Penguins Pointe Their Way to New Home
Penguins Pointe Their Way to New Home
South African Penguins Welcome Guests at New Zoo Exhibit March 5
WHO: South African Penguins
Little Rock Zoo Board of Governors, Arkansas Zoological Foundation Board of Directors, Little Rock City Board of Directors, City Manager Bruce Moore, Zoo Director Mike Blakely, donors, and Mark Nichols of the Laura P. Nichols Foundation along with Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola
WHAT/WHEN/ Grand Opening
WHERE: Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe, new South African penguin exhibit
Members-Only Preview Party
3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2011 - Last Admission at 5 p.m.
Penguin Pointe exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo
Zoo members only
Donors’ Brunch
8 a.m. Saturday, March 5, 2011
Café Africa at the Little Rock Zoo
By invitation only
Donors’ Preview
9 a.m. Saturday, March 5, 2011
Penguin Pointe exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo
By invitation only
Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe Grand Opening
10 a.m. Saturday, March 5, 2011
Civitan Amphitheater and
Penguin Pointe exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo
Ceremony open to the public
BACKGROUND: The Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit is one of the largest undertakings of the Little Rock Zoo and the Arkansas Zoological Foundation. More than $2.3 million was raised from private and public sources to build the exhibit which began construction in 2010. The exhibit is one of the best exhibits of its kind in an American zoo featuring both above water and underwater viewing of the penguins.
The Little Rock Zoo is welcoming its newest neighbors and invites you to make them feel at home. The South African penguins will receive guests at the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe at 10 a.m. at the Little Rock Zoo on Saturday, March 5 after a dedication ceremony held at the Civitan Amphitheater.
“We at the Little Rock Zoo continue to update and expand our exhibits so we can attract, inform and educate visitors about the environment and conservation,” Mike Blakely, director of the Little Rock Zoo, says. “The whole community has anxiously awaited the grand opening of the penguin exhibit, and we couldn’t be more pleased with their new home.”
The Little Rock Zoo has long been one of Arkansas' great treasures as the state’s only accredited Zoo. It has grown to include more than 725 animals representing 200+ species, many on the endangered list. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoo itself has become one of the state's greatest educational and conservation resources.
For more information about the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit, its events or the Little Rock Zoo, contact Susan Altrui, director of development and marketing, at Susan Altrui, 501-661-7208 or SAltrui@littlerock.org.
About the Little Rock Zoo
It all began modestly in 1926, with just two animals — an abandoned timber wolf and a circus-trained brown bear. Today, the Zoo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arkansas committed to education and conservation.
Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, visit www.aza.org.
