Add Some Animal Attraction to your Valentine's Day

Enjoy Valentine's Day this year with a free day at the Denver Zoo for Colorado residents.

Remind your sweetheart that swans mate for life -- as do prairie voles. The Denver Zoo is open from 10 a.m - 5 p.m. on Sat. Feb. 14, 2009 and admission is free to couples and families alike.



Here are some fun facts about the zoo you can share with your Valentine as you leisurely stroll through the impressive 80-acre wonderland in Denver's beautiful City Park:

· On November 7, 1896, a young cinnamon-colored American black bear named Billy Bryan was tethered to a tree in City Park - humble beginnings for Colorado's number one cultural attraction.

· Denver Zoo is consistently ranked as one of the most popular zoos in the United States and features a diverse animal collection.


· Denver Zoo participates in more than 40 Species Survival Plans, cooperative breeding and conservation programs dedicated to sustaining populations of endangered species.


· Denver Zoo received international attention while successfully hand-raising polar bear cubs Klondike and Snow.

· Denver Zoo is home to Mshindi, the world's only rhinoceros that paints with a brush. This 3-ton artist is virtually a Van Gogh and his work can be seen inside the Pachyderm House.

· Denver Zoo scientists serve as adjunct faculty at Colorado State University and the University of Denver.

· Denver Zoo's national award winning “Wonders in Nature - Wonders in Neighborhoods” program reaches more than 10,000 urban children who each receive 80 hours of program instruction. The program is taught in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

Happy Valentines Day!