For the third year, Living Treasures Wild Animal Park is opening its doors after regular hours to let guests experience the zoo in a very unique way. During the month of October the zoo is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 11 p.m. for Night At The Zoo.
The event is likely the only opportunity most guests will ever have to observe the wild and interesting behaviors many wild animals have at night.
"About 50 percent of our animals are more active at night so it gives people the opportunity to see the animals in their natural light setting," said General Manager Matt Dumbauld. "The African Porcupines go crazy at night but you rarely see them move during the day."
As visitors walk through the zoo in the dark, they will hear a variety of animal noises including laughing Hyenas, wolves, monkeys and many more.
"It's a little eerie too sometimes, because you can hear all the different animals at night and you can't identify which animal is making which noise. If you would ever hear an emu at night it will scare the life out of you," said Dumbauld.
Guests walk in the dark through the torch-lit walkways of Living Treasures Wild Animal Park. They use flashlights to spot the glowing eyes of the 10-foot alligators and tigers along with more than 50 other species of animals, many of which are nocturnal.
"It's definitely a seeking adventure," explained Marketing Director Donna Tidwell Guiher.
Flashlights are available for purchase at the gift shop.
The exception is the petting zoo. That area is lit with flood lights so guests can have their hands free to be able to feed and pet the animals.
The gazebo is also lit. "It's a nice place to sit and really listen to the sounds," Tidwell Guiher said.
Colleen Kalp, 15, of Stahlstown has been to the zoo many times during the day. Last year she visited the zoo for the first time in the dark.
"Everything looks completely different at night than it does during the day so it was like going to the zoo for the first time," Kalp said. "At night you have a whole different perspective of things like if you had never been there before. You would have no idea what was around the next corner until your flashlight hits it."
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