjoy their party Sunday. Event times Saturday are set for: 10:00 a.m. cougars, 10:30 a.m. bobcat, 11:00 a.m. seals and sea lions, noon polar bears, 1:00 p.m. black bear, 1:30 p.m. grizzly bear and 2:00 p.m. sandcat (desert). Sunday’s schedule is: 10:00 a.m. elephants, 11:00 a.m. red river hogs, 11:30 a.m. gorillas, 1:00 p.m. chimps, 1:30 p.m. lemurs, and 2:00 p.m. baboons. In addition a special display of bird eggs will be available in the R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. both days.
Zookeepers will place papier-mâché eggs, made by zoo volunteers and filled with appropriate food treats along with other enticing items for the animals to enjoy. Additionally, keepers will be available to answer visitor questions at many of those exhibits.
Egg-Stravaganza” is part of the zoo’s ongoing mission to provide both mental and physical stimulation for the animals, allowing them to find and interact with enrichment items as well as experience tastes and aromas they find stimulating.
Although there is no additional charge for this event, this year, Zoo guests are invited to participate in the process by choosing an egg from the egg trees, located in both plazas, during the weekend festivities and by making a donation to animal enrichment in one of the Zoo gift shops. Visitors may also explore our Amazon.com wish list, “NC Zoo Enrichment Wish List,” and purchase an item directly. Items range from under ten dollars to $600 dollars. Purchases will be shipped directly to the NC Zoo and given as enrichment to our animals. The online Wish List will remain in place throughout the year.
The North Carolina Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. For further information, please visit the Zoo website at www.nczoo.org.
About the North Carolina Zoo
The North Carolina Zoo provides an experience like no other zoo anywhere. With five miles of exhibits, nearly 2,000 animals and 52,000 plants it is the largest natural habitat zoo in the world and an international leader in wildlife conservation.
Find yourself surrounded by some of Africa’s giants including elephants, rhinos, and giraffes; share the love of gorillas with Mosuba and his six-member troop; welcome polar bear Nikita as he joins Anana in polar plunges every day at their Rocky Coast Exhibit; or join in the fun at the mud café in the Kidzone.
Located in center of the state in Asheboro, it is convenient to visit from anywhere in North Carolina. The North Carolina Zoo welcomes nearly 750,000 guests each year. Plan your adventure at www.nczoo.org.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.
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