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to animal welfare as we are. If they don’t The Lizard Queen
meet our high standards, we don’t send
our animal. One of our eagerly anticipated arrivals is a real, live dragon!
New Animal or Habitat A Komodo dragon—the largest living species of lizard on
In some cases, animals are transferred for Earth—is making her way to Brookfield Zoo from Disney’s
a special engagement, such as the birds Animal Kingdom as a spotlight of our summer experience,
from last summer’s Festival of Flight Dinos & Dragons. She’s a perfect example of an animal
or the Komodo dragon that will be part that’s on the move, as she began her life at Los Angeles Zoo.
of our summer 2017 Dinos & Dragons
exhibition. (See the sidebar to the right She’s the star of a new interactive live reptile experience
for more details.) As with animals that that’s sure to spark your imagination. See nearly 20
are part of a Species Survival Plan, the ginormous new animatronic dinosaurs and dragons.
utmost care is taken to ensure their Become enchanted with the legend, lore, literature, and
safety, comfort, and well-being before, culture of these real and mythical beasts. Check out the
during, and after they are transferred. science of knights and dragons, learn about dragons in
space, and more. Our youngest visitors will enjoy interacting
At Brookfield Zoo, we know and with dino and dragon puppets, a castle catapult, and a
appreciate that sometimes people grow dino dig pit and dissection, among other fun activities.
fond of a particular animal and don’t
want to see it leave. It’s hard for us, too! Dinos & Dragons is here at Brookfield Zoo
from May 6 through September 17, 2017.
There’s a special
emotional attachment BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2017 25
that happens when you spend
time getting to know a particular
animal. And that’s our goal. We want
people to feel connected to animals
so that they will stand up for them
and become wildlife advocates.

Conversely, it’s important that we
keep animals’ preservation and well-
being front of mind. That’s why
we provide the safest, most
uneventful and humane
transfer of animals
to ensure not only
the welfare of that
individual binturong,
gorilla, or wolf
cub but also the
welfare of their
entire species. █