The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is preparing to close

FORT WAYNE — Fans that haven’t made it to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo this year have just a few days to squeeze in a visit: The zoo’s regular season ends on Sunday, Oct. 11.

During the 2015 season, the zoo celebrated its 50th birthday; opened The Reef, featuring sharks and tropical fish; opened the all-new Stingray Bay; broke ground on Phase 3 of the $7 million Australian Adventure renovation, which will feature Tasmanian devils; and welcomed many baby animals including a reticulated giraffe, ring-tailed lemur, black-tailed prairie dog, Javan gibbon, black-and-white colobus monkey, eastern grey kangaroo, and several black-breasted leaf turtles.

“We’ve had a lot to celebrate this season,” says Zoo Director Jim Anderson. “Our baby animals are thriving, and the community support we receive helps us get better and better.”

The zoo was named the seventh best zoo in the United States and the 20th best zoo in the world by travel website TripAdvisor earlier this summer. The rankings are based on user reviews and ratings posted to the site.

Even though the regular season will end on Sunday, the zoo reopens on Friday, Oct. 16, for the Wild Zoo Halloween. Crews will be busy next week decorating the zoo with pumpkins, gourds, and animal sculptures in preparation for the kid-friendly trick-or-treat event.

The Wild Zoo Halloween is open from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 16-18, 22-25, and 29-31 with last admission at 5 p.m.