Good news! It looks as if the temps will begin to cool down into the 80's starting this weekend. Just in time for the next big fun event, the Great Plains Zoo has planned for the summer.

Next Thursday (August 5), the Great Plains Zoo plans on holding "Expedition ZooFalls." A day the zoo has set aside to celebrate local zoo pride.

Dakota News Now reports animal welfare and animal health are two of the biggest things the Great Plains Zoo prides itself in. The zoo is always striving for the best quality of life for all of the animal guests who live at the Great Plains Zoo here in Sioux Falls.

Get our free mobile app

Matt Eschenbrenner, Director of Animal Care and Conservation for the Great Plains Zoo told Dakota News Now, “As a zoo, we’re always torn between opening new exhibits to peak guests’ interest and get them through the gates, but we also have an aging infrastructure here and that needs some love too."

Hence the reason for Expedition ZooFalls. The zoo intends to use this event to help raise additional money to renovate older exhibits at the zoo. In particular, this time around, the black bear habitat.

According to Dakota News Now, the black bear habitat has been the home of Charles the Black Bear for several years. Charles is getting up there in age and has started to develop a touch of arthritis. He is no longer as nimble as he once was. The zoo wants to help give Charles some new digs to better accommodate his whole-life needs.

Becky Dewitz, Great Plains Zoo President and CEO, told Dakota News Now, "An event like Expedition ZooFalls really helps us do what we do best.”

In addition to helping out Charles and other animals like him, Expedition ZooFalls will also give animal lovers from around the Sioux Empire an opportunity to get up close to some of their favorite animals who call the Great Plains Zoo home.

During the event, people can chat with zookeepers. You will be able to hop right in with the kangaroos, and even feed giraffes. As Eschenbrenner told Dakota News Now, the zoo will feature a number of cool activities for Expedition ZooFalls guests to check out that day.

Get complete details on the event and purchase your Expedition ZooFalls tickets here.

Source: Dakota News Now

32 Things to Do in Sioux Falls This Summer That Are Absolutely Free!

LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world

From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.

 

 

More From KYBB-FM / B102.7