Moorpark, Calif. (January 13, 2020) -
America’s Teaching Zoo (ATZ) at Moorpark College invites the community to celebrate Ira the Lion’s 6th birthday on Feb. 1. The day of festivities includes Ira unwrapping edible gifts made by his student trainers and guests singing "Happy Birthday" before eating birthday cake at 1 p.m. Children and adults can visit the craft station to decorate crowns to wear during the party and take home as souvenirs. Guests will also get a sneak peek of Ira’s upcoming exhibit, "Ira’s Kingdom."
"In the wild, lions live to about 12 years old, and in zoos it’s closer to 20 years," said Mara Rodriguez, Zoo staff at ATZ. "We look forward to Ira having a long life ahead of him and are thrilled that we get to celebrate his birthday with the community."
The zoo is open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Feb. 1. In addition to Ira’s Birthday Celebration, there will be animal shows at noon and 2 p.m. as well as animal demonstrations at 3:30 p.m.
Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for children and seniors, and free for members and children under age 2. ATZ is located on the Moorpark College campus, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark. For additional information, call Mara Rodriguez at (805) 378-1441.
About Moorpark College
Moorpark College is one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District and annually serves more than 14,000 students. Founded in 1967, Moorpark College is fully accredited and has the highest six-year completion rate within the California Community College System. The Campaign for College Opportunity named Moorpark College a 2019 Champion of Higher Education for the Associate Degree for Transfer Pathway. It is also a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. The college’s signature career/technical programs include nursing, radiologic technology, biotechnology and journalism. The college’s America’s Teaching Zoo is the only associate’s degree exotic animal training program in California. To learn more, visit MoorparkCollege.edu or follow @MoorparkCollege on social media.