Detroit Zoo's New Mayor of Amphibiville Takes Office

By Patricia Janeway

Royal Oak, MI - The Detroit Zoo has elected a new Mayor of Amphibiville who says she loves all animals, “even the slimy ones.” Claire Kozal, 7, of Whitmore Lake, Mich., has been officially sworn into office for a two-year term. Amphibiville is a two-acre wetland village that is home to the National Amphibian Conservation Center.

A self-proclaimed frog lover since the age of 3, Claire built her own home nature center and has years of experience observing frogs, toads and turtles in her backyard pond. She hopes to someday become a marine biologist.

In honor of Claire’s victory, a plaque bearing her name and photo will be displayed in the National Amphibian Conservation Center throughout her term in office. She also receives a certificate acknowledging her position as mayor, a plush frog and a one-year family membership to the Detroit Zoo.

The Zoo invited candidates ages 6-12 who live in Michigan to enter the race for Mayor of Amphibiville in the form of a 100-word essay describing their qualifications for the position. A roster of 185 candidates was culled to a short list of finalists and then voted on by a panel of Zoo staffers.

The first Mayor of Amphibiville was Nicholas Wrobel of Orion in 2000, succeeded by Kristina Gulock of Farmington Hills in 2002. Amphibiville has not had a mayor since 2004.

Amphibiville opened in 2000 featuring the award-winning National Amphibian Conservation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that boasts a spectacular diversity of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. The Wall Street Journal dubbed the attraction “Disneyland for toads”.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through Labor Day and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the day after Labor Day through October. Admission is $11 for adults 15 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 14; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org . The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Admission is free. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.

To view Detroit Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forum-1-Zoos&facsort=faclocation