Assiniboine Park Zoo Wins Prestigious Award

Winnipeg, October 26, 2010 – The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums recently announced that the Assiniboine Park Zoo‟s new „Pavilion of the Lions‟ exhibit has won its top national award – the Baines Award for outstanding achievement.

Voted as the best new animal exhibit in Canada this year, it is an innovative exploration of the Lion‟s evolution, ecology, conservation, as well as prehistoric and historic relationships with people.
“We‟re absolutely thrilled to have this exhibit recognized in such a special way,” says Bob Wrigley, Curator for the Assiniboine Park Zoo. “Pavilion of the Lions is just one element of a massive redevelopment plan for the Assiniboine Park Zoo so we‟re proud to say this is the first of many stellar improvements in the works.”
The exhibit was described at the awards ceremony in Montreal as combining the best in animal care with a design that maximizes the visitor experience. Indoors and outdoors, visitors can safely go nose-to-nose with “the King of Beasts,” separated only by glass.
Exciting educational programs are also underway, such as “ZoosnooZ – Snore and Roar” – a sleep-over with the Lions.
Further information regarding the exhibit and award can be found at www.assiniboinepark.ca and www.caza.ca/en/news.

You can buy your tickets online, at Winnipeg Safeway locations or at the gate. www.assiniboinepark.ca

Boo at the Zoo 2010 - Alice's Tea Party (photo by Darlene Stack)

Friday, October 8^th

^{6 pm to 9 am (the following morning)}

You will enjoy: Big cat education; little cat stories and activities; a night-time tour and late-night snack, a morning exhibit tour; light breakfast with the beasts

Costs: $50 per child /$40 per adult

Maximum Capacity: 30 participants (all ages)

Get registered by calling 927-6070 or emailing parkprograms@assiniboinepark.ca  to arrange a stay.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is Manitoba’s premiere location for animal based education. The Zoo’s Education Centre is designed to promote the concepts of endangered species and wildlife conservation through public education and hands-on, interactive learning. The Pavilion Gallery and Leo Mol Sculpture Garden are first-class locations for art education. The Assiniboine Park Conservatory is one of the most unique plant-based teaching facilities in Manitoba. The extensive living classrooms – the Herb Garden, the Abilities Garden, the English Gardens, the Tropical Palm House and Floral Display Atrium – provide a dynamic year-round setting for exciting lessons. And as always there are acres upon acres of natural beauty that Assiniboine Park freely offers to you to help green your mind, body and soul.

We specialize in walking and trolley tours along with one-of-a-kind programs and workshops on a huge range of themes. Bring your class or group to explore the wonders of the plant and animal worlds and explore the wonderfully expressive worlds of art and sculpture, food and cuisine, music and literacy while you’re here. We incorporate learning outcomes of Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth curricula in science, social studies, language, recreation and the arts for pre-school to Senior 4 but you can also just come for the fun. A wide variety of teaching strategies are used to connect with many different learning styles from the naturalist to the interpersonal.

We are rededicating Assiniboine Park to providing programming that will create a lasting appreciation of the natural world and to inspire children to get out and be active all months of the year. Parents, teachers and group leaders can relax, knowing that the children are in a safe, playful environment with skilled instructors who truly enjoy working with young people.

Watch for our new Assiniboine Park Programming brochure, detailing all of our new and re-envisioned program options. We are excited about the many subtle and significant transformations that Assiniboine Park is undergoing and we welcome you to experience them with us.  Visit www.assiniboinepark.ca for a preview of our redevelopment.

Let your imagination run wild!

Scott Gray, Director of Park Programming

You’re going to need bats in your belfry to get through this one!

Join our instructors and learn all about bats, see how Kinsmen Discovery Centre keepers prepare food for the bats and then step into our bat caves and get close to leaf-nosed fruit bats and Indian flying foxes! This wild-winged adventure is for groups of four and for anyone 13 years of age to adult. They run Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 12 noon.

Bat Programs for Kids

Join us for a bat program for your school or youth group. Programs include a classroom program and tour to the Kinsmen Discovery Centre.

Scouts! This program let’s you learn all about bats while you earn your Level 1 and Level 2 bat badge requirements.

Schools! What a great way for kids to learn about this fascinating creature that is found all over the world, but is struggling in many areas to survive.

B is for Bat – Zoo Tots

Join us for a special bat inspired Zoo Tots program for kids aged 3 and 4 years of age. October 23, 10 to 11:30 am

Hang out with us and be the bat! Call 927-6070 or email parkprograms@assiniboinepark.ca for prices and times.

