CROCTOBERFEST
The Dallas World Aquarium
The Dallas World Aquarium is proud to present CROCTOBERFEST, a crocodilian awareness, education, and fundraising event being held on the weekend of October 25th, 2014. Events include a luncheon and lecture with special guests Lonnie McCaskill (Disney's Animal Kingdom) and Dr. Brady Barr (National Geographic), interactive learning stations, crocodile feeding demonstrations, keeper talks, and more!
Crocodilians are in danger. Habitat loss and modification, over-hunting, and other factors continue to threaten wild populations. Of the 23 species around the world, 10 are considered either Threatened or Endangered in the wild.
Conservation organizations, Zoos and Aquariums, Academics, and Government Agencies around the world are working together to monitor and protect these species.
The Dallas World Aquarium is home to the only breeding pair of Orinoco Crocodiles in the country. Over the past ten years, the Aquarium has successfully hatched over 100 of these critically endangered crocodiles, with 50 being reintroduced to their native habitat in the Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela!
If you have ever wondered "What's the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?" make sure to stop by the theatre and spend some time with our educational activities. Walk through our various education stations and learn about the different crocodilian species found around the world. Artifacts include crocodile and alligator skulls, an artificial incubation set up with real crocodile eggs, crocodile teeth, and more!
For the younger crowd, we have the "Pick-a-Croc" and "Pin-the-tail-on-the-Alligator" games, story time, activity sheets, an opportunity to meet Coco the Black Caiman- our mascot for this event- and more!
A luncheon and lecture with Guest Speakers Lonnie McCaskill and Dr. Brady Barr will be held from 12:00-3:30 in the Port Hole (Second Floor of the Aquarium) on Saturday, October 25th, 2014. Tickets are $20 for members, $30 for non-members. Ticket price includes lunch, admission to the lectures, and all-day admission to the Aquarium. Space is limitied and all proceeds from this event will be directed to the AZA's Crocodilian Advisory Group.
To purchase tickets, please contact the Dallas World Aquarium Membership Department at 214/720-2224 and ask for Travis.
Activities
Crocodile Conservation
"People will give readily to save cuddly, endangered species... the crocodilians of the world lack this advantage"
--- David Alderton
"In a perfect world, every animal would be accorded equal value and protection irrespective of size, habitat, physical appearance, or telegenic qualities."
--- Michael Garlock
In the end, we will conserve only what we love.
We will love only what we understand.
We will understand only what we are taught.
--- Baba Dioum