Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

April 20, 2012 - Jacksonville, Fl -

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ announces World Penguin Day on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. World Penguin Day is a celebration that coincides with the annual northern migration of penguins. Join us at the Zoo’s Tuxedo Coast in Play Park for prize drawings, giveaways (while supplies last) and penguin information booths. There will be keeper chats at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. The Zoo will have a chance drawing at the event for an opportunity to win penguin gifts and a behind-the-scenes penguin feeding! There will also be penguin paintings for sale; each painting has been painted by the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ very own penguins. All proceeds from the sale of the penguin paintings will benefit penguin conservation. Children can also get their face painted from11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. by American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) members.

At World Penguin Day there will be a display set up of the Million Penguin Project. This is a traveling penguin display of penguin photos, objects, coloring pages and other related penguin paraphernalia that has been passed around from zoos all over the country. Each zoo has added pieces to the collection. Children will have a chance during the event at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to add their own penguin piece to the collection.

“Penguins are such an iconic species. Everyone recognizes them, everyone loves them. But it is amazing how little people know about these animals,” said Tony Vecchio, executive director of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. “Many penguin species are endangered, most don’t live at the South Pole, and none live at the North Pole.  I’m so glad we are hosting this event so penguin lovers will get to have fun celebrating penguins and at the same time learn a little more about them.”

For more information please visit jacksonvillezoo.org. This event is free with general Zoo admission.

For nearly a century, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experiences in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens now has more than 2,000 rare and exotic animals and 1,000 plants. It has won national acclaim for its South American Range of the Jaguar exhibit and has the largest botanical garden in Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Christmas day, and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to http://www.jacksonvillezoo.org.