Prairie Dog Day at Denver Zoo, Sunday, January 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Activities free with admissionCelebrate Groundhog’s Day with Denver Zoo and Punxsutawney Phil’s distant cousin the prairie dog for a local twist on the holiday. Join in the celebration by discovering how prairie wildlife rely on prairie dogs for survival, how and why we should protect these intriguing creatures and even get nose to whisker with Denver Zoo’s resident prairie dogs and other prairie wildlife. Activities free with admission.
Live animals, educational activities and more will be offered to engage the whole family in learning about these important and imperiled critters!
Activities Include:
Education Station: Little Habitat On The Prairie
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
This station focuses on predator-prey relationships and some adaptations of each; and the importance of prairie dogs as a keystone species in the prairie ecosystem. Visitors will create food webs and food chains featuring the prairie dog as the central figure.
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.
Animal Encounters
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.
Prairie Dog Conservation Lecture by Dr. Richard Reading
1 p.m.
Learn about prairie dogs, 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 pre-registration is requested. Reserve your seat today.
