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The spooky days of HallZooween are now over, but fun holiday celebrating at the Zoo is nowhere near finished. Just two weeks after we roll away the last pumpkin, the Cincinnati Zoo was ready to open our gates after dark for one of our most popular events – the PNC Festival of Lights!

For months, the Zoo has been gearing up to make this event extra special, and the Wild Encounters team is no exception. In the spring and summer, you can often spot a team member giving an animal chat outside a habitat, or out on Zoo grounds with one of our animal ambassadors. Even though it’s colder outside and our regular chats and appearances are over for the season, there are still plenty of new and exciting ways to experience the Wild Encounters magic during Festival of Lights:

Leaf Cutter Ant Chat– Although some of our animals are brought inside in the winter and at night, there are still many amazing animals to see during Festival of Lights. Come inside World of the Insect to warm up and listen to our Leaf Cutter ant chat! Leaf Cutter ants are amazing creatures that live in huge colonies. Did you know a Leaf Cutter ant is able to carry something up to 10 times its own weight? You won’t want to miss this special chat that is only available during Festival of Lights!

Reindeer Chat– Can reindeer actually fly? Come find out at our special holiday reindeer chat! Only during Festival of Lights can you spot a reindeer amongst our many exotic and native animal species.

Elephant Chat- One of our most popular chats continues throughout the year for everyone to enjoy. Stop by the indoor Asian elephant habitat to say hello to Sabu, Schottzie, Mai Thai, and Jati.

Meet A Creature- The fun continues with up close animal encounters in both the Education Center’s Discovery Forest and Manatee Springs. Throughout Festival of Lights, come by either station for an opportunity to meet (and potentially touch!) a lizard, armadillo, or one of our other amazing animal ambassadors.

Giraffe Chat- Make sure to stop by our Giraffe chat to keep up with our four Masai Giraffes as they cozy up inside for the winter. As you listen to the chat, take a peek through the large viewing windows to see how much our juvenile Giraffe, Zoey, has grown!

Goat Yard- Many of our guests have had a chance to get to know our all male goat group over the summer, and that opportunity continues during Festival of Lights. During most nights, you can stop by our Children’s Zoo to visit and even brush the goats!

You can find all of these opportunities and more, including chat times, on a PNC Festival of Lights map. We hope to see you there!