At Rio Grande Zoo and Albuquerque Botanic Garden let Butterfies and Lorikeets Land on You

By Terry Axline 

Albuquerque, NM -In a rainbow of colors, sizes and shapes, hundreds of butterflies will be fluttering again at the Botanic Garden’s PNM Butterfly Pavilion on Friday, May 22. Since 2000, the PNM Butterfly Pavilion has been exhibiting North American butterflies representing about 30 different species, along with an array of blooming nectar plants during the summer months. Pavilion hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily (extended to 6:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays from June through September).

At the Rio Grande Zoo, the Animal Encounters Show, featuring parrots, birds of prey and other species, takes place at 11:00 AM and 2 PM, Wed. through Sun. The Camel Ride is open from 10:00 to 5:00 Tues.- Sun. and is also open on Monday holidays (closed the next day). The camel ride costs $3.50/person. 

The Zoo’s Rainbow Lorikeet Feeding exhibit, located just across the sidewalk from the koala building, is also open. And while there’s no charge to mingle with the rainbow lorikeets, half the fun is feeding them. For just $1.50, visitors can purchase a cup of nectar to feed these brush-tongued parrots from Australia. Feeding is scheduled every day from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

The BioPark is an accessible facility and a division of the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department. Contact the BioPark at 311 locally, (505) 768-2000 (Relay NM or 711). Find more information at http://www.cabq.gov/biopark.

Same day combo admission to the BioPark’s Rio Grande Zoo, Albuquerque Aquarium and Rio Grande Botanic Garden is $12 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older and for children 3-12. New Mexico BioPark Society membership confers FREE general admission to all BioPark facilities and discounts to many special events, including summer concerts. Find out more about becoming a BioPark Society member at nmbioparksociety.org.

The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) every five years. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit http://www.aza.org.

Albuquerque Biological Park
903 Tenth Street SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
www.cabq.gov/biopark

To view Albuquerque Biological Park's Rio Grande Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-94-Rio_Grande_Zoo