AlpacaPhoto: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
1 of 3 LionfishPhoto: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
2 of 3 Wallaby and joey in pouchPhoto: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
3 of 3 Cinereous VulturePhoto: Des Moines Blank Park Zoo
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo is introducing some new animals and bringing back a visitor-favorite. New additions include three lionfish, another wallaby, and several birds- including a vulture. The Zoo's also bringing back an alpaca herd. Visitors can interact with them for an additional fee. This year the Zoo will host two additional alpacas from Rusty Stars Alpacas (a total of 10) for an even better experience than last year. Several birds have been added to the Discovery Center including a hooded pitta, a snowy-headed robin-chat, and a yellow-rumped cacique.
“Summer is always fun and exciting at Blank Park Zoo and we are eager for our guests to see all the new animals and programming,” said Anne Shimerdla, president and CEO. “If you look closely, you may see a joey peek out of the pouch in Australia, and in Kids Kingdom, the new mulefoot hogs have grown much larger over the winter. Speaking of growing, Bakari the one-year-old giraffe has been getting bigger as well.”
The Zoo is launching a new educational program this weekend. “Discover, Connect and Take Action” will be presented throughout the summer at noon on Saturdays and Sundays and Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on the new Joseph Stage located in the center of the Zoo.