Wolves, Wild Lights, Dinosaurs Draw Record Crowds to Zoo

Kaska, a gray wolf, was photographed by Patti Truesdell. (Photo via Detroit Zoo Facebook page)

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ROYAL OAK, MI – Attractions like the new Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness that opened in June, the holiday Wild Lights display and a temporary summer Dinosauria exhibit helped the Detroit Zoo smash modern-day attendance records in 2015 with 1,476,378 visitors.

The previous record, set in 1997, was 1,364,905. This marks the ninth consecutive year the zoo’s attendance has exceeded 1 million, officials said.

“Good weather for most of the year, Wild Lights, wolves, dinosaurs and continued improvements in operations and facilities are all contributing factors,” Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoological Society executive director and CEO, said in a statement. “We’re grateful to our community for another fantastic year and look forward to providing even more outstanding experiences in 2016.”

The Polk Penguin Conservation Center, scheduled to open in April, is expected to increase the Detroit Zoo’s attendance even more. It will be the largest penguin facility in the world, home to more than 80 birds of four species – gentoo, macaroni, rockhopper and king.

Below, watch the gentoo penguins that recently arrived at the zoo.