Contact: Gina Stiles  §  904.757.4463, ext. 210 § cell: 655.3632  §  stilesg@jacksonvillezoo.org

GOOD NEWS COMES IN THREES FOR STINGRAY BAY FANS!

October 6, 2009 – Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced some important changes for its Stingray Bay exhibit—all of them good!  Instead of closing for the fall and winter months, Stingray Bay is now open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only (weather permitting) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting October 9, 2009.  And there’s more good news:  The price of admission has been reduced.  Now it’s $2.00 each for non-members and $1.00 each for members. 

And there’s more:

Ariel, one of Zoo’s resident Southern Stingrays, has given birth to triplets!  The stingray babies, born on September 15, are progressing well and are located in their two make-shift laundry basket play pens located along the side of the pool.  They will remain in these pens until they are large enough to “fin” for themselves. 

“Although they are still too fragile for guests to pet, the feisty threesome are very entertaining to watch,” said Jamie Doglione, Stingray Bay Supervisor.  “Their wing spans measured 7 inches at birth compared to mom’s 21 inches.”

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  From the beginning in 1914, with an animal collection that consisted of only one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has become one of the top zoos in the nation, now with more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  It is open year-round, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  The Zoo is open until 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day.  For more information, go to jacksonvillezoo.org.

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