Spooky times for kids, creatures at the zoo

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This article was published 25/10/2015 (3957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Noah Rowe was dressed as a zombie, but he was after bears and bats — not brains Saturday — at Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Noah, 6, and his brother, Ethan, 5, along with their dad, Scott, were dressed as a family of zombies for the Witches Brew at the Zoo and other Halloween-themed activities.

“What are you guys excited about seeing today?” Scott asked the boys.

“I want to see the polar bears. And bats!” shouted Noah, as he climbed some rocks in the Journey to Churchill exhibit area.

“Yeah, bats,” Ethan joined in.

Bats were part of the Animal Encounters schedule. Zoo interpreters were on hand to discuss creepy creatures such as poison dart frogs, snakes, wolves, bearded dragon lizards and owls. There was also a “cockroach pumpkin feeding” in the insects’ enclosure in the Kinsmen Discovery Centre, where cockroaches swarmed and chowed down on a carved pumpkin.

As it is Bat Appreciation Month, it seemed fitting zoo mascot Winston the Polar Bear was dressed in his Batman costume as he greeted guests inside the front gates between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He’ll be there again in costume Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wearing costumes was both fun and frugal for human guests — anyone wearing a Halloween costume receives 25 per cent off the price of admission through Oct. 31.

“It’s a great Halloween outing here, and then we’re going to the Goosebumps movie, so it’s a whole weekend of Halloweening,” Scott said. “There’s a bunch of stuff going on here today. It’s great for the kids to be able to run around and check out everything.”

Lori-Ann and Tim Lach brought their two-year-old twin daughters Sarah, dressed as a monkey, and Grace, dressed as a tiger. They said their family has a zoo membership, so the Halloween activities were not to be missed.

“It’s a good teaching thing for the children to see the animals, and there’s always good learning in that sense,” Tim said.

“It’s good family time and fun for them to wear their costumes,” Lori-Ann said.

Volunteer Alyson Bulloch, who was working Saturday as mascot Winston’s handler, said she saw lots of people in costumes coming through the gates.

“I’ve seen kids of all ages here. Kids are kids of any age. We just had an older couple come through, and they were giving hugs to Winston. It just brings out the playfulness in everyone,” she said. “There’s something about animals that people just love, and there is something magical about that. The animals all got their pumpkins about two weeks ago, and this weekend is just full of activities.”

The Halloween Spooktacular, which will continue through Halloween, will feature underwater pumpkin carving Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m., when a diver will carve a pumpkin underwater at the seal-viewing area in the Gateway to the Arctic building.

Children can also participate in the Spooky Scavenger Hunt by visiting five of eight featured spooky spots from a checklist available at the main entrance. Children who submit their checklists to the gift shop will receive Halloween treats.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca