Kids go batty at Boo-at-the-Zoo

Last weekend, 11,500 ghosts, ghouls and other apparitions flew through BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. And, with beautiful weather forecast, the staff expects to see a similar collection of heroes, villains and other hearty souls returning to familiar haunts this weekend. Over the past 18 years, Boo-at-the Zoo has become a holiday tradition by offering costumed Capital City kids the opportunity to go wild for Halloween.

In fact, “We anticipate handing out more than 930,000 pieces of candy by the end of Boo at the Zoo,” says Mary Woods, the zoo’s development director.

Besides trick-or-treating at candy stations located throughout the park, families can ride the rails Halloween-themed Cypress Express and pose for a pictures in Safari Snapshot photo booth.

But, so far, this year’s most popular attraction has been the hay maze. “The United Nations has declared 2012 to be the International Year of the Bat,” explains Woods. “[We incorporated that theme, so] you can see really cool bat trivia throughout the maze.” In addition, the event’s signature merry-not-scary Boo Den haunted house has been refurbished and moved to the boardwalk by KidsZoo.

Boo-at-the Zoo continues this Saturday and Sunday (October 27 and 28) from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grounds close at 5 p.m. Regular zoo admission applies. For more information, visit www.brzoo.org or call 775-3877.

If a zoo excursion inspires you to seek a feline of your own, these are among the cute and cuddly cats and kittens available from Project Purr.