Hear Philly: Valentine's Weekend Fun At The Philadelphia Zoo
By Andrew Kramer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- You've heard of "puppy love," but on February 15th and 16th at the Philadelphia Zoo, you can see lion, monkey, and even crocodile love first-hand, plus much more.
The event is called "Wild At Heart" and Laura Houston, who is the Director of Conservation Engagement at the zoo, says this is a good option for a fun Valentine's Day weekend.
"It's a family friendly event and it's an opportunity for folks to see the zoo from a slightly different way, just meet some of our animal couples, hear their stories and hear some other fun ways to celebrate Valentine's Day."
The zoo has been hosting "Wild At Heart" for the past five years, but things change every year, including the animals. But, as Houston points out, some animals have been there a long time with their loved ones:
"Some of our favorite stories about the animals are about the couples, or about the families and they're stories that we share throughout the year, but Wild At Heart was a great opportunity to celebrate the zoo in the winter. The zoo is so much fun to come to in the winter and it's a great way to have an intimate experience."
In addition to seeing the animal couples through a self-guided tour, Houston says there's many other activities everyone in family can enjoy.
"There will be several stations, mostly for the kids, so they can do Valentine's for the animals," Houston said. "There will also be enrichment or Valentine's gifts given to the animals. We also use things like scents for the animals. There's also going to be a cake decorating contest."
Sweets, animals and love - some of the many things that makes this event quite unique, along with being a Valentine's Day activity for the whole family, as Houston points out:
"So often Valentine's Day is just for couples. This is a chance to celebrate, not just the love of a couple, but the love of an entire family."
But, Houston says, for the love birds out there, this can also be a very romantic experience.
"Wild At Heart" runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and is free with the cost of admission to the zoo.
For more information, you can visit the zoo's website.
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Wild At Heart
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