Free roaming zebras in Tanzania.  Photo by Jonathan Schechter

The Detroit Zoo has a wildlife Kenyan holiday treat for you free with payment of regular zoo admission.  The action packed 10 minute wildlife adventure film "Wild World Africa" presented by Kroger, will be shown free every half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. December 20-31st.  Executive Director Ron Kagan said, "The 3-D/4-D experience is visually stunning and wonderfully fun... and it's a lot less costly than going to Kenya to experince it first hand." Zoo staff added "Wild World Africa contains a few graphic images and may not be suitable for children under 5 years old; parental discretion is advised." Although I have not yet seen the film I take that to mean this short film is realistic and presents it like it is: Predators kill their prey.  That is nature's way and part of wildlife behavior in Oakland County as well as East Africa. It's been over a year since I have last been in Africa and I can still feel the dust and recall the scent of the land as a herd of zebras thundered by.  A few stood and faced the lion.

Located on the zoo grounds in the Ford Education Center, The Wild Adventure 3-D/4/D Theater delivers a high definition viewing experience in 3-D with 7.1 digital audio surround sound, enhanced with full-sensory 4-D special efffects such as wind, mist and scents.   The Detroit Zoo is open all winter and located at the intersection of 10 Mile Road and Woodward Avenure, just off I-696 in Royal Oak.  Information on exhibits, fees, hours and special events:  http://www.detroitzoo.org/  

While at the zoo don't just visit  indoor exhibits!  Take a hike around the grounds,  winter is a great time to explore the ways of wildlife and you are sure to be presented with photographic opportunties that are hard to capture with summer crowds. And if you are hungy there is plenty of good food  at the indoor Arctic Food Court.  (The Arctic Food Court is near the must-see Arctic Ring of Life where you can enter a 70 foot viewing tube and look up at harp seals and sometimes polar bears swimming overhead!)