Grades Kinder-5th Zoo Your Own Adventure

Level 2 – $175/unlimited access to July*

Level 1 – $100/5 sessions

Get ready to Zoo Your Own Adventure!

Zoo Your Own Adventure is the perfect way to experience all the fun of summer camp from the comfort of home. Choose from tons of exclusive live and interactive video experiences with animals, zoo staff, and peer groups. Whether you are looking for animal meet-and-greets, behind-the-scenes adventures, group activities, zoo tours, (or all the above!) you can build the perfect online camp schedule to complement your camper’s passion and your family’s schedule.

*Level 2 registration includes a take-home pack with a camp t-shirt, water bottle, at-home activities, and more!

Zoo Your Own Adventure Experiences

Meet and Greet	Zoo Tours	Exclusive Closer Look	Group Activities
Flamingo	Reptile House	Animal Paintings	All About Amazing Animal Care
Legless Lizard	Butterflies	Sloths	Zoo Bingo
Ferret Enrichment	Lions and Tigers	Kangaroos	DIY Pet Enrichment
Turtles: Big and Small	Amazon Animals	Cleaning the Hippo Pool	Zoo Animal Trivia
Komodo Dragon	Giraffe, Zebra, Ostrich	Visiting the Veterinarian	“Flat Stanley” Campers

Zoo Your Own Adventure FAQ:

• How long are Zoo Your Own Adventure online video sessions?
  • Most Zoo Your Own Adventure online sessions are 25-30 minutes long; however, you may choose several consecutive sessions if you’d like to create a 2-3 hour experience for your camper (with continuous login). A variety of morning and afternoon options will be available.
• How are online sessions selected and accessed?
  • After registering, you will receive an email with a link to the online Zoo Your Own Adventure calendar. Sign-up for as many Zoo Your Own Adventure online sessions as you’d like. A link and password will be provided to each session, along with directions for accessing the online content. An internet connection via a computer, tablet, or phone is required.
• How is Zoo Your Adventure different from an online school?
  • Zoo Your Own Adventure is all about fun with a focus on giving participants a chance to share stories, ask questions, and following their passion for animals and the zoo. Our goal is to limit the group to 15 participants to make sure that everyone that would like to interact with zoo staff and camp peers has the opportunity.
• What steps are being taken to ensure online safety?
  • Safety is always our number one priority at the zoo and online programming is no different. Some of the safety measures for Zoo Your Own Adventure include: unique program links, password protection, always having 2 zoo staff members present, option to use nicknames instead of the real name, only group conversations (not private/individual), email verification, session rosters, safety checklists for staff and helpful tips for parents.

Register Today!

Grades 6th-12th Tales from the Field

Have you ever wondered how animal care specialists train a hippo or how zoo veterinarians create a surgical mask for a toucan?  What about discovering new species?  Join us for this first-ever virtual opportunity to engage online with the San Antonio Zoo’s senior staff in animal care, conservation, and veterinary medicine.

Each of these programs will take advantage of the program’s digital platform and include experiences not typically possible in a camp or behind-the-scenes experience.

$30/session or $120/5 sessions

A Look Into Animal Care – Thursday, July 2nd @ 2 p.m.

• Presenter: Director of Ecotherms – Craig Pelke 
• Join this adventure exploring what it takes to be a leader in animal care.  How would you know if a Nile crocodile is feeling sick?  How do you move, feed, or give medicine to an Egyptian cobra?  Currently, Director of Ectotherms, Craig has worked with many different kinds of animals at many different zoos.  Watch first-hand as we go through some of the daily steps it takes to excel in animal care.

Zoo Training Really is Fun and Games – Thursday, July 9th @2 p.m. 

• Kat Wheaton – Manager of Trainer and Enrichment 
• Join in this real live animal training session with the zoo’s head of animal training.  Can you imagine what it is like to train an animal that weighs 45 times as much as you do?  How about creating a game just for hornbills?  Overseeing all training and enrichment throughout the zoo, Kat has the best stories.  She can also share just what is needed to become a keeper and animal trainer.

A Trip to the Animal Hospital – Thursday, July 16th @ 2 p.m. 

• Presenter: Dr. Rob Coke, DVM – Senior Veterinarian
• Imagine being the vet for Asian elephants, poison dart frogs, flamingoes, coral, and everything in between.  Join Dr. Coke, the zoo’s senior vet for more than a decade in a tour of the animal hospital and a close-up look at what it takes to care for the San Antonio Zoo’s 700+ species.

Saving Species – A Journey from the Ocean’s Depths to Peru’s Undiscovered Rainforests – Thursday, July 23rd @ 2 p.m. 

• Presenter: Dante Fenelio, Ph.D. – VP of Conservation and Research
• Dr. Dante is constantly traveling the world-saving species.  Join in this one-time opportunity to explore first-hand what it’s like discovering new species in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, squeezing through an underwater cave in China or working with indigenous tribes in Peru.  Hint:  you won’t want to miss this – some of Dante’s stories include hanging from helicopters, toilet bowls that glow in the dark, and strapping yourself into bed at night.

Horned Lizards – What it Takes to Save A Texas Legend – Thursday, July 30th @ 2 p.m.

• Presenter: Andy Glusenkamp, Ph.D. – Director of Conservation and Research
• Have you ever been eye to eye with a horned lizard?  Can you imagine training a dog to sniff out lizards hidden in the sand, raising baby lizards in the lab, and working with Texas ranchers to get rid of fire ants?  That’s all in a day’s work for Dr.  Andy.  Join us as we explore the zoo’s Conservation Center and discover all about the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project, including breeding, habitat management, and other tools used to restore horned lizard populations in the wild.  We might even get a chance to visit one of the Texas ranches where these lizards are being released.

Register Today!

Camp Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mon. – Fri.

Drop Off: 8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

Pick-up: 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.

$265 per child, per week

Animal Engineers

Nests, burrows, mounds and more…campers will build up some amazing discoveries in this Zoo Camp! From insects to mammals, birds and fish, campers will take a closer look at the incredible engineers of the animal world.

July 6-10; July 27-31

Where in the World?

Is it possible to travel around the world in a week? Zoo Campers are about to find out! With their zoo passport in hand, campers are bound to have an adventure like no other as they travel around the zoo in search of some of the coolest animals across the continents.

June 22-26; July 13-17; Aug 3-7

Olympic Animals

Get ready, get set – GO! This summer, campers will discover the many adaptations that make animals exceptional athletes. As campers decide which animal should take home the gold, they’ll test their own skills during the Zoo Camp Summer Olympic Games!

June 29-July 3; July 20-24; Aug 10-14

Please review Zoo Camp Enhanced Health and Safety Plan for core actions related to COVID-19 that San Antonio Zoo Camp will be implementing to promote health habits and a safe camp environment.

Read the checklist for Day Camp Families from the State of Texas.

Register Today!