GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The chilly March isn't stopping John Ball Zoo from opening for the season this Saturday.
The zoo will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with animals that are more active and playful outside in the colder weather, including its Amur tiger.
Guests can also warm up while watching feedings indoors at the penguin, pelican, and spider monkey exhibits.
Visitors will also be greeted by new faces this year, including a scaly mammal called the six-banded armadillo, whose home is in the Natural Treasures building. Staff members say they have grown to love Joanna the armadillo, as they have watched her dig and explore her habitat. She shares it with Linus, a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth.
The giant Pacific octopus is also new to the zoo. As its name would suggest, it is the largest of all octopus species. The average adult giant Pacific octopus weighs more than 30 pounds and is considered one of the most intelligent invertebrates with acute vision.
Although they won’t be around for opening day, other animals will eventually join the zoo family during the 2019 season, including the Toco Toucan. The largest member of the toucan family, it is a brightly-colored bird, with a yellow-orange colored bill and a distinct black marking at the tip. The birds will be out for viewing in late spring or early summer.
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