Zoo Idaho delays opening weekend due to winter condiditions

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POCATELLO — Zoo Idaho would have opened this weekend, but because of wintery weather conditions, they decided to delay opening weekend until April 8.
“We are so excited about this year’s Zoo Idaho season! We look forward to the opening day each year and seeing all the smiling faces after a long winter,” Zoo Idaho Superintendent Peter Pruett said. “However, the inclement weather this weekend won’t make for a pleasant experience, so we made the decision to postpone our opening.”
Because of all the snow eastern Idaho has experienced over the winter, the zoo’s crew haven’t been able to finish all of the prep work that goes into the opening, Pruett said.
“There are things that we wanna catch up with normally when there isn’t snow on the ground, making sure the pathways are safe and we’ve got to get some of the grass areas cleaned up,” Pruett said. “There’s only so much we can do… throughout the zoo right now.”
Pruett also pointed out that the snow came early last year, which prevented them from preparing the park for winter, like raking up the leaves before the snow covered them.
As of March 31, the weather forecast for the new opening day shows a high of 45 F and a low of 24 F with it being cloudy. Pruett said if the weather forecast changed to predict wintery conditions or if those conditions continued throughout the week they would consider pushing back opening day again.
“The truth is in the afternoons. These last couple of afternoons, we’re closing in on being ready for opening day,” Pruett said.
Last year, the zoo introduced a new gift shop. The 1,200-square-foot building also houses the ticket booth. Pruett said the last thing they have to work on is paving the asphalt behind the building, which leads to the Pollinator Garden.
This will be a two-day project when it starts, and will likely be completed at the end of April or the beginning of May.
Zoo Idaho houses many animals that were orphaned or injured and likely would not have survived in the wild. It also houses animals that were donated to the park. This makes up the vast majority of the animals that live in the zoo.
Nearly all of the animals in Zoo Idaho are indigenous to this region, with some barnyard animals that live in southeast Idaho but can’t necessarily be called indigenous.
On April 8, the zoo will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This will be the schedule until April 30 on Saturdays and Sundays. Then from May 1 through September 4, the zoo will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. From September 9 through October 29, the zoo will return to being open only on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ticket prices are $6.50 for ages between 12 to 59, $4.50 for ages 3 to 11 and free for newborn babies to two years old. Seniors age 60 and up and active military and veterans pay $5 and local students pay $5.50. Groups of over 10 people get $.50 off the regular fee per person. Strollers and wagons can be rented for $3.
Information about hours, ticket prices and a map of the park can be found here.
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Source: eastidahonews.com