Take a walk on the wild side this weekend with a trip to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

Located at 1 Conservation Place, approximately 10 minutes from campus, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo houses more than 700 animals, from penguins and elephants to red pandas and snow leopards. The extensive 43-acre property opened in 1914 as only a four-acre space, according to Jaime Alvarez, director of public relations for the zoo. For those who do not have their own means of transportation, the zoo is easily accessible by Centro bus.

Even as colder winter months approach, students should not be discouraged from making the trip off-campus, as 60 percent of the exhibits are indoors. And during the zoo’s Snow Leopard Days — every day in January and February — tickets are half price at $4, Alvarez said.

“We are really affordable,” Alvarez said. “It’s cheaper than going to the movies.”

Students can plan a full day at the zoo with the numerous activities and amenities available. Food is available at the Jungle Café, and the reasonably priced menu has a variety of options including salads, sandwiches and pizzas.

After lunch, you can begin to explore your surroundings. If you choose to visit on the weekend, before the end of the month, you might catch an animal demonstration, which Alvarez explained to be a 20-minute show where attendees view animal feedings, ask the animal keepers questions and learn interesting facts about the animals.

“We do an elephant demonstration at our Asian Elephant Preserve, which is our new facility on our wildlife trail,” Alvarez said. “They will bring a couple of elephants out to the yard and do a couple of demonstrations showing them balancing with a foot raised or them laying down and putting their feet up in the air.”

Emmie Martin, a senior magazine journalism major, had her own unique elephant experience at the zoo when she went with her honors class HNR 230: Challenges of Zoo Management. Students in the class received a backstage pass during their trip and had the opportunity to see the elephants up close, petting their trunks and watching as they did tricks like balancing on their front two legs.

“The zoo is known for their elephants and their birds, but they have a mix of everything,” Martin said. “You feel like you can see everything, but at the same time not feel overwhelmed.”

Other zoo demonstrations include penguin feedings and bird shows, which feature a number of different birds from the zoo’s collection. And if you’re curious about marine animals, be sure to check out one of the zoo’s latest attractions: a giant Pacific octopus named Ophelia who, Alvarez said, likes to entertain guests by sticking her tentacles on her aquarium’s glass.

But even if you don’t like octopi, with more than 700 animals, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has something for everyone.

Published on September 18, 2013 at 11:23 pm

Contact Katie: kjrichar@syr.edu | @ktjrichards