Topeka, KS -The Topeka Zoo will be hosting its first Ties and Tails Ball on Saturday, May 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event is a celebration of Penguin Plunge, the new African Penguin exhibit at the zoo. Guests attending the Ties and Tails Ball will be the first to see the penguins at the Topeka Zoo. Penguin Plunge officially opens on May 10th.

The Ties and Tails Ball will feature a South African theme. Guests will enjoy “A Taste Of Cape Town” as they dine on traditional South African cuisine including Bobotie, Sosoties, and more. Accompanying the dishes will be various South African wine and beer.

Live entertainment will feature two different musical entertainers. At 6:00 p.m. percussionist Norman Riley will take the stage. With over 16 years of experience, he has been featured at numerous functions across the region. Specializing in Caribbean/Calypso/Reggae style, he will entertain guests as he performs on steel drum as well as African drums.  At 8:00, guests can get ready to shake their tail feathers to the tunes of “Souled Out”. The Kansas City based band can play it all from Motown, Rhythm and Blues, and Disco to Top 40 Dance music with a song list everyone can relate to!

Throughout the evening, guests can bid on one-of-a-kind zoo experiences as well as unique penguin packages including a cocktail party with the penguins for 20 guests, a penguin birthday party, a special penguin encounter and more!

Tickets for the Ties and Tails Ball are $50 each and can be purchased online at www.topekazoo.com. You may also purchase tickets in the Leopard Spot Gift Shop at the Topeka Zoo. All proceeds from the event will go to support the Topeka Zoo.

Topeka Zoo Says Goodbye to its special Laddie 

Topeka, KS - The Topeka Zoo is saddened to report that on late Thursday afternoon, after a thorough medical evaluation, the decision was made to euthanize the zoo’s 12 year old Arctic Fox, Laddie.

Laddie was diagnosed with an irreversible health condition in early fall 2011 and moved off exhibit. He had chronic renal failure and pancreatic exocrine. For a while, he was maintaining his health with a harvested cow pancreas supplement supplied by a Holton, KS meatpacking plant. However more recently, the kidney disease had progressed and he gradually began to lose weight over the last month.

“It was a tough decision for all of us,” said Zoo Director, Brendan Wiley.  ”We had been hopeful since he had initially shown such spirit and energy, but as his condition deteriorated, we had to make this tough decision.”

 ”I want to thank all zoo staff for taking such good care of him this past year. And the Holton meatpacking plant for providing a diet supplement that allowed Laddie to live more comfortably during the last several months. “

According to the veterinary staff, necropsy findings showed that Laddie had an enlarged heart, diseased kidneys, pale lungs, and a thyroid tumor. Histopathology results are still pending. The average age of an Arctic Fox living in captivity is 5 to 7 years old. Laddie was 12 years old.

Daisy, 9.10.66 – 2.20.12

TOPEKA, KS  - It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Daisy, the Topeka Zoo’s eldest female Orangutan.  Over the last few years, Daisy had experienced times of failing health dealing both with chronic sinusitis as well as chronic kidney disease.  Daisy was 45 years old.  The average lifespan of an orangutan in captivity is 45 years of age.

 At just five years of age, Daisy arrived at the Topeka Zoological Park in 1971 from the Dallas Zoo.  She was obtained through a $5,000 gift from Friends of the Topeka Zoo.  During her time here at the zoo, Daisy served as a surrogate mother for several orangutan babies.

 Daisy loved to watch zoo visitors and would be found frequently sitting in front of the outdoor viewing glass. She also enjoyed playing in tubs full of bubbles and wrestling with the zoos youngest orangutan, Rayma.  As part of her enrichment program, she would periodically paint with her tongue.  Her favorite foods were bananas, oranges, grapes, and alfalfa.  Of all of the orangutans at the zoo, keepers found Daisy to be the first one to sleep at the end of the day and the first one awake in the morning.

 It will be a few weeks before histopathology results are in and a conclusive cause of death can be determined.

 Zoo staff would like to thank not only the various community partners that have participated in Daisy’s care over the last few months but also all of the community members that have been a part of Daisy’s life and have been connected to Orangutan conservation through her spirit.

 For anyone wanting to give back to Daisy, memorial contributions can be made in Daisy’s honor to Friends of the Topeka Zoo, 635 SW Gage Blvd, Topeka, KS, 66606, in support of Orangutan Conservation.

TOPEKA, KS  - On Thursday, January 12, the Tropical Rainforest at the Topeka Zoo will temporarily close to the public. The rainforest is undergoing several construction projects that will expand and repair the facility.

The first of these construction projects, which began last December, will expand the holding area at the back of the building. Once the holding area is completed, the rainforest animals will be transferred to this area and construction on the rainforest roof will begin. The glass triangular panels that make up the roof surface have become cracked over time. These panels will be replaced and other repairs will be done as necessary.

Construction is expected to be completed by the beginning of summer 2012. “We are sorry to have to close the rainforest to the public, but the construction is necessary for the safety of the animals and visitors,” said Brendan Wiley, zoo director.

The Topeka Zoo’s rainforest is currently home to nearly 100 different species of plants, birds, reptiles and mammals. Many of the animal species are native to South America, while many of the birds are Neotropical. The wide variety of plant life in the rainforest is representative of many parts of the world.

