Zoo hosts 'Pitt State Day'

  Tuesday, May 24, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Zoo hosts 'Pitt State Day'

Pittsburg State families will soon have a chance at a private viewing of the baby gorilla they helped name.

The Pittsburg State Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations is hosting a special Pitt State Day at the Fort Worth Zoo event on Friday, June 17. The event, conducted in conjunction with the zoo, comes as a result of the Pitt State community’s role in helping the zoo choose the name “Gus” for its newest western lowland gorilla.

Earlier this year, the zoo, seeking community input on the new gorilla’s name, published a poll on its social media accounts. Since “Gus” was one of the options, Pittsburg State shared the poll on its social media accounts and encouraged its followers to vote for “Gus.” The name won by a wide margin.

“Everyone throughout Gorilla Nation feels a special bond with Baby Gus at the Fort Worth Zoo,” said Jon Bartlow, director of the Pittsburg State Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations. “We’re incredibly grateful to the zoo for allowing us to come down and spend the day with not only Gus but also the many amazing animals at the zoo. We look forward to seeing our alumni and families from the Dallas/Fort Worth area and hopefully from many other parts of the country.”

The Pitt State Day at the Fort Worth Zoo event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During those hours, Pitt State families will receive a discounted price on all-day zoo admission tickets. The price for tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for children.

From 5 to 7:30 p.m. on June 17, the zoo will host an Evening With Baby Gus event, during which Pitt State families will receive a private viewing of Baby Gus and a dinner at the zoo’s Crocodile Café. Tickets for the evening event cost $20 per adult and $15 per child. During the dinner, PSU officials will provide university updates and zoo officials will conduct a live animal show.

The tickets for each portion of the day can be purchased separately. If purchased together, however, the package price is reduced to $25 per adult and $20 per child.

In early April, as a show of appreciation for the university’s role in helping the zoo name its new gorilla, the zoo sponsored Gus in the university’s name.

“The students, faculty and alumni of Pittsburg State have responded so enthusiastically to the birth and naming of our new gorilla, Gus, so sending the adoption to the university was just a small token of our appreciation,” said Alli Haltom, public relations coordinator for the Fort Worth Zoo.

The registration deadline to attend either or both zoo events is Tuesday, June 14. To register, visit http://bit.ly/25jIzyG or call 620-235-4758.


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