Zoo hosting annular solar eclipse extravaganza

SAN ANTONIO — Are you looking for a place to check out the colar eclipse Saturday? The zoo is hosting an event and you'll get to see how animals react to this celestial spectacle.

The San Antonio Zoo is proud to announce its once-in-a-lifetime annular solar eclipse event, the Eclipse Extravaganza, presented by Parkhurst Nuvision on Saturday, October 14 starting at 10 a.m. All guests will be given special viewing glasses.

The moon will be passing between the Earth and sun, creating a striking halo effect around itself. 

The annular solar eclipse will be starting at 11:52 a.m. in an exhilarating 4-minute climax.

• 10:00 a.m. – DJ Mayhem
• 10:23 a.m. – Partial Eclipse
• 11:00 a.m. – Animal Eclipse Chat, Roaming Entertainment, Bat Chat
• 11:54 p.m. – ‘Ring of Fire’ Maximum Coverage
• 1:00 p.m. – Zoo Boo Mini Monster Mash
• 1:00 p.m. – Flamingo Chat
• 1:33 p.m. – Eclipse End

During the eclipse, the zoo will conduct a study to explore how the animals respond to this unique phenomenon and you can join in the fun. This research is crucial to understanding how these creatures experience their world and provide insights into unseen behaviors. 

Previous studies have shown that animals react differently during eclipses. One study found that almost half of the observed species displayed increased behavior relating to preparation for their typical nighttime rest, such as nesting, denning, or moving to evening areas. Another study observed primates climbing upwards and gesturing toward the sky during an eclipse.

"The interesting thing is that there are so few published studies on animal behavior at zoos during eclipses, so San Antonio Zoo would be making an incredibly unique contribution to an area of the scientific community that still isn't well understood or documented," said Dr. Charles Ritzler, the Director of Animal Wellbeing.

The zoo will have education booths, live music, roaming entertainment, costume contests, and free trick-or-treating. 

The Eclipse Extravaganza, presented by Parkhurst Nuvision and Zoo Boo, Presented by PNC Bank, is included with Standard Admission and is free for Members. Kids are free for the whole month of October - Buy one Adult Standard Admission and get one Child Standard Admission FREE during Zoo Boo!, presented by PNC Bank. Learn more and get your tickets here: https://sazoo.org/eclipse-extravaganza.

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