For more than 35 years, the Topeka Zoo’s rainforest has been a major tourist attraction in Kansas. Opening in 1974, it was the first and largest rainforest building of its kind. Designed as a Crystogon dome, the building won an award from the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA). The award was for outstanding achievement in the area of exotic animal display, exhibit technique and design innovation.

On Saturday evenings, guests can enjoy self-guided flashlight tours, warming fires, s’mores and ice skating. “The zoo is an exciting place to visit at night,” said zoo director, Brendan Wiley. “The flashlight tours have become very popular and we want to continue this activity so visitors can enjoy their zoo at night,” Wiley said.

In addition to ice skating and flashlight tours, giraffe feeding will be offered every Saturday evening from 6:30 to 7pm. For $1 guests can get up close and personal, while feeding the giraffes.

The Polar Ice Cap skating rink, which is open during normal zoo hours, is also open Saturday evenings. The synthetic ice rink is located inside the zoo under the outdoor Security Benefit Picnic Pavilion. Skate rental is available for $2/pair. The Polar Ice Cap skating rink provides the community with a fun and safe family activity and continues to grow in popularity.

The Topeka Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last gate entry at 4:30 p.m. Evening hours are 5:30 to 8p.m. on Saturday evenings through February (weather permitting). Daytime admission is $5.75 for adults, $4.25 for children ages 3-12 and $4.75 for seniors. Evening admission is $3 for adults and seniors and $2 for children ages 3-12. Friends of the Zoo members and children under 3 are admitted free.

Personal invitation to join Tux, the Topeka Zoo Penguin Mascot and WIBW Weather Personality Drew Switzer as VIP guests on May 10th for the Penguin Plunge Grand Opening.

FREE Zoo Admission for the winning class (up to 30 students)

Transportation voucher of $200 in the form of a check issued to the school to assist with transportation costs for the zoo trip.

Special Penguin Education Program presented by the Topeka Zoo Education Department

Ice Cream Party at the zoo to round out your day of fun!

To learn more about Pennies For Penguins, click on the links below.

A Message From Tux!

Pennies for Penguins Rules To Waddle By

Pennies for Penguins Class Committment Form

“This is going to be a wonderful addition to the Zoo as well as draw a number of guests to the Topeka community” states Kate Larison, Executive Director of Friends of the Topeka Zoo.  “Friends of the Topeka Zoo will be working very hard to generate funds for this exhibit and we need the support of everyone in the community….business leaders, organizations, schools, and families to make this exhibit successful.”

Whether it is sponsoring the Penguin Plunge, participating in one of the many events that will revolve around the penguins, or fundraising in the schools, Larison states there are numerous opportunities to contribute.  “This is the COMMUNITIES Zoo and now is the time for everyone to embrace the zoo and help support this wonderful cause.”

More information on how you can help support the Penguin Plunge is below.  For further information, you can reach Kate Larison, Executive Director of Friends of the Topeka Zoo at 368-9162 or email at katel@fotz.org.

For Sponsorship Information, click here

To make a donation to the Penguin Plunge click here

For information on the Pennies For Penguins, click here

The African Penguins, formerly known as the Black Footed Penguins stand approxamately 18 inches tall and weigh between 5 and 11 pounds.  They wear the typical black and white coat of a penguin, however, they have a distinguished feature that is a glack stripe that curves across their chest with a unique pattern of spots on their front.

Like all penguins, the African Penguin is a flightless bird and spends most of its time in the water.  They are graceful swimmers and can swim at speeds as fast as 25 miles per hour.  When not at sea hunting for food, they can be found in large colonies along the rocky shores of Africa.  They dig shallow burrows under rockes, in sand, or under sparse vegetation.  The Penguin Plunge exhibit will feature a landscape with rock formations, a pool and beach.

In 1900, there were roughly 4 million African Penguins in exhistence.  Today, the number is estimated to be only 55,000.  If this rapid decline is not halted, the African Penguin is expected to become extinct within 15 years.  The Penguin Plunge exhibit will allow visitors to explore the many reasons behind the population decline.  It will be desinged as an interactive exhibit featuring many educational stations including:

• A mock oil spill showing the tragic effecs that oil has on the penguin plunge population.
• A fishing boat that interlaces the message of fishing and the effects that over fishing has on the penguins.
• Penguin Predator Watch:  Visitors can learn more about the various predators that penguins encounter.
• A guano harvesting area complete with guano bags and tools, all of which offer cluse to how guano harvesting disrupts the nesting of wild penguins and other birds.
• Penguin Plaza – an interactive play area.

Penguin Plunge will be open to the public from May 10 through September 2012 and will take zoo visitors on an adventure to the beaches of Cape Town South Africa where they will encounter an exhibit that simulates Boulders Beach, a habitat of which one of the alrgest colonies of African Penguins reside.  Visitors will be able to see the flightless birds preen, feed, and swim in their naturalistic surroundings.  A viewing window will allow close-up views as the penguins “fly” underwater.

In addition to the live penguin viewing area, the exhibit will feature many educational stations designed for guests to explore the biology, culture, and conservation issues facing these penguins.  An interactive play area will also be part of the exhibit.  Many special events in 2012 will also be themed around the penguins.

Unlike the arctic species of penguin, African Penguins are found on the southernmost coast of Africa and live in colonies on rocky shores and beaches.  The populations of African Penguins are declining at an alarming rate and have recently been designated as an endangered species.  By bringing the exhibit to Topeka, the Zoo hopes to raise awareness of this decline in penguin population and continue their committment to animal conservation.