Courtesy Lake Superior Zoo
Boo at the Zoo
You never know who might pop up in the pumpkin patch for “Boo at the Zoo.”
What must the animals think each Halloween when the Lake Superior Zoo’s wildly popular “Boo at the Zoo” draws thousands of youngsters outfitted as pirates, witches, cowboys and Peter Pan?
Moms and dads even get into the act, with families arriving as characters from “Harry Potter” or “The Wizard of Oz.”
This year the zoo expects about 8,500 trick-or-treaters for “Boo at the Zoo” on the second and third Saturdays of October. The event offers candy, a huge pumpkin patch to play in, hourly costume contests, face painting, games, hayrides and a “Creepy Critters” animal exhibit, all designed to be fun, not scary.
Courtesy Lake Superior Zoo
Boo at the Zoo
Trouble, a grizzly bear.
Fall is a great time to visit the zoo, and many of the animals’ coats fill out for winter. The zoo has educational programs for children, even toddlers.
Or check the calendar of daily activities, like the chance to see Rachel Meili, a primary keeper, use a clicker and verbal commands to work with Lily, a female lion. The training is not just about teaching tricks.
“Most of the behaviors that we try to get them to do helps them participate in their health care,” Rachel explains.
You’ll be fascinated by regional animals like the cougar and gray wolf, and the exotic, beautiful creatures from Africa and Asia, like three sibling lions, a snow leopard and Amur tiger (also known as Siberian tigers). Trouble the grizzly bear and Phoebe the Kodiak bear remain top crowd-pleasers.
There are new zoo faces: two sets of twin ring-tailed lemurs born this year in the Primate Conservation Center; last year, two Angolan colobus monkeys were born about three weeks apart. The lemurs and monkeys are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, and the births are important for conservation efforts, says Kim Matteen, the zoo’s marketing director.
The young monkeys – “the kids” to primate center keeper Dave Thompson – are natural-born entertainers for visiting families peering through a glass wall. “Climbing, swinging, jumping – this is all stuff that they need to know,” he says.
After the 2012 flood caused major damage, the popular polar bear Berlin was relocated and today is at the Kansas City Zoo. She reportedly has a boyfriend.
The future of a polar exhibit in Duluth remains uncertain. For long-range plans, the city of Duluth, which owns the zoo, is working closely with the Lake Superior Zoological Society to put the zoo on a stronger financial footing, says Daniel Fanning, communications and policy director in the mayor’s office. “What we as a city are doing is looking at how we can better use the zoo at the space we’re currently on.”
The city has hired a consultant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who will offer recommendations by November. Options for the zoo may be tied into a broader vision for greater use of the St. Louis River corridor.
“It’s the hiking trails and biking trails,” Daniel says. “There’s so much potential out there.”
Boo at the Zoo, Oct. 10 & 17, 2015. Lake Superior Zoo, 218-730-4500. www.lszooduluth.org.