Buy a Detroit Zoo Polar Bear or Tree Frog Gift Card This Holiday

By Patricia Janeway

Royal Oak, MI - When the shopping mall becomes a zoo this holiday season, shoppers can make the Zoo their “mall”.

A Detroit Zoo gift card can be loaded with any amount $5 and up and used for admission and parking as well as tickets for the new Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater, Wild Adventure Ride, Tauber Family Railroad and Giraffe Encounter feeding station.

The re-loadable gift cards are also good at gift shops and food concessions, and can be used to purchase Detroit Zoo memberships, animal experiences, brick pavers, “Adopt”-an-Animal and other “wild” gifts.

The gift cards are available for purchase at the admission gates daily during regular Zoo hours. Choose from four designs – a red-eyed tree frog, polar bear, peacock or animal collage. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 x.3750.

The Detroit Zoological Society also offers many gift ideas that allow the giver to give twice. Recipients will love their unique gifts, and proceeds will help support the animals at the Detroit Zoo and preserve the world’s wildlife.

• Opt to Adopt. “Adopt” an adorable aardvark or a ravishing red panda. Gift package includes a plush animal, fact sheet and personalized photo certificate. The cost is $90 for the aardvark (regular price $100) and $45 for the red panda (regular price $50) when purchased before January 1, 2010. Each “adoption” helps provide veterinary treatment and improve animal habitats.

• Membership Has Its Privileges. A Detroit Zoo gift membership provides a year’s supply of Vitamin Z. Members receive unlimited admission to the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo, free parking, discounts at Zoo gift shops and many other benefits. Prices range from $45 to $150. Residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties receive $10 off all categories and can purchase up to four gift memberships at the discounted rate.

• Pave the Way. Make a lasting impression with a 4”x8” brick tribute paver engraved with a loved one’s name or special message. The brick will be installed in 2010 and the recipient notified of its location. Cost is $90 (regular price $100) before January 1, 2010.

• Close Encounters of the Animal Kind. Breakfast with the Butterflies ($300 per group of four), Breakfast with the Giraffes ($500 per group of four) and Mingle with the Macaronis ($500 per group of four) allow visitors age 7 and older to get up close and personal with these Zoo residents.

• Buy a Butterfly. A brass-finished laser-etched butterfly can be purchased to commemorate a birthday, wedding, anniversary or the life of a family member, friend or beloved pet. Cost is $500 and the butterfly will be displayed inside the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery.

• Best Seat in the House. Dedicate a seat in the Ford Education Center’s Wild Adventure 3-D/4-D Theater in the name of an individual or family. Seats cost $500 and $750 and a brass recognition plaque will be placed on the back of the seat.

• Leave Your Mark in the Park. A Zoo bench donated in a special someone’s honor leaves a lasting legacy. The bench will be placed at the Detroit Zoo or Belle Isle Nature Zoo and includes a brass recognition plaque. New benches are $5,000; existing benches are $2,000.

• The Gift That Keeps On Growing. Have a tree planted at the Zoo in honor of the environmentalist on your list. Trees are $5,000 and include planting and a brass recognition plaque.

For more information or to order holiday gifts, click on www.detroitzoo.org, call (248) 541-5717 ext. 3750 or visit the Membership Office at the front of the Zoo.

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/forumtopicdetail-472-Detroit_Zoo