The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is a popular place to hang out year round, but recently it’s become even more enjoyable to visit during the hotter months of the year. With the recent addition of the Wilderness Falls water-play area, industrial-size fans in some areas of the African Adventure viewing area, and tons of shade over the Kopje Lodge dining area, summer time makes for just as good a time as any to visit the zoo with your own wild pack.
This Saturday, July 14, is a particularly fun day to visit the Chaffee Zoo as it’s “Cool Zoo” day! Cool Zoo is an annual event in which animals such as lions, rhinos, and orangutans enjoy a variety of icy treats (thanks to a donation from Arctic Glacier) and opportunities to cool off.
Cool Zoo brings out the animals’ playful sides
What’s really neat about Cool Zoo is that many animals that might not be as active midday in the summer will be actively playing and interacting with the ice and each other, and that makes for a very fun guest experience. “We look forward to this event every year,” says Amber Talley, lead zookeeper of enrichment. “Although enrichment is something that we provide our animals with every day, we really enjoy being able to use this annual event to educate our guests about the care that the animals receive. It’s also really fun to watch them enjoy some ice-themed treats!”
Here is the 2018 Cool Zoo schedule:
10 a.m. – Orangutan/Siamang
10:30 a.m. – Babirusa
11 a.m. – Sea Lion Cove
11:30 a.m. – Meerkat
12 p.m. – Lion
12:30 p.m. – Greater One-horned Rhino
1 p.m. – Galapagos Tortoise
1:30 p.m. – Condor
2 p.m. – Australian Aviary
2:30 p.m. – Tiger
Event details
Cool Zoo is free with paid zoo admission. Admission is $7.95 for children and seniors, $12.95 for adults. Special combo ticketing is available for an additional $4. Combo tickets provide guests with admission to Stingray Bay (where guests can interact with stingrays) and one giraffe feeding.
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is located at 894 W. Belmont Ave. in Fresno and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Check out some past FresYes articles about other things to enjoy at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo:
Breakfast with the Animals (an annual event)
Behind the Scenes: Baby Animals
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