DENVER ZOO PRAIRIE DOG SEES SHADOW Prediction Means Buy-One-Get-One Free Admission at Denver Zoo January 30
Denver Zoo prairie dog, Daisy, crawled out of her enclosure today and saw her shadow, which means guests can enjoy buy-one-get-one free admission at Denver Zoo this Sunday, January 30, for the zoo's Prairie Dog Day celebration! Following the same weather predicting "logic" of groundhogs, since Daisy saw her shadow, Denver is in for a longer winter. So come to Denver Zoo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy the warmer weather while it lasts and learn a little about prairie dogs with half price admission and a fun-filled event!
Prairie Dog Day is a local twist on Groundhog Day and celebrates Punxsutawney Phil's distant cousin the prairie dog. Join in the celebration at 11 a.m. on Sunday, January 30 by discovering how prairie wildlife rely on prairie dogs for survival and how and why we should protect these intriguing creatures. The zoo will offer visitors the chance to get up-close with some of the zoo's resident prairie dogs and other native creatures during live prairie animal demonstrations. Guests also can enjoy stories of the prairie and learn what other prairie saving projects the zoo and other organizations are undertaking.
Activities Include:
Animal Demonstrations
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Get nose to snout with Denver Zoo's resident animals and learn about each role these prairie species serve within their ecosystem.
Puppet Show - A Prairie Saga 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Boulder County Audubon Society's education committee performs "A Prairie Saga," a puppet show about the prairie. Petey the prairie dog learns about life in the prairie dog town from his grandmother.
Education Station: How Denver Zoo is Helping Grasslands
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Discover what other prairie conservation projects Denver Zoo is leading. These include studying the effects of bison on plant and animal communities in the southern Great Plains, working to protect numerous animals on the grassland steppes of Mongolia, and helping communities co-exist with Grevy's zebras on the savannahs of Kenya.
Prairie Dog Conservation Lecture by Rich Reading, 1 p.m.
Learn about prairie dogs and their influence on other grassland species and how people perceive this often-controversial species from Dr. Richard Reading, Denver Zoo's Director of Conservation Biology. This fascinating lecture is free with the price of admission, however seating is limited. Please reserve your spot online.
Prairie dogs are threatened in the wild, which affects other prairie species as well. Prairie dogs are a keystone species, which means that multiple other animals in the ecosystem depend on them for survival. At least nine different prairie animals, such as hawks, owls, foxes and ferrets depend on prairie dogs for food or their burrows for shelter. Over the past 150 years, prairie dog populations have declined by more than 95 percent and the decline continues today.
History of Prairie Dog Day:
About 10 years ago, renowned author and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams made the wise suggestion that prairie dog advocates use Groundhog Day to bring attention to the plight of prairie dogs. Since then groups such as WildEarth Guardians, Center for Native Ecosystems, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, the Prairie Dog Coalition, Denver Zoo and others have planned some of our prairie dog conservation efforts to coincide with Groundhog Day. This has attracted greater media attention to our work. Each year, we have expanded our Prairie Dog Day campaigns and have added outreach and educational goals and fun new events.
DENVER ZOO PRAIRIE DOG SEES SHADOW Prediction Means Buy-One-Get-One Free Admission at Denver Zoo January 30 
