July’s burning temperatures don’t bring tons of snow, but the Phoenix Zoo wants to change that. Winter in July, an annual event hosted by Fry’s Food Stores and the zoo, brings a cool treat to humans, as well as the animals.
“The commissary staff enjoys this time of year, as they get to unleash their creative side and come up with some fun, tasty and creative frozen treats for the animals,” says Linda Hardwick, spokeswoman for Phoenix Zoo.
Watch the zoo residents gnaw on blood-sicles, fish-sicles or fruit-sicles, and dig through mounds of snow to search for other treats in their enclosures.
Practice your aim at spinning targets, build snowmen and make snow angels in the snowy play area. A separate section will be reserved for toddlers. “Creature Features” throughout the morning will give visitors a chance to learn how certain animals survive the heat.
Hardwick says weeks of preparation have gone into the arctic event. “Our commissary staff began working weeks ago to prepare the frozen ice treats, some as large as 40-gallon drums of frozen liquid and fruit (for the elephants) and some, such as large bones encased in flavored ice and blood-sicles for the tigers,” she says.
The otters get or frozen fish-sicles.
If you go
What: Winter in July
When: 7 a.m. to ll a.m. Saturday, July 21
Where: Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway
Cost: $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-12, free for kids 2 and younger and zoo members
Information: (602) 273-1341 or PhoenixZoo.org
• Caitlin, a senior studying public relations and journalism at Northern Arizona University, is an intern for the East Valley Tribune. Contact her at (480) 898-6514 or tribintern@evtrib.com
