Prospect Park Zoo Hosts Annual Fleece Festival: Saturday and Sunday, May 18 – 19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.



Brooklyn, N.Y. - April 15, 2013 – Two babydoll lambs at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo play in their pasture as mother, Ginger, watches closely.

Also known as the miniature Southdown, babydolls are the oldest known purebred sheep in the world. The brother and sister pair was born last month. The male, Arthur, weighed eight pounds at birth while his sister, Brooklyn, weighed six pounds. Both healthy youngsters are gaining weight daily. As adults, Arthur will weigh approximately 175 pounds and Brooklyn 120 pounds.

Both Arthur and Brooklyn have delicate features, a diminutive size, and downy coats of pure white.

The new lambs are a sure indicator that spring has arrived; and during spring the sheep at the Prospect Park Zoo get sheared during Fleece Festival, taking place Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The highlight of the event is watching the zoo’s fluffy sheep get shorn in their barnyard quarters. Shearing occurs both days at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Other activities planned for this year’s event, include spring-themed crafts, games and live music performed by the Otter Brothers. Visitors will get to see how felt is made during special demonstrations by the zoo’s docents.

More information about Fleece Festival can be found online at www.prospectparkzoo.com.

CONTACT:
Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; brusso@wcs.org
Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com .

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on earth.