feature article - june 2008

Sting Ray & Shark Reef attraction returns to zoo

THE MILWAUKEE County Zoo, the region's world-class zoological park at 10001 W. Bluemound Rd., welcomes back "Sting Ray & Shark Reef," on display through Sept. 7 (and weekends through Sept. 28).

The zoo's Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building has been transformed into a tropical paradise showcasing these amazing animals.

The exhibit's 6,000-gallon pool features two species of non-aggressive sharks. Both Bamboo and Nurse Sharks are on display for visitors to touch and feed:

As visitors move to the larger touch pool, they find a 11,000-gallon habitat featuring two species of sting rays, the Cownose and the Southern Red Sting Ray, floating like flying carpets through the water.

Most closely related to their exhibit neighbors (sharks), sting rays are generally found swimming, or partially buried in the sand, in the shallow coastal waters of temperate oceans. They move through the water by moving their bodies like a wave, or by flapping their fins like wings. The only exhibit of its kind in Wisconsin, "Sting Ray & Shark Reef" offers visitors the unique experience of touching and feeling these unusual marine mammals.

The exhibit is $2 after regular Zoo admission, and food for the animals is an additional $1. Both the sting rays and the sharks are fed several times throughout the day.

Zoo hours through Sept. 30 are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon.-Sat. and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Admission through Oct. 31 is $11.25/adult, $8.25/junior (3 to 12) and $10.25/senior citizens (60 and over). For more information, phone 256-5412.