Programs must be pre-registered. Not into bats? Visit www.assiniboinepark.ca for many more fun education programs

Assiniboine Park Programming – Autumn 2010

Join us for an introduction to the animal kingdom!

Discover animals through active games, sings-a-longs, charades, puppet shows, crafts and animal visits! A small snack is provided.

Wednesdays from September 15 to December 15

September 15 – H is for Horse   /   September 22 – L is for Lion

September 29 – M is for Monkey   /   October 6 – C is for Camel

October 13 – I is for Insect   /   October 20 – B is for Bug

October 27 – S is for Snake   /   November 3 – T is for Turtle

November 10 – L is for Lizard   /   November 17 – B is for Bird

November 24 – P is for Plant   /   December 1 – Z is for Zoo

December 8 – P is for Pet   /  December 15 – R is for Reindeer

If you pre-register for classes: $10 per member child or $12 per non-member

For drop-ins: $14 per child (if space is available)

Additional child (must be 3 or 4 years old): $8.00 each

Fee includes admission to the Assiniboine Park Zoo

Classes run from 10 to 11:30 am

We encourage pre-registration (you receive a discount for pre-booking) as we often sell out our classrooms. Drop-ins are also welcome if space is available.

This program was developed specifically for children 3 and 4 years of age, plus an adult partner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RsRyhdw58Q

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From the City of Winnipeg’s Press Desk:

The Mane Attraction: Zoo visitors will be excited to hear that lions are now back on display at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

While the Zoo has displayed a number of lions over its long history, a decision was reached in 1981 to discontinue with this species due to inadequate winter facilities. Continuing public enquiries about lions prompted Zoo officials to bring in a family of lions on a temporary basis in 2005, and visitors were enthralled by the King of Beasts. Consequently, the Assiniboine Park Zoo and the Zoological Society of Manitoba began planning a major renovation of the former Giant Panda building to permanently house a pair of lions.

The Zoological Society contributed $350,000 to help upgrade the facility, and to create a new interpretive hall and displays, which could also serve as an attractive space for educational activities and meetings. The displays focus on the lion’s natural history, family life, current status, how human cultures have viewed the lion over the millennia, and the ancestry of big cats and Sabretooths around the world.

The young lions have now arrived from a zoo in Ontario, and are undergoing a period of introduction. The 4-year old female is named Kaya and the 3-year-old male is Xerxes, who has not yet developed his full mane. This beautiful Pavilion of the lions gives visitors an idea of the exciting developments being planned at the Zoo and other locations at the Assiniboine Park.

Additional background:

• Although the lion evolved in Africa 3.5 million years ago, it diversified into various races as it spread over temporary land bridges into Eurasia, North America and South America.
• This species had the largest-known distribution of any large mammal and was common throughout the Americas (including Manitoba) until it died out here 10,000 years ago.
• The American lion (Panthera leo atrox) was the largest cat that ever walked the earth – at least a third larger (up to 380 kg; 838 lbs) than today’s African lion.
• Originally numbering in the millions over its vast world range, the lion has been persecuted for thousands of years, and currently fewer than 18,000 survive in Africa and 300 in India. There is concern that the species may be eliminated from the wild by the end of the century.

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Check out Chris D’s sea eagle video too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WheJCOgfl8

Wisent (European bison)

Stone’s sheep (a thin horned sheep from the northern Rockies)

Alpine ibex (a species of wild Eurasian goat)

Ring-tailed lemurs

Reindeer (six of them!)

Golden eagles

Black-tailed prairie dogs

Pronghorn (pictured below)

We also have lots of “non-zoo” animals that make the zoo their home to raise a family. Those that have had babies that you can see this year include Canadian geese, Richardson’s ground squirrel, wood ducks, and several species of frogs (lots of tadpoles in our ponds).

Snow Turning to kick off construction

Polar bear rehabilitation, research and public education will be the focus of the first-of-its-kind, world-class International Polar Bear Conservation Centre.

Click here to see the new zoo plans : http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/making-room-for-polar-bears-95937289.html

Visit www.assiniboinepark.ca to learn all about the revisioning of Assiniboine Park.

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Follow up with a bit more of the coverage we’ve received:

Winnipeg Sun: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2010/06/08/14315936.html

CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/06/08/mb-polar-bear-rescue-centre-winnipeg.html

Our young male explores the trees outside

Our young female establishes her space in the inside viewing area

Photos by Darlene Stack, Zoo Photographer